Scenes From the Butterflies Alive Exhibit at Santa Barbara Natural History Museum

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Some of these stars of the show at the Butterflies Alive! exhibit at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum are drawn to my Conejo Valley Guide cap. Perhaps they are interested in exploring some of the thousands of things to do throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas!

The Museum is open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for teens/seniors and $7 for kids ages 2 to 12. This is a can't miss exhibit.

Gull Wings Children's Museum Unveils Colorful Piece by Local Artist Chuck Trunks

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Note: The museum closed its Oxnard location on January 10, 2016 to focus on procuring a new location.

The Gull Wings Children's Museum, previously located at 418 W. Fourth Street in Downtown Oxnard, is the only museum in Ventura County geared solely towards kids. Gull Wings recently commissioned Camarillo artist Chuck Trunks to create art that reflects the education and creativity spawned by the interactive exhibits within the museum. Trunks presented this colorful piece that is now prominently displayed on the walls of the museum.

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Chuck Trunks in Gull Wings Gift Shop (Photo Credit: Claudia Pardo)

Chuck Trunks in Gull Wings Gift Shop (Photo Credit: Claudia Pardo)

If you've never taken your young kids to Gull Wings, do it! Gull Wings is a very low key, interactive place where within the span of an hour they can dress like firefighters, explore a space shuttle, play around in a car, build LEGOs, role play in a kitchen, touch sea stars, learn about the human body, see lizards and snakes and the list goes on. My sons brought a 1st grader friend last weekend and he had a BLAST! Learn more at www.gullwings.org.

The World's Most Valuable Car, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, on Display Again at The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard

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The world's most valuable car, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, is on display again at The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard. The 57SC Atlantic is on loan to the museum from its unnamed owner, who purchased the car for somewhere in the range of $30 to $40 million in 2010. There is some interesting information about the 57SC Atlantic at www.supercars.net/cars/2705.html. The Mullin Automotive Museum is a "must see" activity for anyone in the area. The cars in the museum are historic works of art and you can see them in person right here in Ventura County. Trust me, you won't regret it.

 

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The New Dinosaur Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

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On July 16th, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County premiered the all-new, 14,000 sq ft  Dinosaur Hall. It rivals the world’s leading dinosaur halls for the number of individual fossils displayed, the size and spectacular character of the major mounts, including the world’s only Tyrannosaurus rex growth series, and the way that paleontology comes alive!

We visited this past weekend and it were impressed! There are over 300 fossils and 20 complete mounts of dinosaurs on display. Since this permanent exhibit is so new and popular, you will need to reserve a time slot. We stopped by on Sunday around 3:45 p.m. and the 4:15 p.m. time slot was available. After walking around the museum, we stood in line only about 10 minutes and were soon in.

This is a must-see. If you have young kids, another highlight of the Museum is Insect Hall. While you're down there, stop by the California ScienCenter next door!

Regional Art Museum Proposed for Thousand Oaks Seeks Charter Members

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The Regional Art Museum (RAM) is a proposed 30,000 sq ft multi-level art museum to house a permanent collection of visual art and worldwide traveling exhibitions. Other goals of RAM include recognizing and highlighting local artists and offering outreach programs to local schools and organizations. The RAM will be located adjacent to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza as approved by the Thousand Oaks City Council in June 2010.

The RAM is seeking public support and participation. Become a Charter Member of this non-profit 501(c)(3)  tax-exempt organization and help bring the RAM to fruition! To learn more, visit www.regionalartmuseum.org. Membership application at www.regionalartmuse​um.org/pdfs/ram-brochure-a​pp.pdf

The Ventura County Maritime Museum is More Than Doubling its Size in 2011!

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The Ventura County Maritime Museum is currently located at Fisherman’s Wharf, on the corner of Channel Islands Boulevard and Victoria Avenue in Oxnard.  The Museum was opened in 1991 and will celebrate its twentieth anniversary in February.  The permanent collection includes an unbelievable array of fine maritime art, a large number of exquisitely detailed model ships, and other marine artifacts.  The Museum is open seven days a week from 11 to 5 and has always offered free admission.  The Museum is staffed by one full time employee and 4 part time employees, and this small staff is adequate only because of the over 80 active volunteers.

Because of impending redevelopment and the desire for a larger facility, the Museum is moving from its present 5,000 sq ft location to a larger 12,000 sq ft facility on the west side of the harbor.  The Museum has purchased the rights to a building, the old Port Royal restaurant, and has entered into a long term lease with the County.  Our selected architectural firm, Lauterbach and Associates, has completed the

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