Group of seniors walking down a city street - historical society tours

Self-guided · County in California

Historical Society Tours in Ventura County, CA

Put your society's knowledge on the map: routes through the local listed sites, told in your words and open to anyone.

Photo: Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

Ventura County is one of 58 counties in California. Historical societies, libraries and clubs here already know the stories. What they need is a way to put those stories on a phone and in front of new people.

Tour guide explaining history with a book - historical society tours — Photo: Zongnan Bao on Unsplash

A group of people walking down a dirt road - historical society tours — Photo: Age Cymru on Unsplash

A group of people sitting in front of a stone building - historical society tours — Photo: Hakan Nural on Unsplash

On the record near Ventura County, CA

The 12 nearest

35 listed historic sites on the record within 30 miles of Ventura County, CA. 30 listed sites carry Ventura County as their county.

Camarillo Ranch House1.7 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Camarillo · listed 2003National Register of Historic Places
Saticoy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot7.5 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Saticoy · listed 2018National Register of Historic Places
Grand Union Hotel7.8 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Newbury Park · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
Ebell Club of Santa Paula7.9 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Santa Paula · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Santa Paula Hardware Company Block--Union Oil Company8.0 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Santa Paula · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Glen Tavern Hotel8.1 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Santa Paula · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Maulhardt, Gottfried, Farm8.2 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Oxnard · listed 2023National Register of Historic Places
Oxnard Public Library9.4 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Oxnard · listed 1971National Register of Historic Places
Case Study House No. 289.5 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Thousand Oaks · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Bardsdale Methodist Episcopal Church10 miles from the center of Ventura County · Building · Fillmore · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
Women's Improvement Club of Hueneme12 miles from the center of Ventura County · District · Port Hueneme · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
Scarlett Ranch12 miles from the center of Ventura County · District · Oxnard · listed 2024National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Ventura County, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historical Society Tours in Ventura County, step by step

1
Choose the theme your group knows best
2
Build a route from the listed sites that fit it
3
Write the group's own notes for each stop
4
Run the route once with members and fix what did not work
5
Open it to the public and track who walks it

What people in Ventura County, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Ventura County, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Can our group in Ventura County, CA build its own route?

Yes. Pick the listed sites that fit your theme, add your own notes for each stop, and share the route with members or the public.

Do members need to download anything?

The map runs in a phone browser, so members can open a link and go. The app keeps track of badges for anyone who signs in.

How a visit works in Ventura County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Ventura County, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Ventura County, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.