Title: Ventura Theatre Opening. August 1928.

Identifier: 2500 – From the MVC Research Library Digitized Photographs

GIVE THE GIFT OF HISTORY

As you make your year-end giving plans, we invite you to support the Museum of Ventura County and help preserve the stories that define our community. A meaningful way to give this season is by donating appreciated stock. Gifts of stock may offer significant tax advantages while making a lasting impact on our exhibitions, education programs, and preservation work.

Your generosity strengthens the Museum and ensures Ventura County history is protected and shared for future generations. For more information, please contact Josh Ortiz at jortiz@venturamuseum.orgor 805-653-0323 ext. 330.

Museum of Ventura County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID: 95-1942930

UPCOMING EVENTS AT MVC

Community Posada – One Step A La Vez

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula

Saturday, December 13

4 – 8 p.m.

Join One Step A La Vez at the Agriculture Museum as they celebrate the season with their Coming to Town Community Posada – a festive evening rooted in culture, unity, and community joy! Get details HERE.

Enfoque Guided Exhibit Tours

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula

Sunday, December 14

1 – 2 p.m.

Experience Enfoque with members of our Latino Advisory Committee and Museum Docents in a relaxed, reflective tour. Explore cultural identity through powerful images and stories—share perspectives, spark insight, and connect. Get details HERE.

On The Record: Documenting Your Story

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E Main Street, Ventura

Saturday, January 31

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Join us for On the Record, a community-focused day that helps families explore their roots and preserve their stories. Local city and college libraries, historical organizations, and community partners will be onsite. They will share tools, resources, and guidance for family and genealogical research.

This FREE event offers inspiration, connection, and a chance to contribute to our shared history. No registration required. Get details HERE.

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT

Exhibitions

MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY

Winter, A George Stuart Historical Figures® Exhibition

Welcome to “Winter,” our new exhibition of the George Stuart Historical Figures®. Delving into the enchanting world of winter, the exhibition explores the myriad ways in which people have sought to make the most of this season. Winter is the time of year when the days are shortest, and the nights are long and cold, affecting both our bodies and our moods. In response to the challenges of winter, people across the globe have crafted annual traditions to create their own warmth and find connection. By drawing together with loved ones, they endure winter’s chill and create a sense of togetherness that warms the heart. More information HERE.

Picturing the Past: How Photography Tells Our Stories

How do we truly know what happened in the past? History is a collection of stories—interwoven, evolving, and shaped by the evidence left behind. Photographs are one of the many tools that help us understand the past, capturing faces, places, and moments frozen in time. But do they always tell the full story?

This engaging exhibition explores the power of photography to record our history. Through images, artifacts, and interactive displays, visitors will discover how historians use photographs to uncover hidden narratives, challenge assumptions, and bring history to life. Join us in exploring the early history of photography in Ventura County, how photos shape our understanding of the past, and how the photos we take today tell tomorrow’s story. More information HERE.

Moments of Rest: A Visual Sanctuary

Rest is not a luxury—it is essential. In a world that glorifies busyness, art offers a space for stillness and reflection.

This serene exhibition invites you to slow down and experience rest through landscape paintings from the Museum of Ventura County’s permanent collection. Let the calming ocean waves, the golden valley light, and the dreamy haze of imagined horizons create a moment of peace.

Take a breath. Absorb the beauty. Allow yourself to simply be.?Moments of Rest?is your invitation to pause, reflect, and recharge. More information HERE.

Exhibitions

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM

Enfoque: Voces Indígenas Mexicanas del Condado de Ventura

(In Focus: Mexican Indigenous Voices of Ventura County)

Únase a nosotros en el Museo de la Agricultura para la inauguración de esta esperada exposición que muestra más de 40 retratos fotográficos del fotógrafo de fama internacional Diego Huerta. Estos retratos destacan las vibrantes y resistentes comunidades indígenas mexicanas del condado de Ventura. Para más detalles sobre la exposición, haga clic AQUÍ.

Join us at the Agriculture Museum for this highly anticipated exhibition showcasing over 40 photographic portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Diego Huerta. These portraits highlight the vibrant and resilient Mexican Indigenous communities of Ventura County. For exhibition details, click HERE.

This exhibition is made possible with the support of Hofer Properties and Ventura Auto Center, the Busch Family Foundation, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, Gabriella Navarro-Busch and Peter Busch, and Vida Newspaper.

CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH GIFTS THAT BRING US TOGETHER

Give the Gift of Membership

Share year-round access to exhibitions, special events, member-only perks, and meaningful experiences at the Museum.

Make a Year-End Donation

Support our exhibitions, educational programs, community events, and the preservation of Ventura County’s history.

Shop the Museum Store Online

Celebrate the history of Ventura County with beautifully reproduced images thoughtfully chosen from the Museum’s archives.

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM STORE SALE!

Get 20% off all food items and 25% off all bee and holiday merchandise.

Cannot be combined with additional discounts.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Major funding for the programs at the Museum of Ventura County is made possible by:

 City of Camarillo, City of Fillmore, City of Moorpark, City of Ojai, City of Oxnard, City of Port Hueneme, City of Santa Paula, City of Simi Valley, City of Thousand Oaks, City of Ventura, and the County of Ventura.

Thank you to our sponsors: The John and Glenda Hammer Family, TOLD Corporation, The Heritage Fund at VCCF, California Resources Corporation, William and Elise Kearney, Hofer Properties, Amgen Foundation, Ventura County Credit Union, Ventura Toyota, Ventura Auto Center, FTI Services, Ventura Music Festival, Ventura County Community College District, Montecito Bank & Trust, Ventura Spirits, Limoneira, Amigo Party Rentals, In the Mix Events, Peirano’s, Image Source, and Mustang Marketing.