I've been to this adobe historical park and venue a few times over the last few years. The grounds are clean and spacious with plenty of guest parking. They have their own parking lot and also have about a good 20 spaces right in front of the historical house area. I've been here over the years for concerts and more recently an event. This is a great lowkey space for events and I particularly like when they hold the regular concert series here in the spring and summer. Once inside the Adobe house area, it isn't too big but can be spacious enough for a couple hundred people . There are public restrooms near the front entrance and otherwise it's an open courtyard where the event promoters bring their own tables, chairs, and decor. Every time I've come here there has been sporadic seating and food/drink vendors, depending on the event. I like this venue as it's not too far from the freeway and close by the harbor for some pre-post meals. read more

Olivas Adobe Historical Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

First time at this place and I think it's a great spot for events. I went for a quinceañera. Just so reminiscent of all the fiestas i imagine, happened here when California was part of Mexico círca 1847. We had such a blast. We didn't even feel the cold! No heaters or anything just pure dancing. I'd get a bit cold and I'd hit the dance floor. I'm sure heaters could be rented to keep guests warm on chilly nights. read more

See all

Absolutely love this place, but my boyfriend and i decided to come last minute on a tour and a woman working informed us that they didn't take apple pay. No issues with that, but we told her we would be right back with cash and when we went back we waited for about 30 minutes while she talked to another worker. We ended up leaving and never received the tour, super disappointing. read more

Solid 4 to 4 1/2 stars for the Olivas Adobe. Our tour guide was great, keeping a large group together, relating family tales and sharing the history of the property. The City of Ventura runs the Adobe, courtesy of the Fleishman family (of yeast fame) leaving it to them when done using it as a duck hunting ranch. As Southern California land grants go, Don Reymundo Olivas acquired one of the smaller ones. The family home is one of the few two story adobes you'll see. With 21 children, they needed lots of space! Curiously, instead of having a girls' bedroom and one for the boys, they used a large upstairs room as a chapel, while the boys got a lean-to on the upstairs outside hallway. With other outbuildings on the Rancho, one might imagine having a separate chapel building, while giving the boys a place to sleep inside. Different priorities! The Olivas family left the property in 1899, with several owners following. Offspring did donate back some family belongings, but many of the furniture and accessories on display are of the era, as opposed to belonging to the original owners. In the garden, we were led through the kitchen herb garden, filled with culinary and medicinal herbs. Many smell amazingly fragrant. On the street side of the adobe there is a historic fuchsia bush. In full flower, it is a living testament to the Olivas family. The youngest daughter planted it over 100 years ago! The Adobe hosts weddings and other events, plus a music under the stars summer program on Saturday nights. They keep busy, and offer their historic backdrop to contemporary endeavors. If you haven't been, I suggest finding a tour or other event to enjoy one of Ventura County's historic treasures. read more

See all

GREAT WAY TO END A GREAT ADVENTURE, MUSIC UNDER THE STARS! STATS: Free Parking Summer Concerts (July-Sept) There is an entrance fee (general or per table) Runs from 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Bring some cash EXPERIENCE: A relatively short drive from the Ventura Village, this Spanish Style Ranch offers so much history and open land that goes on and on. We cost conscience hikers arrived at 5:45 to ensure a fuller pick of seating in the general seating area. Although there were several food trucks just outside the gate, we had either eaten in the Village, or brought our own snacks to munch and share. Several people brought bottles of wine as well, which is allowed in the courtyard. Once seats were established, groups of us took a self guided tour of the two-story adobe. inside each room, kitchen, living, and bedrooms, volunteers spoke about the history and what activities occurred in the rooms. There were a couple rooms we were actually able to walk into and get up close and personal with artifacts and antiques. Once the music started people were kickin' up their heels and dancing the night away. Such a great way to end a great adventure with The Crew. SIDE NOTE: Tours of the Olivas Adobe occur every Saturday & Sunday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. for a nominal fee and donations are gladly accepted. #ventura Olivasadobe #historicalpark Review #8 read more

See all

Came here for the first time today. We had a blast! First let me start off by saying the staff is very friendly and thank you for showing us around. We took the guided tour and we had a blast learning about the Olivia's family and how the house was built. It is well kept and very clean. They do parties and have small events. Flowers and plants look beautiful! Great for picture taking! Overall we had a blast and everyone was so nice. read more

See all

Nestled in a still rural location in Ventura, the Olivas Adobe Historical Park lets you take a step back in time. Wandering through the park doesn't take long. This is a single adobe home with the wall around it's courtyard. However, for its time, this was quite an adobe. During the summer months, you can buy tickets for Music Under the Stars. Tables for four are set up in the courtyard, all facing a stage near the house where a band will play. The music ranges from zydeco to rock to blues and so on. The locals fill the place, bring picnic dinners replete with wine and hors d'oeuvres, and get ready to boogie when the band starts up. Sure enough, the stars come out and the night becomes magical. If you don't want to pack and bring your dinner, you can buy their catered meal which looked really good on the night that we went. There are also beverages and snacks to purchase. Next time you're in the area, put the Olivas Adobe on your list of fun places to stop and learn a little history. Then, be sure to get your ticket to Music Under the Stars. read more

We were in Ventura because I was given tickets to the Music under the Stars concert for the evening. We had never been so we didn't know what to expect. My friend that gave us the tickets told us that there would be picnicking, dancing and fun. She was right, she has never lead me wrong before, but she was under selling how much fun it was. We heard Lisa Haley and the Zydekats. They were awesome. The whole evening was awesome. When we got there, the music has already started. (I think we were 10 minutes late). People were already dancing. We stopped at the door and rented a TV Table and got a lumiere for lighting. One of the staff found us chairs and gave us a hint on finding a spot to set up our table. As we walked around, I started to wonder if we were going to find an empty space for us. We did, and we set up our area. The evening was perfect ... the venue was intimate. It was like going to the Bowl for a small personal performance. There was a table for drinks (wine and beer) and it looked like they had a good selection. The concert was from 7:30 to 9:30, and it looks like the season is from July to September. We will be coming back next year. It was well worth the drive!!!! The park was lovely, can't wait to see more of it in the daylight. read more

Pretty neat historic site. The docents were great. Check it out if you're in the area. The adobe is California Historical Landmark No. 115. read more

Olivas Adobe Historical Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Ventura, California

We happened to be in the Ventura area and came across this on yelp. Unfortunately, it was a holiday. Fortunately, we could still roam the grounds and it was so much fun! There was no one else here, which we didn't miss the crowds. Our toddler loved exploring the herb garden, and seeing all the different kinds of medicinal plants, overgrown hanging plants etc. The inner circle of the house was really cool too. We had a great time taking photos on wagon wheels, ringing the bell and just roaming. The next time we are in the area, we look forward to actually seeing the inside of the museum, and I'm already sure we will love it. read more

Great gift shop beautiful yes there are ghosts that I'm here in front of you they do not hide I have never been inside because of the evilness that has gone on read more

The Music Under The Stars concert series is a must attend event. Running through the summer season, talented musicians/groups play on Saturday evenings in the historic courtyard. I recommend that you bring your own wine and picnic basket or you can purchase a meal and beverages on site. Eat, drink and dance the night away at the most exquisite outdoor concert venue between the SB and Hollywood bowls. Event tickets at $20 are a steal. read more

We so happen to go to a wedding event this past weekend at Olivas Adobe. Wedding was beautiful. Venue is large, which was awesome. Reason I'm giving one star is I was eaten up by what seemed to be fleas or the worse case of mosquitoes. Majority of the bites were on my legs as I wore a dress. I had a few on my arms. Counted close to 30 bites on one leg and my other leg had 20. I've been to carribean islands and have been bitten there, but this was worse than that. I received calls from other guests as they also had been bit bad by fleas or whatever they were. Just giving you a heads up. read more

One of my favorite local cultural experiences. And...it's hands on. Last I checked, brick making in the back of the Adobe was all the rage. There's also rumor that it's haunted, just an extra bit of fun if the tale of the families who lived there is not enough to satisfy the adventure-seeking appetite. Great time, close-by, two hours max. Big fan. read more

Totally adore the ghost tours held there, with Ventura master ghost hunter, Richard Senate. Spooky stuff! He does these every month or so, so contact them and ask if you're interested. A recent tour got a good, clear EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and people saw a face in the window! Wish I'd been on that one, but you just never know. Richard is an awesome historian, and an even better storyteller. Don't miss it! read more

This is an amazingly historic place that can teach you about California history. I think there must have been a field trip because there were quite a few kids here and you could tell there were excited about learning about all the Adobe offers. If you in Ventura, this is a must visit place for sure. read more

We attended the Candlelight Tour, offered one night in December each year. The courtyard was lit with lumenaria, and a docent led us from room to room in the adobe house so we could observe the family celebrating Christmas in years gone by. The scripts for the re actors are excellent, they showed family members teasing, telling stories and sometimes bickering. The tour provided a glimpse into times past by the light of candles and kerosene lamps. Definitely an experience worth repeating! read more