The Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar

The Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar houses a spectacular collection of over 120 antique, vintage, black iron and classic automobiles. This is a place that a surprisingly few number people know about but is a must see. It is a truly gorgeous collection of cars, including numerous winners of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other famed auto shows.

Particularly eye opening to an auto novice like me is the sheer number of different car manufacturers on display that I'd never heard of, like Tucker, Simplex, Cord, REO, Maybah, Ruxton, Westinghouse, Pierce-Arrow, Moon etc as well as autos made by Daimler, Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Packard, Lincoln, Ford, Duesenberg, Oldsmobile, Bugatti and others. There is also huge number of hood ornaments, headlamps and other vintage paraphernalia on display.

Admission to The Nethercutt Museum is free of charge and hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Visit www.nethercuttcollection.org for more information. Open to all ages.

Located at 15151 Bledsoe Steet, Sylmar. When I went I took the 101 east to the 405 south towards Santa Clarita, which becomes the 5 freeway. Get off at Roxford exit east (exit 159A; don't get confused and take the NEXT Roxford exit). Turn right on Roxford, right on San Fernando Road and left on Bledsoe. Museum is a few blocks up on the left hand side. Turn left on Bradley (at Bledsoe) and an immediate left into the parking lot.

Outside the Museum you can walk through a 1912 Pullman Rail Car and a 1937 Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson Locomotive. Open twice a day (weather permitting) at 12:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. for 15 minutes.

In addition to the main Museum, next door at 15200 Bledsoe is The Nethercutt Collection, which has over 50 automobiles along with what they call the world's finest assemblage of mechanical musical instruments. Admission here is also free but you must make reservations for the 2 hour docent-led tour, kids must be 12 and older, and no video recording or flash photography is allowed. Tours are currently offered at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Santa Susana Depot Museum and Model Railroad in Simi Valley

Visit a fully restored Southern Pacific Railroad depot that was built in 1903 with both freight and passenger trains rushing by at the Santa Susana Depot Museum and Model Railroad. The depot served passengers and farmers in Simi Valley for over 60 years, with a classic passenger waiting room featuring a pot-belly stove, the depot was also headquarters for local freight shipments.

The depot is a museum filled with hundreds of items having both railroad and local historical significance. The depot is owned and managed by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, which took it over from the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1973. The depot was moved to its current location and after 10 years of neglect was restored to its current state by 1996. The depot was restored to what it looked like in 1938.

Also at the depot is the Santa Susana Model Railroad Club’s large operating HO scale model railroad. Located inside the depot's freight room, the layout of the railroad portrays Simi Valley during the mid 1950s. Trains run each weekend, with Sundays being the best day to see several trains operating simultaneously.

The depot is located on the grounds of Simi Valley’s beautiful Oak Knolls Park. For you rail fans, the depot is adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad’s busy “Coast Line,” which is also utilized by both Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains. You will standing in close proximity to passing trains, so get ready to wave!

The depot is located at 6503 Katherine Road in Simi Valley. For more information and a map to the depot/parking, visit www.santasusanapacific.org or call 805.581.3462.  The depot is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Ojai Valley Museum

Founded in 1966, the Ojai Valley Museum at 130 West Ojai Avenue has an extensive collection of art, Native American baskets, pioneer tools and photographs of early days in Ojai.

The Ojai Valley Museum Research Library houses archives including historical journals that chronicle the events of early to contemporary Ojai Valley activities.

Admission as of April 2023 is $5 for adults, $1 for children ages 6 to 18 and 5 and under free. Open Friday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

FREE admission the 3rd Friday of each month 10 am to 7pm.

For more information, visit www.ojaivalleymuseum.org or call 805.640.1390.

The museum is housed in the former St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. The beautiful 100+ year old building (built in 1918) is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hunt Olive Tree - Historical Landmark in Thousand Oaks

When Richard Orville Hunt and his wife Mary Jane Hunt planted trees in their orchard on the Salto Ranch (currently Lynn Ranch) over 130 years ago, they probably never contemplated that one of their trees would be thriving next to the Sprouts Farmers Market (previously Circuit City) parking lot. 

Well, that's where this beautiful old timer is.  I'm not exactly sure why the Hunt Olive Tree was moved here from its prior home in 1993, but she looks like she is doing o.k.  This tree at 600 West Hillcrest was designated a Ventura County Historical Landmark #64 on January 25, 1982. It is also Historical Landmark #4 in the City of Thousand Oaks.

Richard Hunt served as postmaster of the Newbury Park Post Office (which at the time was located at his ranch) for 18 years, beginning in 1891.

So go pay homage to this lovely link to our local history en route to buying some fresh fruits, veggies and other health foods at Sprouts!

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

A local must see is the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, located at 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley.  With sweeping hilltop views of the surrounding valleys, this 153,000 sq ft museum on 100 acres is educational and interesting for all ages.  A wealth of memorabilia and artifacts from throughout Reagan's life is on display.

In February 2011, over 26,000 sq ft of new exhibits and dozens of interactive displays spanning Reagan's life were introduced.  There are 24 galleries that pay tribute to our 40th President's life. You can act in a movie with Reagan, deliver his inaugural address with a teleprompter, set the table for a state dinner, learn about his economic policies in interactive games, read his handwritten diary, ride a horse alongside Reagan at Rancho del Cielo, and much more. There is also a full-scale Oval Office replica and a 9 1/2 foot, 6,300 lb section of the Berlin Wall on display.

Volunteer docents are very friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable. They are there to help guide you through your visit and answer your questions.

Exhibits include the Air Force One Pavilion, sections of the Berlin Wall, F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter, F-14 Tomcat aircraft, Reagan Memorial Site, M-1 Abrams Tank, Marine One helicopter, Oval Office and more.

In addition to the permanent exhibits discussed above, there are usually temporary exhibits on display. Check out the museum's website for details.

Dine at the Reagan Library! The Gipper’s Bar + Bistro offers panoramic views and is open and is open from 10:30am to 3pm seven days a week. You can access this eatery without entering the Library. The Ronald Reagan Pub is located inside the Air Force One Pavilion and offers drinks and prepackaged sandwiches and other items.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Parking is free of charge. Admission costs vary based on the special exhibit on hand.

More information at www.reaganfoundation.org.

Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center in Calabasas

The Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center is located at King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. It opened to the public in June 2012.

The Visitor Center is jointly operated by the National Park Service, California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

It features exhibits and interactive displays, the work of local artists, tours of sustainable features and a native plant garden. There is a tremendously comprehensive exhibit covering things to see and do within the Santa Monica Mountains.

The Visitor Center was formerly the horse stable for the Gillette Mansion. It retains some of its original design while achieving LEED Platinum certification as the first "net zero" visitor center in the National Park Service. Cool! (literally and figuratively)

Visitor Center staff and volunteers are very friendly and helpful.

There's also gift shop in the center with a variety of items including books, handmade items, kids' items and more.

Call 805-370-2301 or visit www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/visitor-center.htm.

Open Wed though Sun, noon to 4pm. Closed Mon/Tues.

Nearby hiking is plentiful, including the Inspiration Point hike at King Gillette Ranch and across the street at Malibu Creek State Park.

Scandinavian Center at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks

The public is invited to share in the many activities and services of the Scandinavian American Cultural & Historical Foundation (SACHF) that take place at Cal Lutheran University, including many functions at the Scandinavian Center. The Center is open to the public for scheduled events and special functions.

The Aina Abrahamson Library at the Center includes thousands of Scandinavian-related books, publications, documents and audio/visual materials. Visitors can review books while at the Center, but only SACHF may check out the books from the library.

As a museum, the Center offers a wide assortment of artifacts, costumes, early and contemporary art, musical instruments, a Norwegian ship model and a ship plaque from Sweden, and examples depicting industry of yesterday and today.

Other offerings and events include genealogy research, classes, brown-bag lunch series, the annual Scandinavian Festival in April, the annual Nordic Spirit Symposium and Scandinavian Lecture Series.

The Center is located at 60 W. Olsen Road at CLU. The Center is located at the southeastern corner of the campus, at Faculty Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

Visit www.ScandinavianCenter.org or call (805) 241-0391 for more information.

Albinger Archaeological Museum in Ventura

The Albinger Archaeological Museum, located at 113 E. Main Street in Ventura, is open to the public Saturdays from 11am to 5pm (as of May 2022 - but check with the Museum at 805-658-4726 for any updates. Admission to the museum is free.

Named after Ventura Mayor from 1969 to 1973, Albert R. Albinger, the museum is built on the home site of saloonkeeper and early mayor Angel Escondon and displays artifacts spanning 3,500 years of Ventura history, encompassing five different cultures (Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese and circa 1850 U.S.) from a single archaeological site next to the San Buenaventura Mission.

In 1973 the buildings which stood at the museum's location were demolished as part of the Mission Plaza Urban Redevelopment Project. Archaeological testing suggested the existence of rich cultural remains beneath the soil. The Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Buenaventura authorized intensive archaeological investigations and during the summers of 1974 and 1975 archaeological excavations uncovered more than 30,000 artifacts. Each artifact was carefully cleaned, numbered, cataloged and studied. In order to protect and preserve this part of the City’s heritage, the property was withdrawn from the redevelopment project. In 1975 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Ventura Mission Historic District. In January 1980 the City of San Buenaventura opened the Albinger Archaeological Museum. 

Displays of stone bowls, a tomol (plank canoe reproduction), shell beads, arrowheads, bone whistles, crucifixes, bottles, buttons and pottery inside the exhibit building are complemented outside by excavations of the foundations of the lost Mission church, Native American barracks, well and the oldest standing structure in Ventura, the mission water filtration building.

More information at www.cityofventura.net/albinger.

Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries in Santa Barbara

President Reagan’s home for 25 years and the Western White House during the height of the Cold War, the Reagan Ranch embodies the life and ideas of Ronald Reagan. In the spring of 1998, Young America’s Foundation stepped forward to save the Reagan Ranch; eight years later, in June 2006, the Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara opened its doors. 

The Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara is open to the general public for tours and visitation Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

These galleries feature original Reagan Ranch artifacts matched with state-of-the-art, interactive, multimedia exhibits that highlight the history of Ronald Reagan’s quarter-century at Rancho del Cielo and the accomplishments of his presidency.

Over six hours of dynamic multimedia exhibits provide access to exclusive speeches, interviews, radio addresses, and original video presentations. The centerpiece of the gallery is a 28-foot-long interactive “timeline” that gives users the ability to explore the “Western White House” during the 1980s.

The galleries also feature several unique collections on display, including the Lorraine Wagner Letter Collection, a nearly 300-piece collection of letters written by Ronald Reagan over a 50-year period and the Russell D. Sibert Collection, featuring rare Reagan-related memorabilia such as campaign buttons, posters and commemorative items.

A massive 5,000 pound section of the Berlin Wall greets visitors as they arrive at the Reagan Ranch Center, reminding the world of Ronald Reagan’s role in eliminating this assault on human dignity and freedom. The president’s famous blue Jeep Scrambler, complete with “Gipper” license plate, sits in the center of the gallery, flanked by a selection of his favorite books, an original saddle and chainsaw owned and used by President Reagan.

The Reagan Ranch Center is designed to engage visitors of all ages; younger children can even earn their “Junior Secret Service Clearance” by completing a fun and educational scavenger hunt.

The Reagan Ranch Center is located at 217 State Street next to the train station.

Admission is FREE. For more information call 1-888-USA-1776 or visit www.yaf.org/ExhibitGalleries.aspx.

Leonis Adobe Museum - Calabasas

The Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas was the first designated Los Angeles historic monument on August 6, 1962.  The Leonis Adobe was the home of Miguel Leonis, known as the King of Calabasas, who owned over 10,000 acres of land. The museum features his authentically furnished two-story Monterey-style adobe with original buildings, period livestock, gardens and a vineyard. The house was originally built in 1844, six years before Los Angeles was incorporated and California became a state.

Also on the property is the Plummer House, the oldest house in Hollywood and in 1935 was named California Historical Landmark No. 160.  The house fell into disrepair and became dilapidated before the salvageable front portion of the house was moved to the Leonis Adobe site in 1983 and subsequently  repaired, restored and refurbished.  It now serves as the onsite Visitor Center and gift shop.

Plummer House Visitor Center

The Leonis Adobe, located at 23537 Calabasas Road in Calabasas (near the Sagebrush Cantina) is currently (October 2021) open 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and 1-4pm on Sundays. Visit www.leonisadobemuseum.org or call 818.222.6511 for more information. Suggested donations are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors/students and $2 for children under age 12.

On a personal note, I've been to the Leonis Adobe and it is an amazingly large piece of property in the heart of old town Calabasas, paralleling, yet nearly invisible to, the 101 freeway.  In addition to the historic buildings, the site has an impressive assortment of vintage wagons and farm equipment. There's also a well manicured garden area and lots of farm animals to see and feed, including some longhorn bulls, sheep, goats, chickens and a horse. Bring quarters to buy food. Plus they have many activities for the kids year-round.

Stagecoach Inn Museum - Newbury Park

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is a replica of a Monterey style inn, the 1876 Grand Union Hotel. The complex also includes a Chumash Indian village, an early California adobe, a pioneer house and a few other buildings. There is a nice park adjoining the property along with nature trails and a stream that make this a nice place to bring the entire family.

Spanish Adobe structure at Stagecoach Inn is a replica of housing that would be seen in the Conejo Valley in the early 1800s.

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is State Historical Landmark No. 659.  The original structure was destroyed by fire in April 1970 but has been rebuilt and relocated.  It was originally located at the corner of what is now Ventu Park Road and the Highway 101, where a historical marker has been placed.

The Stagecoach Inn is located at 51 South Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park.  Call 805.498.9441 or visit www.stagecoachinnmuseum.com for more information. As of September 2021, the museum is open from 1 pm to 4 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Admission is $7 per adult and $5 per child. Special event pricing and hours may vary.

Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum and Botanical Garden in Camarillo

NOTE: MUSEUM CURRENTLY (AS OF JULY 2022) CLOSED FOR AN EXPANSION PROJECTION PROJECT. GARDEN IS CURRENTLY OPEN ON SATURDAYS FROM NOON TO 4PM CHECK THE MUSEUM WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.

The Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum and Botanical Garden at 720 Las Posas Road in Camarillo is dedicated to the preservation of the history of Pleasant Valley, the Oxnard Plain and adjacent areas where many of Camarillo’s pioneers settled before there was a City of Camarillo. Admission is free. Donations are accepted. The Museum and Garden are open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, except holidays. More information at www.pvhsonline.org.

The museum is located in a small building on the property which contains a variety of antiques and items of local historical interest. Resident docents are genuinely interested in sharing stories about local history in the facility. I can almost guarantee you will learn something new every time you visit!

Old items and newspaper clippings from years past on display.

The Charles L. Honn Botanical Garden, associated with the Historical Museum and located behind it, is a beautiful park-like area that features plants and trees indigenous to the Pleasant Valley and the surrounding region. The garden includes a large gazebo that is available as a breathtaking setting for weddings, anniversaries and similar functions. Kitchen facilities are available. Donations are accepted for use of the garden/gazebo.

Call 805.482.3660 or visit www.pvhsonline.org for more information.

The Charles L. Honn Botanic Garden starts to brighten up after the winter rains.