I joined this club in hopes to help preserve Camarillo History. What a mistake I made. The people are rude members and they have meeting at 4:00 p.m. many cannot attend. The President wanted to change a zoning law to allow a Pet Cementary in Camarillo at the new owners of Ivy Lawn Morturary off Daily. Without researching the project the President spoke at a Public Camarillo City Council Meeting and said the group was for this! Well many members might not want this. I have a close friend who's business in next door. She would be totally impacted by the change of zoning. My advice before you go to a City Council meeting read and research what you plan on speaking about. I am glad the City of Camarillo Planning and City Council did not allow this stupid plan of a Pet Cementary by Ivy Lawn. read more

This is an overdue review. On our ongoing quest to fill up the Passport 2 History book, we stopped in at the Pleasant Valley Historical Society's site some months ago. A couple of docents were happy to show us around the indoor space, telling tales all the while. They have an amazing collection of vintage telephones, including some very early ones, rare samples, plus some whimsical collectible ones like Mickey Mouse and Snoopy. They were donated by a gentleman with a connection to the organization. He may have been on the board at one time. I've forgotten that detail, but not the sight of those phones. For today's kids that only know cell phones, these would be a revelation. The indoor space of the museum section is on the small side. They were recently extended a long lease for the property and are launching a building campaign to expand their facility, allowing for more historical items to be displayed for visitors. Following the inside part of our time on the property, we proceeded out to their botanical gardens. Anchored by a large gazebo, the grounds were a riot of seasonal color. This is a bit of a wild child of a garden design. I think they're trying to move from a more formal, water-intensive style to a drought tolerant landscape. It's evolving. Seems like they rely on volunteers to tend the gardens, or to make improvements. The end result felt a bit disjointed, but with great intentions. The father back in, the wilder it gets. Overall, this is a community gem and worth a visit. You could linger for an hour or so, especially if you find a seat in the garden to soak up the colors and textures of the plantings. In this 90th anniversary year of the St. Francis Dam disaster, various materials on the event were featured, also. read more

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We learned of the Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum & Botanical Gardens via the "Passport 2 History". We visited this the same day as the Oxnard Historical Farm Park and the Reyes Adobe, and this was the highlight for the day! When rating places, I really try to be fair and look at something based on how close they're reaching their potential. Full disclosure... this is a small museum, but I feel like they're really doing their best to make it as good as it can be. For the space, they have a lot of cool artifacts and antiques displayed. Well displayed at that! It goes mostly chronologically and also has some cool collections! They have an extensive collection of antiques phones and antiques clocks. There were some interesting hands on things to do... like we were able to play the organ! They also had an old WORKING telegraph! I've seen these before, but I've never been able to actually use it! It's little things like this that set this museum apart and made me give it 5 stars instead of 4. Disneyland or the Nature History Museum, this is not... but for a free, volunteer based museum... they're really doing what they can to make it interesting. They really had a lot of interesting things! Another reason this gets `5 stars is that it's not just the museum, but there is a cool botanical garden in the back that is a preserve for monarch butterflies and bees. It was actually wonderful! There are a bunch of scattered artifacts back there like an old school bell, a (giant) fruit brandy still, and more. There is a large gazebo and picnic tables, which would serve as a lovely place for a picnic lunch. While we didn't see the bees, we saw quite a lot of butterflies (my preference anyways)!!! Definitely make the trip to visit! there is even a pretty nice playground just a block down the street! Keep your expectations in tact. This is a small museum, but for a free museum, they're doing a great job!!! read more

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I've got a soft spot for random little museums, so I had to check this out. Somehow, I've driven by this many, many times and never knew it was there. I also managed to drive right by when I was actually looking for it - this place is that unremarkable. The Pleasant Valley Historical Museum isn't impressive, it isn't bad, it's just... there. Nothing special. If you've got an hour to kill while you're in town, it's worth going to since the price is right. It's staffed by volunteers, so your experience can vary wildly. It almost has the feel of a thrift store, except all the old stuff is in glass cases and aren't for sale. So, I probably would've only given two stars based on the "museum" portion. It earned the third star because the docent working that particular afternoon I stopped by was a lot of fun to talk to and "botanical garden" is kinda cute. The garden is pretty small to be called a "botanical garden" - it really should be considered a "community garden" as there always seems to be some scout project or another going on there. So, it's worth it if you live in the area and are looking for something to do for an hour or two, or if you want to take a break from shopping at the outlets. read more

Pleasant Valley Historical Society - Gazebo in the garden - Museums Near Me - Camarillo, California

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My visit to the Pleasant Valley Historical Society was fun and interesting! I am not from Camarillo so it was nice to learn more about the Camarillo/Pleasant Valley area. Val was my tour guide. You could tell she knew her stuff! She walked me around the museum and was a wealth of information. There is a decent size collection of local history books - the perfect place for someone doing research on the area and the Chumash Indians. Previous comments note the small size of the museum. Yes, it is small, but that's what adds to the character of the place - that and Val's effervescent personality! I noticed they have a Facebook page, so I will definitely "Like" them to show my support. I've posted a few pictures of the location. I could totally see someone getting married either in the green grass area by the white lattice or under the gazebo. Not-for-profits like the Pleasant Valley Historical Society are what make local history fun! read more

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We went here on a Saturday afternoon around 12:30. David greeted us enthusiastically and gave us some literature. This is a small garden, but a great family activity during covid. They have a barn with a lot of historical objects on display. Will definitely be back, and hope to see the museum at some point. read more

As an out-of-town visitor, the garden seemed appealing to visit. The museum is run by a lovely old couple, Ira and Joy, and they absolutely love what they do. Joy was more than happy to take us on a quick tour of the small museum--we learned some interesting things about the founding of Camarillo, about the way telephones worked, and even listened (and performed!) some good ole music. The best part of visiting was the interactive-ness of the museum. Joy would take out items from display and have us hold them or handle them--she encouraged us to play the organ to see what it felt like! I would recommend the museum for a quick visit--we took about 20-25 minutes there, all very worth it. The garden was small yet comforting. The flowers were still shy at this time of March but we could feel them ready to start smiling at the sky. We saw bees and butterflies and a nice stroll around the quick trail helped a lot. Admission is donation-based, and I would highly recommend donating whatever you're comfortable with because this really is a gem of a place for people interested in history or how things work. read more

My fiance discovered this place purely by accident. A hidden treasure off the side of a busy road. You would never know such beauty and tranquil gardens lie within. We chose to book our wedding here, and used the beautiful Gazebo. The event was perfect, harpist and all! The garden and ambiance were calm and soothing. My guests had a lovely time, and you can't beat the price! The people that volunteer there were some of the most sensitive and kindest people I have ever met. They aren't in it for money, but in it for heart. Thank you for giving me one of the most wonderful days of my life! You all are so awesome! read more

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This is a very nice and quaint little museum that really captures the unpretentious history of Camarillo. The building has a large collection of wall clocks and rotary phones, and the docent was very pleasant, like the valley, which I guess is why it's called Pleasant Valley! Who knew? There is a large painted mural on the side of the building which is good for fascinating photos, particularly if I'm the one standing next to it (yours may not be quite so fascinating but it's still worth a photo). There is also a modest botanical garden with rare trees, it also serves as a sort of sanctuary for wild bees which are endangered. So if you have an hour and would like to spend some time among some interesting historical exhibits and flora, this is a nice place to visit. read more

Tucked into a neighborhood, this museum is a converted house and garden. It features historical exhibits of the local area, some of which change periodically. The garden is pleasant, but hard to escape the noise from the neighbors playing in the pool next door. It was a nice place to visit briefly if you are already in the area. read more

I went there recently after living in Camarillo for forty years. It is has been a hidden treasure! You might drive by without noticing the beautiful natural gardens and interesting exhibits that relate to the Pleasant Valley surrounding Camarillo. Excellent local research library and helpful docents. I will return. read more

This museum has a small collection about the early Camarillo, Somis and Springville area. There is an excellent wall of books not found in the city library. The native garden in back would be a nice place for a wedding. The museum is only open on weekends. read more