Location: Ventura
Top Things to do in Ventura
The 9 Best Sights & Landmarks in Ventura, California (CA)
Ventura, officially the City of San Buenaventura, is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. European explorers encountered a Chumash village, referred to as Shisholop, in Ventura while traveling along the Pacific coast. The eponymous Mission San Buenaventura was founded nearby in 1782 where it benefitted from the water of the Ventura River. The town grew around the mission compound and incorporated in 1866. The development of nearby oil fields in the 1920s and the age of automobile travel created a major real estate boom during which many designated landmark buildings were constructed. The mission and these buildings are at the center of a downtown that has become a cultural, retail, and residential district and visitor destination.
Restaurants in Ventura
1. Mission San Buenaventura
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 341 reviews
Reviewed By fergken - Washington DC, United States
Easy to pass by (the necessity of first entering a gift shop might confuse potential visitors) Mission San Buenaventura is a serene sanctuary. Awaiting inside is a hidden gem of serenity, beauty and history. This includes centuries-old historic artifacts in an intimate museum, and a meticulously maintained Spanish colonial-era Roman Catholic mission (circa 1809) whose sanctuary area contains an exact replica of “The Pieta” marble sculpture in Vatican. Only one hundred of these copies were created.
2. Ventura City Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 94 reviews
Reviewed By jogrow7 - Ventura, United States
San Buenaventura City Hall started out as the Ventura County Courthouse and was built in 1912. It is a State of California Historical Landmark, listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The building sports a copper sheathed dome and an elegant Italian marble foyer. Between the first and second floor windows of City Hall are Gargoyles type faces of priests which serve as a historical reminder that the City of San Buenaventura was one of the nine original Mission towns founded by Father Junipero Serra and Franciscan friars in 1782. You can also see art work by local artists that is displayed on the first and second floors of City Hall. The Ventura City Hall came close to being burned by the Thomas Fire that raged through Ventura in early December 2017. Thanks to the quick response of the Fire Department, it was saved.
3. Old Creek Ranch Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Ventura County's only rural winery in scenic Ojai Valley with extensive outdoor lounging areas for enjoying wine and picnics. Shaded guest areas for sunny days, as well as fire pits during cooler weather. A short 10 minute drive from downtown Ventura or downtown Ojai. Rustic elegance on an 800+ acre cattle ranch with vineyards, orchards and premium wine. No reservations required for wine tastings. Wine tasting available Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. No children over 2 yrs. No dogs.
Reviewed By brumanswaves11 - El Segundo, United States
This winery is one of the nicest wineries we have ever been to! Its so beautiful here and their wines are exceptional. Make sure you bring a picnic, buy a bottle and stay a while to enjoy.
4. Olivas Adobe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By SMGrandma - Santa Maria, United States
Lovely area to visit. Not many people the day we went. They have helpful staff in the gift shop to direct you. You can do a self-guided tour for free, or buy a booklet with more detail for $2 or pay for a docent-led tour. We did the self-guided since we wanted to move at our own pace and take lots of pictures. They have a small museum next to the gift shop. There's a beautiful rose garden, too. The two-story Olivas Adobe is furnished with period furniture and accessories. Large courtyard outside the adobe where they happened to be setting up for a wedding the day we were there. Garden area in front of the adobe, too.
5. Serra Cross Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 179 reviews
Reviewed By 34regisk - Arcadia, United States
What a view of the Ventura beach and the city. This vantage point also has the best view of the sunset in Ventura. Erected by Mission Buenaventura, one of several Missions planted by Father Junipero Serra in the 1700’s, this highly visible cross served as a road sign for travelers in search of the Mission. The cross has been lost to elements many times, but it is always replaced and continues to stand above Ventura. Today, this Cross is still a land mark in Ventura city and the land where the cross sits was dedicated as Serra Cross Park within Grant Park recently. We had passed by this area many times on our way to Santa Barbara but never had a chance to visit here. Today, being the weekend, we finally decide to come to Venture to visit the pier and the Serra Cross Park. After, finished walking on the pier and had lunch, we drove about 10 minutes to reach the Cross Park. What a view!! From the park, we had a panoramic view of the city and the beach. Since this is part of Grant Park, we hiked to take advantages of many great trails at Grant Park. We planned that we would hike first before coming back to the Cross Park to enjoy the sunset in the evening. There are several hiking trails at Grant Park. We chose the one that goes up from the Cross Park. Once we reached the top, we had another magnificent view of the mountains and the beach. That view was just awesome. After the hike, we came down to the Cross Park around 7PM just in time to see the sunset. With the amazing white scale-like clouds, the sunset view from this vantage point was just spectacular with red and orange colors splashed all over the hills surrounding the Cross. We saw many people were just sitting around the benches over the Park, rejoicing and totally emerging in the beauty of the sunset scenery. What a way to end a day! There are many parking spots at the Park and you can park your car along the road as well.
6. Ventura Pier and Promenade
7. Cemetery Memorial Park
8. El Jardin Patio
9. Lighthouse 805
Lighthouse 805 is Christian Church in Ventura that meets in a Historic building. The services are creative and current. The building is perfect for classic photo opportunities during the day and at night.
