Museum of Ventura County — Can you bee-lieve it?!

National Honey Bee Day
Saturday, August 20th from 12-2pm
at the Agriculture Museum
Free
Join us for a celebration of our pollinator pals and their vital role! Volunteers will help kids and adults make their own craft honey bee out of pipe cleaners while beekeepers share fun facts and delicious honey samples. Take part in a bee-themed sing-and-dance-along too!
Also, welcome our new bee colony and browse bee-themed merchandise from local vendors. Check out the ‘Save the Pollinators’ art exhibit by C.R.E.W.’s Green Valley project, and explore our beautiful bee-friendly gardens.
Click here to learn more.
Play-Well TEKnologies Summer Camp:
Jedi Engineering Strikes Back with LEGO®
July 25th-July 29th from 9am-12pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
$155
Get ready to embark on your LEGO® journey as we defend the Wookies on Kashyyyk, repair the Rebel shield generator on Hoth, and rescue Baby Yoda from Moff Gideon. Come explore a galaxy far, far away with the help of an experienced Play-Well instructor. Click here to RSVP.
Play-Well TEKnologies Summer Camp:
Pokemon Master Engineering with LEGO®
July 25th-29th from 1-4pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
$155
LEGO® Master, I choose you! Learn to build your favorite Pokémon.
Click here to RSVP.
Play-Well TEKnologies Summer Camp:
Pokemon Engineering
with LEGO®
August 8th-12th from 9am-12pm
at the Agriculture Museum
$155
Calling all Pokémon trainers! With the Pokémon Championship approaching, join our enthusiastic Play-Well Instructors as we build and catch our favorite Pokémon.
Click here to RSVP.
Play-Well TEKnologies Summer Camp:
Return of the Jedi Masters
with LEGO®
August 8th-12th from 1-4pm
at the Agriculture Museum
$155
Master The Way of the Jedi in this Stars Wars inspired LEGO® Engineering experience.
Click here to RSVP.
Going Wild
Opening Reception
Saturday, August 27th from 3-5pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Free
Melina Sempill Watts’ first novel Tree is an exploration of 229 years through the point of view of a California oak. Artist Jeff Sojka painted his vision of the tree’s reality. This cross media exhibit, on-site and virtually, will expand your relationship to nature and its inherent consciousness.
Click here to learn more.
Exhibit opens Friday, August 26 and runs through October 2. The exhibit is held in tandem with an event series.
Made possible in part by
ArtsVentura
Digital Jigsaw Puzzles:
Ventura in the 1920s
Our July puzzles focus on photographs around Ventura County in the 1920s in tandem with the recent launch of our Prohibition-era exhibit All That Glitters is Not Gold. Through these images, experience people living their daily lives at work, school, and events a century ago.
Click here to enjoy!
Brought to you in part by the
generous support of
Ellen Brokaw and
Al Lowe Construction
Journal Flashback
Part 2 of In the Curl:
The Evolution of Surfing
in Ventura County
In this month’s Journal Flashback we continue with “In the Curl: The Evolution of Surfing in Ventura County.” Last month we learned about the introduction of surfing to Southern California. Part 2 features local surfers, their fondest memories of learning to surf, and how surfing has changed over the years.
Click here to read more.
MVC Then
The Water Witch of Simi
Water witching is centuries old. The first written references date to 16th-century Europe. The practice of dowsing was commonplace in the late 1800s in Simi Valley when new settlers needed to find a reliable source of water. Almost everyone gave it a try, but few had Grandpa Stones’ touch.
Click here to read more.
Brought to you in part by the generous support of
Ventura County Credit Union and Chrisman Estate Co.
The Museum of Ventura County and the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula are open Thursday—Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Admission to both Museums is now FREE.
All That Glitters
Is Not Gold
A surprising history of the 1920s and Prohibition in Ventura County. As population and wealth boomed, creativity flourished – but so did a tide of repression and exclusion. This exhibit tells the local story of the jazz age through our collections and archives.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
The John Hammer Family,
The Heritage Fund at VCCF,
The DeArkland Family, and
Chrisman Estate Co.
Chromatic:
The Museum in Six Colors
MVC’s permanent collection, amassed over 100 years, ranges from everyday items belonging to real people who lived and worked in the county, to rarities and precious works of art. Each object has a story to tell, and this exhibit opens the door to those stories.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
and Pierpont Racquet Club
Always Keep Creating:
The Resiliency of Carol Rosenak
Renowned local artist Carol Rosenak (1925-2002) was known for her still life paintings featuring exquisite textures and intricate details. Spanning over 30 years of her career, this exhibit highlights her early printmaking, still lifes, and the abstract style she adopted later in life.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
The Bonita McFarland
Endowment Fund
Behind the Curtain:
An Insider’s Look at The George Stuart Historical Figures®
People argue about whether the Figures are works of art, historical objects, or maybe something else entirely. Mr. Stuart himself objects to both the titles of Artist and Historian. Investigate each Figure closely so that you can decide for yourself. Learn more here.
Funding provided by the
Fred W. Smith Gallery Fund
Tomols to Trains:
County Transportation
through the 1900s
at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula
Tomols to Trains explores how transportation played a role in Ventura County’s history. Visit the communities that struggled with the changes brought about by new modes of transportation.
See how towns and cities changed, how suburbs grew, and how our farms and other industries became part of regional, national, and international economies.
Learn more here.
Made possible by the
Heritage Fund at VCCF
Farm to Market
at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula
An interactive exhibit promoting healthy lifestyles through role-play, the Ag Market is an immersive environment where children and families identify healthy food choices in a market-like atmosphere.
Learn more about what the
Agriculture Museum has to offer here.
Special thanks to
Santa Paula’s Mayor Carlos Juarez for volunteering his time and
talent in building our
fun-filled indoor market
Watch Season 3 of
MVC Insider!
Explore over a dozen virtual and 3D exhibits, including Nordic Myths & Legends, Huelga! Photographs from the Frontlines, California Cool, and more!
Engage with us on social media, where you’ll find our latest news and incredible artifacts, reels, and art from our collections!
Museum of Ventura County Business Club members are community leaders who are committed to the region’s history, art, and stories.
MVC thanks our current
for their support:
Major funding for these programs is made possible by the City of
San Buenaventura, the County of Ventura and private and community donors.
Museum of Ventura County • 100 East Main St. Ventura, CA 93001 • 805.653.0323
Agriculture Museum • 926 Railroad Ave. Santa Paula, CA 93060 • 805.525.3100