William
S. Hart Park & MuseumWilliam
S. Hart Park & MuseumPart of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and the former home of William S. Hart, silent film star and director, the 265-acre Horseshoe Ranch and mansion include an impressive collection of the actor's furnishings. Western art, Native American artifacts and momentos of early Hollywood. The museum is open to the public daily and offers tours, in addition to hosting a variety of film screening and concerts through out the year.
The museum was recently featured Huell Howser's "California Golden Parks: William S. Hart Park and Museum" on KCET. Howser described the museum as one of the state's hidden treasures and said - "It's one of the most beautiful and poignant places I've ever visited, and you leave with a sense of just who this legendary man really was and why he's such an important part of the California story."Visit their site, www.hartmuseum.org.
Rancho Camulos Museum Rancho Camulos Museum …where the history, myth, and romance of Old California still linger… It is a National Historic Landmark where the early California lifestyle is preserved in its original rural environment. What began as part of the 48,000 acre Mexican land grant, Rancho San Francisco, deeded to Antonio del Valle in 1839 is still a 1,800-acre working ranch. Rancho Camulos was also the setting for "Ramona," an 1884 novel by Helen Hunt Jackson that generated national interest in the history of Hispanic settlement in California and the impact on Native Americans. The non-profit museum is a portion of the ranch containing the main adobe, cocina, chapel, schoolhouse, and beautiful grounds. Here the history and culture of the people of Camulos from the Tat avian Indians, through the del Valle family who established the rancho in the mid-1800s, to the Rubel family who purchased the property in 1924 are preserved. The Museum is located on Highway 126, 10 miles west of the I-5 freeway in Piru. (Next to the first fruit stand on the left) INFO: (805) 521-1501 or http://www.ranchocamulos.org/
Docent led one- hour tours are conducted Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 PM. The suggested donation is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children and students. Private group and school tours and special events such as weddings can also be arranged.