We stopped into Murphy Auto Museum on our way home from vacation. Tucked into an industrial park,…read morewe parked, paid our $10 per person admission and explored this small but interesting museum. Sadly, we were told at the front that within a month it will be permanently closed. They have some interesting cars, really cool vintage travel trailers, a room with an HO Scale train setup and a very cool slot car track. We spent about an hour and while there a man with his two boys came in, and the boys were enthralled with the slot car track. One of the employees was so kind and let the boys race cars as long as he could stand there. They were having a ball. What a fun museum, and great for kids. So sad that it is closing. If you are going, you better make it soon.

Dear Hubby once had a VW camper van, and has a thing for retro campers. When he saw an…read moreannouncement for the annual vintage camper show, it was game on. What a fun, kitschy, time machine experience! The campers ranged from micro-mini teardrop -style, to a Greyhound bus which had been converted to a High-60's museum vibe. In the latter, I was transported back to the days of go-go boots and 45 records. The owner had the bus stocked with toys, games, furnishings and accessories of the era. Fabulous! Most of the owners dressed in period garb, and invited guests to tour their trailers. Color schemes and fantastic themes livened up the show. A DJ playing tunes from the 50s and 60s added to a party feeling. We grabbed a hot dog and listened to the music, people watching and taking it all in. The event was in full swing in the noon hour. Inside the car museum itself, there was a mix of classic cars, along with some muscle cars, and a few more campers. They've added mannequins sporting clothing from decades past, adding to the historic atmosphere. The model train layout is new since the last time we visited the Murphy. Quite extensive with great miniature scenery of a bygone era in Americana. Glad we checked it out today!

Free Museum alert! There are not many free museums left plus free parking as well. This Navy museum…read moreis located in Port Hueneme (Oxnard if this helps) in Ventura County. 3201 S. Ventura Road, Building 100, Port Hueneme which is on the base. Opened daily 10a-4pm but closed on Sundays. No reservations needed. Kid friendly location. This museum opened in 1947 which is also the 2nd oldest Navy museum in the US. You can easily spend about 2 hours here because they carry so much actually memorials from the actually event. There are a couple of screening rooms to sit and watch. Vintage heavy machinery like war tanks. Learning about the history with the collections, preserves, and exhibits artifacts related to the history of the United States Navy Engineer Corps. We can learn about Seabees (Navy military) also perform global humanitarian missions such as well-drilling and disaster relief. Established in 1941, they served as the construction force for the Navy during World War II. The Seabees' "Can Do" attitude made them legendary within the Armed Forces, and their character epitomized the resilience of that generation. The "Can Do" attitude still drives today's Seabees. If you are lucky you might even see a few Navy members walking from the base. After your tour you can take the scenic route home on the coast of PCH. Thank you Naval History and Heritage Command for preserving our history. We appreciate all your hard work for US history.

Must see and it's free- after too much sun, too much wind burn - take a break for the self guided…read moreSeaBees museum and come away proud!

GETTING HERE:…read more Located in the Channel Islands Harbor at 3900 Bluefin Circle. It's deep into the Harbor and you will drive for a bit. I was exploring Oxnard recently and found it on Yelp. Thank you Yelp as always! REVIEW: https://www.cimmvc.org/ You had me at museum and water. Such a lovely hidden gem (to me) in the V.C. In full disclosure, I didn't know what to expect and I was floored! Ships galore, in model or art form. I was greeted at the front and gladly paid the ticket fee. I was told there was an option to have a docent provide me a tour, but I decided to explore on my own. I don't speak ships, so I don't have the correct terminology, but please come check it out for yourself. Spend the day out here and immerse yourself in the history that is at our fingertips. Such a great experience. Thankful to live so close to this and thankful to the volunteers who serve here. Very definitely highly recommend! **** Please note that I have several photos attached. They're not showing on the app but they do show on the yelp.com website.

This museum is beautifully located on the harbor and contains a large collection of paintings and…read moremodel ships. We were fortunate enough to have a tour led by one of the many docents that work at the museum. Admission is very low priced and you can also become a member. We learned a lot of fascinating stories of battles and how ships were built. Highly recommend.

Wonderful place for kids and adults! I learned so many things I never knew! I would definitely come…read moreback! It's worth it to get the private tour. I wish they played music in there because it's dead quiet. Ocean music with chirping birds would be fitting!

This is an amazing research museum tucked away on the airport side of Camarillo. You won't just…read moreaccidentally stumble across it, but if you know where you're going it's not hard to find. They occasionally have pubic tours and they're regularly available for researchers. They have one of the most extensive collections of bird eggs in the US (to my knowledge) as well as study skins and taxidermy birds. The rare elephant bird egg has been in the news lately due to one being auctioned for around $65,000. This facility has over a half dozen big beautiful intact eggs. Additionally, they have taxidermy examples of extinct birds such as the passenger pigeon and ivory billed woodpecker. I visited on a public tour day and showed up just as the last tour ended. They kindly allowed me to take a quick walk around and I got to talk to the director as well. Everyone was extremely polite and friendly to me and I very much look forward to returning when I have the time and opportunity to enjoy their displays!

I'd argue that the "Commemorative Air Force museum" is a better representative of "Air" exhibits…read morethan the Smithsonian's " "Air and Space" museum. Sure the Smithsonian has some of the most historically significant airplane in aviation history but everything is so far away. All the exhibits here including the airplanes are within reach...one can experience there size and in many cases your able to look, touch, and walk into some (historic ) airplanes. One of personal life thrills is being able to sit inside a real MIG 29 cockpit which I did at this museum. Also in this visit we were within feet of one of the only flying B29 super-fortresses left. Our entire family was in awe of the planes and the stories the (wonderful ) docent regaled us with during our visit. It's not fancy...you are in fact inside a hanger with planes that do fly vs the Smithsonian but no less an opportunity to see historical planes and learn about the history of flight and the US Air Force ! Everyone associated with the museum is wonderful and friendly. We were told that the exhibits do change so visiting at least once a year will provide an opportunity to learn and see something new.

My hubby's job had a New Year's casino night party here last night. The space was very large! It…read moreheld 700 people! Approximately 15,000 square feet of hangar space! It was a very different, but cool thing to see airplanes inside of the venue. We took a picture of one of the airplanes outside and one of the airplanes inside the venue. I took a couple of videos showing how spacious it was. They have a stage for a band, DJ, or performers. From what I read on their website, they have a list of caterers they work with. I don't know which one they had yesterday, but the food was delicious! They also had several cashless bars inside the venue to order drinks from. The only things that I didn't like were that they don't have restrooms inside, so the company rented "fancy porta potties". Another thing was the parking situation. They don't have a lot of parking space so we had to take an Uber to get there and back, but overall, it was nice and great for big events.

My experience was five star because the ladies in the back room cataloging items and Steve, who…read morewelcomed us when we walked in the door, were super knowledgeable about the area and the changes going on in the museum. After COVID, most of the items were stored to be brought out later, sorted and cataloged. That's an ongoing, huge job. That's why some of the items now noted on the website are not in view-like the 3000 salt shakers and vintage produce boxes labels. But there are plenty of artifacts and storyboards left to find out about the cultural, agricultural, port/naval history and notable families who shaped the area. Hours are limited so check before you go. They also steered us to a reasonably priced, local favorite Mexican restaurant, Antonio's just a minute by car down the street.

I posted a Review on 04/14/2017.there are no updates as of now that I can share. Except that the…read moremuseum has a lengthy schedule of up-coming Events that will shed more light on activities available to the Public. If you're in the vicinity, drop by and meet Larry & Johnny. expand your culture. It will be well worth it.

I've been on a kick this year to see more historic parks and landmarks in SoCal. Shout out to…read moreYelper All-Star Derek W. of Lakewood, CA for inspiring me with his awesome photos and experiences! The challenge I'm finding is parks being open through the week, when we (ahem) "more mature folks" like to enjoy less crowds. So when I saw Heritage Square in Oxnard was open, with possible docent tours, on a TUESDAY, I jumped on the opportunity to partake of some local history. We headed for the Square and saw some parking but, being a first timer, I decided to drive around the entire square and see the layout from the street. I decided to park on W Seventh St, to the north and take advantage of shade, and the close proximity to Heritage Coffee and Gifts(separate review), which I knew we would wander into before departing the area. Turns out W Seventh is the perfect place to start. We entered and immediately were taken with the beautiful architecture, landscaping, care and attention to detail this special area exudes. It was all pretty magical and I wasn't sure where to start. Luckily, it wasn't more than a few steps in that we spotted the water tower and visitor's center/gift shop/central hub. We stepped inside and were greeted warmly. I explained that I saw they had docent lead tours and we could sign up online, but I wasn't sure what time we would arrive, so I didn't make a reservation. Was it still possible to get a tour, or was there a self-guided walking tour info sheet? We were asked to wait a moment while the manager and lead docent was found to see if they were available. Gary was available and we began our tour. What a WONDERFUL storyteller! Weaving the families and their history with Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and bringing them to life in front of their very lovingly restored homes! He took us inside of some of the buildings, where operational businesses agree to have the public tours pop in for a moment of show and tell. Details about the original designs, room layouts, furnishings and use were all so amazing to see, touch and learn about. The tour lasted about 45 minutes. We paid $10/pp and it was well worth it! Just to hear the history of the on-site church alone was worth it! But to venture inside, see the details in the hand-made stained glass and the conversion of the oil lanterns to electric. To hear how it has changed denominations over the years and to view the photos inside, documenting the preparation of the Square, the moving process for the homes and the restoration was so intriguing. This is such a beautiful and unique area. I love that these beautiful homes were repurposed and are thriving with businesses! At the end of the tour, Gary encouraged us to check out the annual Holly Trolley Tours, Christmas Tree Lane Event and Gingerbread House Exhibit and tours. All sounded absolutely delightful!. I immediately signed up for their newsletter and I'm REALLY looking forward to returning durning the holiday season and posting more pics of festively dressed docents and delightful decorations. Cheers! "CC"

The tours are such a great way to learn more about Oxnard. Ms. Connie Korenstein and all the…read moredocents who volunteer are gems and so good at what they do. Make a visit soon and plan your trip by visiting their website to get tour schedules and info. Review the expectations before your visit and ensure the littles are able to follow instruction to not climb and explore on the historic grounds.

Great visitor center with lots of knowledgeable staff onsite to answer questions…read more A really comprehensive gift shop and I picked up a book on the history of Channel Islands, a towel, a sunshirt, some postcards, and some earrings. Theres also a small outdoor garden to explore and also an overlook area at top of the building. Also, a ranger program was happening when I came here discussing the sea kelp that exist here. Bathrooms also available. Worth a stop in to learn more about the islands!

As far as visitor centers go, this one is one of the best we've been to. Located in the Ventura…read moreHarbor about a short 0.25 mile walk from Island Packers, you'll not only find a small little bookshop but a cute little display on water life with the history of the area. Great for everyone, but I'd imagine small kids would love it. A volunteer greeted us when we got there and provided us with some information about Channel Islands National Park. Very friendly and very helpful. They have a beautiful garden outside to explore. You can also go to the 3rd floor and there's a tiny overlook that, on a clear day, you can see Santa Cruz in the distance. They said there's a theatre, but we didn't have time to visit it. All in all, a wonderful visitor center that is worth a stop during your Channel Islands adventures.