YES FACTORY opened in April 2024 at 78708 Roadside Drive in Agoura Hills. It is a walk-in community art studio open to all ages where you can make, paint or draw whatever you'd like. They offer one day drop-in, family memberships and 10 visit passes. Open daily from 9am to 5pm. Learn more at yesfactoryla.com.
The Museum of Ventura County is the most comprehensive resource for local history in the county. There are exhibitions, galleries, and an extensive research library with over 140,000 books, newspaper clippings, photographs, maps and other historical materials.
The museum is open from 11am to 5pm, Thursday through Sunday. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors/students and free for 17 and under. Located at 100 E. Main Street, Ventura.
For more information, visit www.venturamuseum.org or call 805.653.0323.
The 3,500 sq ft river-rock walled, state-of-the-art Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Event Pavilion is used for lectures, programs and a variety of Museum events. It can seat 200 for dinner, with the option to tent the front plaza for an additional 140 guests. Could be a great wedding reception venue!!
Here's a handy list of movie theaters with over 130 (originally it was over 150, but there’s been some closures over the years) screens throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas. Click the links for theater websites and/or showtimes.
Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas at the Promenade at Westlake, 100 Promenade Way, Westlake Village (8 screens). Order food and drink from your seat and enjoy. cinepolisusa.com/locations/cinepolis-luxury-cinemas-westlake-village (805) 413-8838
AMC Dine-In Thousand Oaks 14, 166 West Hillcrest Drive at The Oaks Mall. Tickets at www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/los-angeles/amc-dine-in-thousand-oaks-14. $5 Tuesdays all day for AMC Stubs members.
Regal Janss Marketplace 9 is located at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, 255 North Moorpark Road. www.regmovies.com/theaters/regal-janss-marketplace-9/C00300689804
Former Muvico (now AMC Dine-In) Thousand Oaks.
Regency Agoura Hills 8, 29045 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills (818.707.9966) regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=22 $7 for all seats on Sundays.
Century Downtown 10, 555 East Main Street, Ventura (800.326.3264) www.cinemark.com/southern-california/century-10-downtown
Century Riverpark 16 at 2766 Seaglass Way, Oxnard (800.326.3264). www.cinemark.com/theatre-1010
Century Riverpark 16 at The Collection at Riverpark
Edwards Camarillo Palace 12 and IMAX, 680 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo (805.383.8879) (Located adjacent to The Promenade section of Camarillo Premium Outlets. www.regmovies.com/theaters/edwards-camarillo-palace-stadium-12-imax/C00287009669
Plaza Stadium Cinemas 14, 255 West Fifth Street, Oxnard (805.487.8380). www.santarosacinemas.com/plaza-14
Regency Buenaventura 6, 1440 Eastman Avenue, Ventura (805.658.6544). regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=14 Looking for a bargain!? As of July 2022, general admission is still just $3.50. All screenings are just $1 on Tuesdays!
Roxy Stadium 11, 5001 Verdugo Way, Camarillo (805.388.0532). www.santarosacinemas.com/roxy-11
Regal Civic Center Plaza 16 & IMAX, 2751 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley (805.526.0232). www.regmovies.com/theaters/regal-simi-valley-civic-center-stadium-16-imax/C00745385306
Studio Movie Grill at the Simi Valley Town Center opened on October 22, 2015, with 9 screens and over 950 seats. www.studiomoviegrill.com/locations/california/simi-valley/2022/1/14
Regal Civic Center Plaza, Tapo Canyon Road, just north of the 118.
Regency Theatres opened December 29, 2022 at the former Regal Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 6 theater at The Commons at Calabasas. regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=51
Regency Santa Paula 7, 550 West Main Street, Santa Paula (805.933.6707). regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=19 Seats just $6.50 on Sundays!
Ojai Playhouse at 145 East Ojai Avenue (805.646.1011) (1 screen) - CLOSED FOR REPAIRS SINCE 2018 at the theater that originated in 1914. Anticipated to reopen in 2013.
Regal Malibu Twin at 3822 Cross Creek Road, Malibu (310.456.6990) (closed in September 2017)
Simi Valley 10 Tristone Cinemas, 1457 E. Los Angeles Avenue (805.526.4329) simivalley.tristonecinemas.com (Closed 12/5/19 “due to leasing disagreements”)
Regency Paseo Camarillo Cinemas (3 theaters), 390 North Lantana Street, Camarillo (805.383.2267). regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=3 (“TEMPORARILY CLOSED” SINCE AUGUST 2021.)
Regency Westlake Village Twin, 4711 Lakeview Canyon Road, Westlake Village (818.889.8061) regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=1 Closed 1/17/22.
Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 6, 4767 Commons Way, Calabasas (818.223.0223). www.regmovies.com/theaters/edwards-calabasas-stadium-6/C00791471576 Closed 9/15/22
The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show runs along Cabrillo Boulevard from State Street east about a mile every Sunday as well as Saturdays of major holiday weekends, barring bad weather. Hours are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. This is truly a unique show in that only local Santa Barbara artists and artisans, around 200 of them, display their original drawings, paintings, sculptures, crafts and photos. This show has operated since 1965 and has been sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department since 1966.
So make a day of it and check out the show and take in some of the other great activities in Santa Barbara while you're at it. And of course buy something to support local artists!
Learn more about the show at sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/activities/community-events/santa-barbara-arts-crafts-show.
The Thousand Oaks Community Gallery at 2331-A Borchard Road, Newbury Park opened in February 1991 and was the realization of the combined efforts of the City Of Thousand Oaks, area art organizations and dedicated art patrons. The 3,000 sq ft gallery hosts visual arts exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations and special events, and is enhanced with a multi-purpose area that includes kitchen facilities and is available for group tours and special events. Original art is available for purchase for personal or corporate collections. The gallery showcases outstanding work of acclaimed, professional and emerging artists who present an exceptional array of original imagery, artistic techniques and visual styles.
Gallery operations are under the direction of City staff and a steering committee, consisting of regional visual arts association representatives and dedicated arts leaders. Operating costs are covered by a modest user fee paid by exhibiting artists and an active volunteer corps serve as staff. Gallery hours vary by exhibit.
More information at www.tolibrary.org/services/get-involved/thousand-oaks-community-art-gallery
The Conejo Players is a community based theatre arts group that has entertained local residents since 1958. It is a volunteer based non-profit organization that hosts six productions each year, as well as several productions geared towards kids.
The 185 seat Conejo Players Theatre is located at 351 South Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, just south of the 101 near the Los Robles Greens entrance. Phone is 805.495.3715. www.conejoplayers.org
Founded in 2000, the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic is a non-profit educational organization with a mission of providing young artists opportunities to perform with a professional symphony.
The Philharmonic performs three series of concerts per year at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks and several other locations.
For information about upcoming concerts, visit www.tophil.org.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art was established in June 1941 at 1130 State Street, in a building that housed the Santa Barbara Post Office from 1914 to 1932. The Museum has been expanded to 60,000 sq ft over the years, including exhibition galleries, Museum store, cafe, a 154-seat auditorium, a library containing 50,000 books and 55,000 slides, a children’s gallery dedicated to participatory interactive programming and an 11,500 sq ft off-site facility, the Ridley-Tree Education Center at McCormick House.
As one of the leading art museums on the West Coast, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art serves a diverse audience of approximately 150,000 people annually. The Museum offers a wide variety of educational and interpretive programs.
The Museum’s strengths lie in the following areas: Ancient Art, Asian Art (Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Tibetan), French and English 19th and early 20th Century Art, 19th and early 20th Century American Art, International Modernism, Works on Paper, Photography and Contemporary Art.
Hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm; FREE Thursday evening admission from 5-8PM! Admission (as of September 2023) is $10 for adults and $6 for seniors, students with ID and children ages 6-17. Under 6is free. Free to Museum members. Closed most major holidays.
Visit www.sbma.net or call 805.963.4364 for more information.
The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University, located in the heart of the campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, showcases musicians, performers and artists from around the world at its Raitt Recital Hall (fits roughly 100 people), Smothers Theatre (500 attendees), Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.
There is a wide range of great acts and artists, covering blues, country, classical, jazz, gospel, soloists, ensembles, acrobats, jugglers, classic rockers, a kids' theater series, art exhibits and numerous student productions.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.arts.pepperdine.edu or call 310.506.4522.
Note: Following a generous estate commitment from Pepperdine University Board member Lisa Smith Wengler, the University dedicated the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts on November 7, 2013.
The New West Symphony performs at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, and the 695-seat Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center in Camarillo.
The New West Symphony is a 501(c)3 non-profit governed by a 50-member board of directors. The annual concert program features the great symphonic repertoire of the 19th through 21st centuries.
For more information, visit www.newwestsymphony.org.
Moorpark’s historic High Street Arts Center at 45 E. High Street is a jewel of a theater located in old town Moorpark. Owned by the city of Moorpark since 2005, the theater provides high quality theatrical performances. For more information, visit highstreetartscenter.com or call 805.529.8700.
The Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center has over 1,600 seats in a theater that showcases local theater, dance, music and other programs.
Since opening in March 1968, the center has hosted thousands of performances reaching over three million people. Outstanding Broadway musicals, prominent guest speakers and musical acts and plays have all graced the center's stage.
In 1996, the center was completely refurbished after serving its first 28 years as the Oxnard Civic Auditorium.
More information at www.theopac.org.
The Bank of America Performing Arts Center (BAPAC) Thousand Oaks (formerly the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza) is one of the largest performing arts centers between Los Angeles and San Francisco at over 200,000 square feet.
The City of Thousand Oaks Cultural Affairs Department oversees theatre productions for the BAPAC, which encompasses two theatres – the 1,800-seat Fred Kavli Theatre and the 394-seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre.
The performing arts center combines outstanding arts and entertainment with state-of-the-art technology and acoustics. Over 300,000 patrons and 50,000 children attend more than 400 performances annually. The BAPAC Thousand Oaks is funded through a unique public/private partnership between the City of Thousand Oaks and the Alliance for the Arts. It opened in 1994.
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
There is something for everyone at this venue....musicals, cabaret, Broadway musicals, dance, concerts, big bands, the New West Symphony, ballet, plays, well known speakers and events for the kids. In front of the plaza is the Mary and Richard Carpenter plaza park.
Next door to the Plaza is The Lakes of Thousand Oaks, a great place to grab a bite to eat, do some shopping and enjoy the lakes and playground on the property.
Between 1926 and 1968 this location housed the 170 acre Goebel's Lion Farm (later called Jungleland), where many of the famous wild animals in Hollywood pictures lived. There were elephants, lions, tigers, hippos, you name it. Leo, the MGM lion, Mr. Ed the Talking Horse, and Getta, Tarzan's chimpanzee all lived there at some point. Jungleland was a major draw in its day that played a large role in making Thousand Oaks what it is today.
A photo of Jungleland after it closed in 1969 (Image courtesy of Conejo Through the Lens, Thousand Oaks Library).
The BAPAC is located at 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard (take the 101 East, left on Rancho exit, right on T.O. Blvd, and turn right into parking structure at Dallas Drive). Visit bapacthousandoaks.com for more information or call 805.449.2787.
It takes good luck and timing for a novice photographer like me to capture the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza while driving south on the 101 freeway.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
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