This was my first time here which I've heard some good things about it. It's about 5 min drive off…read morethe 101 freeway. The entrance to the park is off one of the main roads and about a 2 minute drive till you arrive to the parking lot. There's also a baseball field that's there as well as a picnic area. Public restrooms are also where the parking lot is. From there, it's a short walk along the path which leads you to the main entrance. The garden is like a hiking trail. You'll start with signs leading ways to different direction. The garden itself is on a path so it's easy to manage. There's different area that's guided. Just following the path we ended up at the butterfly garden with a cute little butterfly chair. Depending on which path and direction you head to, there's other gardens. With plants everywhere, they have signs identifying what they are. We thought there would be some kind of water garden but no luck. There was a small waterfall feature but it was shut off. A section was catered to Rare fruit orchard with a good variety of trees and shrubs. Different type of guava, avocado, figs and so on. Some that were new to me. Throughout the garden, there's loads of benches placed throughout the area. All at different spot while some have amazing views of the city. Once you reach the top area, there's bench with an amazing view and it's also the cactus garden area. If you go through that area you'll end at the tranquility garden with a small red bridge and loads of rock sculptures. A cute small part of the garden. The paths all leads back to each other. The garden area isn't that big but the way the layout with the paths are, it does seem like it while walking. As we were walking out, we notice another path which leads to a trail. That trail goes along the creek that run along the side. It's not a long hike, pretty easy as it's all trail. There's a bridge that crosses over the creek which I'm not sure where it leads to. We followed the trail which does come out from the shady creek area to an open area. Views of the city along the way. It's basically goes around the whole garden area and connects back to the main entrance. Overall, it's a decent hike. The garden, I expected more. I thought there would have been a lake or some kind of pond. It's wasn't much of botanic garden but more of a community garden. Positive note, it's free to get in.

Spent a lovely afternoon here. Unlike most botanical gardens, this is more like an outdoor hiking…read moretrail, which made it more enjoyable. We brought sandwiches and snacked on them along the hike. There were many benches and tables throughout the park. Parking and entrance to the park was free.

I went to this garden a few weeks ago. The garden was pretty, though not as spectacular as I…read moreexpected. One of the docents engaged us in conversation. She was rude and aggressive. She was upset that I had used a selfie stick to take a picture of the main gate. (I was standing outside of the property.) She explained no selfie sticks were permitted. I understand there are "rules" but these rules were posted inside. I think her approach could have been more professional. I was not on live in social media, I was not involving any other guests, I wasn't interfering with anyones enjoyment of the property, and I wasn't even taking a selfie. My friend and I were disappointed with this reception. It marred our visit. I visit gardens and museums in locations within and out of the US, docents usually receive guests with kindness and provide guests with information on the grounds. Do better docents. Do better.

I really liked the rose garden, it had paths adorned with Japanese Boxwood bushes and pergolas…read moregarlanded with roses, it felt very manicured and something you'd see from a manor house. The Japanese garden has a pagoda next to a small pond with koi fish and ducks. This is such a tranquil garden. It's small but it's free. It's close off the freeway, perfect for a stopover before a drive to Santa Barbara or other places north.

Must see and it's free- after too much sun, too much wind burn - take a break for the self guided…read moreSeaBees museum and come away proud!

Free Museum alert! There are not many free museums left plus free parking as well. This Navy museum…read moreis located in Port Hueneme (Oxnard if this helps) in Ventura County. 3201 S. Ventura Road, Building 100, Port Hueneme which is on the base. Opened daily 10a-4pm but closed on Sundays. No reservations needed. Kid friendly location. This museum opened in 1947 which is also the 2nd oldest Navy museum in the US. You can easily spend about 2 hours here because they carry so much actually memorials from the actually event. There are a couple of screening rooms to sit and watch. Vintage heavy machinery like war tanks. Learning about the history with the collections, preserves, and exhibits artifacts related to the history of the United States Navy Engineer Corps. We can learn about Seabees (Navy military) also perform global humanitarian missions such as well-drilling and disaster relief. Established in 1941, they served as the construction force for the Navy during World War II. The Seabees' "Can Do" attitude made them legendary within the Armed Forces, and their character epitomized the resilience of that generation. The "Can Do" attitude still drives today's Seabees. If you are lucky you might even see a few Navy members walking from the base. After your tour you can take the scenic route home on the coast of PCH. Thank you Naval History and Heritage Command for preserving our history. We appreciate all your hard work for US history.

Phenomenal earth day visit to the gardens. It's a peaceful way to experience the naturalness of…read moreOjai. We met so many pleasant workers, visitors, and resident artists along the way.

Taft Garden and Nature Preserve is one of the most beautiful places I've visited in my long life…read more The peace and beauty is enhanced by the limited number of daily visitors. It is possible move about the multiple trails at your own pace self guided, or join tours (when offered) to learn about the Plants, Birds, Geology, and Art. The garden is tucked away, and for me getting there and back to Ojai proper was a big part of the magic of the visit. Thank you to all who created and maintain Taft Garden and Nature Preserve.

Wonderful place for kids and adults! I learned so many things I never knew! I would definitely come…read moreback! It's worth it to get the private tour. I wish they played music in there because it's dead quiet. Ocean music with chirping birds would be fitting!

This museum is amazing for those who want to learn about birds, Rene is great with the tours and…read moregetting the kids interested by making jokes and listing amazing facts! I worked here for a while and Linnea is so sweet, she really focuses on giving students a place to learn and grow while also doing many restoration projects all over the Santa Monica Mountains! It's unassuming at first but inside is endless stories about how the collection came to be, the collectors, and all of the different types of species from around the world! The largest egg collection in the world is no easy feat but it is amazing to see the diversity! Great for your value! Stop by! :)

Love, love, love Frog Creek Farm. Can't believe that they have been in business for over a decade…read moreand I just heard about them recently. We had been to another lavender farm in the upper Ojai Valley some years ago and I was looking for that info to return. That one has closed, but thankfully, Frog Creek Farm is a wonderful "find" for us. The lavender full blossom season is short, so you need to check on them via social media to find out when they are open. Instagram has current info. It's a delight to pull off the Ojai/Santa Paula Road and mosey on to their property. They have so much to see, including their cutting garden of seasonal flowers, some places to sit at picnic tables in the shade and even swing (i.e., hammock), the gift shop, and the lavender rows - the main event. Larry provides a great introduction at the small stand adjacent to the flowering beds. He describes the location and how to identify the five kinds of lavender they offer for cutting. For 2025 pricing - $16 earns you a generous bunch of fragrant blooms. After orientation, you are off with a basket to collect the stems, and scissors to do your own cutting / harvesting. As promised, the plentiful bees scattered away as we leaned in to cut the stems close to the main host bushes. We wandered among the rows and filled up our gathering basket. Back at the stand, Larry tied our haul into a beautiful bunch. We proceeded to the gift shop to pay for our pickings, and I also found a few other items to purchase, including lavender-infused spray which has many purposes. Christel greeted us as we were wrapping up our visit. She filled us in as we asked questions about how long they'd been there, as well as about some of their products. She's as sweet and charming as the farm is. What a lovely place to visit. We'll be putting it on the to-do list next summer, for sure!

It's always such a wonderful experience at Frog Creek Farm…read more Arriving at the farm, you just feel like you are transported somewhere else. From the personal lavender lesson, to the hands on cutting, shopping the lavender shed to sipping amazing lavender lemonade under the trees, it's such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Christel and Larry are just the nicest people. They make you feel so welcome to be visiting their little slice of heaven. We love this annual tradition.

We visited this beautiful farm after watching the documentary. We did the family tour and I plan to…read morego back and do the walking tour. Everyone was very kind and more than willing to answer any and all of our questions. I will say I'm glad I purchased the "Family Tour" with my 10 year old coming along. The focus was more on the animals, Also, it was only 1 hour (as opposed to 2) and it was educational and interesting for him. The walking tour is meant for adults (which I didn't realize before I visited the farm). I'm excited to return.

The farm tour is a ripoff at $65(!) per person. A lot of time is spent gawking at animals as a…read morenovelty, discussing fairly standard practice. Our tour group asked many more technical questions about the actual farming practices which could not be answered by the guides. And of course, details like the finances of regenerative farming and its feasibility to be reproduced and sustained without large private investment was not brought up. The farm feels more like a tourism experience than a serious dive into regenerative farming practice, outside of some interesting insights into fertilizer and ground cover to prevent water loss.

It's been going on for years, the Ojai Memorial Day weekend Art in the Park Art Festival…read more Like many art festivals there is a huge assortment of goods, both crafts and arts. This festival however is more art inclusive. Jewelers, painters, sculptures and photographers make a bulk of art. I wouldn't mind if they were more crafty vendrors. Its really nice and its a great collection of artist together in the park on such a nice weekend.