SOAR Over Ventura Zip Lines and Adventure Course at Ventura Ranch KOA in Santa Paula

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SOAR Over Ventura is an adventure park located at the Ventura Ranch KOA Campground, 7400 Pine Grove Road, Santa Paula. SOAR Over Ventura offers state-of-the-art zip line and ropes course facilities. Zip through the treetops on two courses.

The Family Adventure Course features 8 zip lines and a 12-section ropes course, soaring over the resort pool and through tree canopies in a scenic valley near Topa Topa Mountain.

The Eagles Nest Zip Line Course features higher and faster zip lines, soaring through trees and over a BMX track and a mining sluice.

Admission as of August 2024 is $59 per course, or both for $78. Admission includes a 4-hour pass to the Ventura Ranch KOA, featuring a 2,000 sq ft jumping pillow, one of the world’s largest boulder labyrinths, resort pool and more.

Learn more at soaroverventura.com.

Over 150 Movie Theater Screens Around Ventura County

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Here's a handy list of movie theaters with over 130 (originally it was over 150, but there’s been some closures over the years) screens throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas. Click the links for theater websites and/or showtimes.

Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills

Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas at the Promenade at Westlake, 100 Promenade Way, Westlake Village  (8 screens). Order food and drink from your seat and enjoy. cinepolisusa.com/locations/cinepolis-luxury-cinemas-westlake-village (805) 413-8838

AMC Dine-In Thousand Oaks 14, 166 West Hillcrest Drive at The Oaks Mall. Tickets at www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/los-angeles/amc-dine-in-thousand-oaks-14. $5 Tuesdays all day for AMC Stubs members.

Regal Janss Marketplace 9 is located at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, 255 North Moorpark Road. www.regmovies.com/theatres/regal-janss-marketplace-1418

Former Muvico (now AMC Dine-In) Thousand Oaks.

Former Muvico (now AMC Dine-In) Thousand Oaks.

Century Riverpark 16 at The Collection at Riverpark

Cinemark Century Riverpark 16 at The Collection at Riverpark

Regal Edwards Camarillo Palace 12 and IMAX, 680 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo (805.383.8879) (Located adjacent to The Promenade section of Camarillo Premium Outlets. www.regmovies.com/theatres/regal-edwards-camarillo-palace-1009

Plaza Stadium Cinemas 14, 255 West Fifth Street, Oxnard (805.487.8380). santarosacinemas.com

Regal Civic Center Plaza, Tapo Canyon Road, just north of the 118.

Other Local Theaters

Regency Theatres at The Commons at Calabasas.www.regencymovies.com/locations/calabasas-commons

Regency Santa Paula 7, 550 West Main Street, Santa Paula (805.933.6707). www.regencymovies.com/locations/santa-paula-7 Seats just $7 on Sundays!

Ojai Playhouse at 145 East Ojai Avenue (805.646.1011) (1 screen) - CLOSED FOR REPAIRS SINCE 2018 at the theater that originated in 1914. Anticipated to reopen in 2024.

CLOSED

Regal Malibu Twin at 3822 Cross Creek Road, Malibu (310.456.6990) (closed in September 2017)

Simi Valley 10 Tristone Cinemas, 1457 E. Los Angeles Avenue (805.526.4329) simivalley.tristonecinemas.com (Closed 12/5/19 “due to leasing disagreements”)

Regency Paseo Camarillo Cinemas (3 theaters), 390 North Lantana Street, Camarillo (805.383.2267). regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=3 (“TEMPORARILY CLOSED” SINCE AUGUST 2021.)

Regency Westlake Village Twin, 4711 Lakeview Canyon Road, Westlake Village (818.889.8061) regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=1 Closed 1/17/22.

Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 6, 4767 Commons Way, Calabasas (818.223.0223). www.regmovies.com/theaters/edwards-calabasas-stadium-6/C00791471576 Closed 9/15/22

Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula

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The Museum of Ventura County's Agriculture Museum opened in Santa Paula on September 25, 2011. The realization of more than 40 years of effort and dedication by supporters, the Agriculture Museum is housed in the landmark restored Mill building, at 926 Railroad Avenue, beside the railroad tracks and across from the depot in Santa Paula. The Mill was built in 1888 as an agricultural warehouse, and later served as a feed and grain outlet and an antiques mall.

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Aviation Museum of Santa Paula

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The Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is open the first Sunday of each month, with a "Chain of Hangars" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Closed if there is rain. FREE (but donations are appreciated).

Hangar Number One is the first in the museum's chain of hangars. It tells the story of the founding of Santa Paula Airport in 1930. Each of the privately owned hangars houses a variety of vintage aircraft and privately owned collections of memorabilia, from antique radios to race cars. Several other aircraft owners put their antique aircraft on display and many vintage aircraft also fly in each month.

A museum tram is available to save you some steps between hangars. The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 723 offers free airplane rides to kids ages 8-17. The Museum's Gift Hangar, located inside CP Aviation, offers a variety of toys and apparel for airplane buffs of all ages.

More information at www.aviationmuseumofsantapaula.org or call 805.525.1109. The Aviation Museum is located near the corner of Santa Maria Street and 8th Street in Santa Paula. More info at this link.

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Santa Paula Art Museum

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The Santa Paula Art Museum is the repository and exhibition hall for the Santa Paula Art Collection. Containing over 300 pieces, among its most famous artists are works of the Botkes, both Jessie Arms and Cornelis, who lived on their ranch and worked in their studio in a nearby secluded canyon. Some of the other represented plein air artists are Robert Clunie, Al Dempster, Ralph Holmes, Paul Lauritz, Emil Kosa, Jr., Douglas Shively and Milford Zornes.

The valuable assemblage represents the accumulation of award winning entries in the Santa Paula Art Show which began in 1937 or as gifted memorials. It remains the oldest juried show in California and the collection is recognized as one of the finest of its kind in the state.

The museum is located in the historic Limoneira Building at 117 North Tenth Street, Santa Paula. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and FREE for students and members. First Sundays are free for all visitors.

More information at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org or 805.525.5554.

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California Oil Museum in Santa Paula

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SUMMER 2022: THE CALIFORNIA OIL MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED BUT IS MAKING SOME CHANGES. THEY ANTICIPATE RE-OPENING BY THE END OF 2022 BUT CHECK FOR UPDATES ON THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.CAOILMUSEUM.ORG. (NO UPDATES AS OF JANUARY 2024)

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The California Oil Museum at 1001 E. Main Street, Santa Paula (corner of Main and 10th) is the birthplace of Union Oil Company (aka Unocal and more recently acquired by Chevron in 2005).

The building was completed on October 17, 1890. at the Santa Paula Hardware Company Building, with the Union Oil Company offices upstairs. The company’s main headquarters moved to Los Angeles in 1900, but the building continued to serve as a field division office.

The Union Oil Museum was established in 1950. In 1990, the building was restored to its original appearance for its centennial celebration. Click here for an early picture of the building. The building is also a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum has one of the largest displays of vintage gas pumps in California. There is a turn of the century (20th century, that is) drilling rig, various displays, videos, working models and gas station memorabilia as well as rotating exhibits about science, technology and transportation as well as other local exhibits on hand.

As of spring 2022, admission was a suggested donation of $5 per person. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm.

More information at www.oilmuseum.net or 805.933.0076.

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Left side of California Oil Museum on 10th Street

Left side of California Oil Museum on 10th Street

Display in the rig building.

Display in the rig building.

Murals of Santa Paula

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The Murals of Santa Paula is a non-profit organization that has brought 9 murals depicting scenes from the city's history within a few mile radius. The murals are as follows:

  1. Trains, Planes & Automobiles (1890s-1940s): 815 Santa Barbara Street

  2. Our First Inhabitants: The Chumash Indians: 119 North 8th Street

  3. Santa Paula Family Farms (1880s-1930s): 715 East Main Street

  4. Santa Paula Citrus Capital of the World: Corner of Main and Davis Streets

  5. Main Street Santa Paula (1910): Corner of Main and Mill Streets

  6. Celebrating Santa Paula's Latino Culture: Corner of Main and 10th Streets

  7. Discovering Black Gold in Santa Paula (1860s-1950s): 123 N. 10th Street

  8. Santa Paula Artists and Architects: 136 North 10th Street

  9. Honoring Founders and Pilots of Santa Paula Airport (1890s-1940s): 560 E. Main Street

Visit www.santapaulamurals.org if it becomes functional again (not working as of summer 2021).

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The Punch Bowls in Santa Paula

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The Santa Paula Canyon Trail takes you to the "The Punch Bowls" in the Los Padres National Forest. This is a fairly challenging hike that is definitely not for everyone. But for many, it is quite an interesting, roughly 7 mile round trip exploration. Plan on at least a 4 to 6 hour excursion.

The trail begins in the hills behind Thomas Aquinas College at 10000 Ojai Road, Santa Paula. This is a private college and thus the public is not allowed access to parking on the campus. There is a small amount of street parking and several dirt lots nearby. Make sure though not to leave any valuables in your car.

Access to the trail takes a bit of a walk on the paved road that swings to the right of the college. There are signs that point the way to the trailhead and that asks hikers to stay on the paved roadway.

The winding road to the trailhead

The winding road to the trailhead

You will be entering private property (continue following the signs), so be mindful of that as you veer left, then past an oil rig through an avocado farm. You will be walking past a large red gate, then continue on, until you reach another oil pumping rig. Go left along the path around the rig to the trailhead, where you will be greeted by the sounds of the Santa Paula Creek.

You will be veering left after walking through this gate,  into private property. You will be walking past an oil pump then into an avocado orchard, then past another oil rig (veer left) to the trailhead.

You will be veering left after walking through this gate,  into private property. You will be walking past an oil pump then into an avocado orchard, then past another oil rig (veer left) to the trailhead.

Cross the creek (there are strategically placed stones) and you are on your way.

Veer right around this., which would seem obvious but to me it wasn't. 

Veer right around this., which would seem obvious but to me it wasn't. 

From here, there are no signs that clearly say "trail this way." Perhaps the main thing to keep in mind is that for the most part, you will be following the creek to the area known as the Punch Bowls. But the exact path is not always clear, especially when you are like me and have a tendency of picking the wrong path at each fork.

Some sections of the trail are perfectly flat and scenic. Most of the trail you will hear the Santa Paula Creek.

Some sections of the trail are perfectly flat and scenic. Most of the trail you will hear the Santa Paula Creek.

But one thing we generally found is that someone has sprayed orange arrows in the direction you need to go. That said, it is still not always clear. Unfortunately, there is graffiti and markings of various sorts much of the way up the trail. In fact this is probably the worst example of defacing of a public trail that I've ever seen. I will not post the images here.

In any case, we didn't let the graffiti bother us too much as the trails were so beautiful, interesting and challenging. In fact, aside from hiking up Boney Mountain, this is probably the most challenging trail I've tried in the local area. There are some "perfectly flat" sections but many sections of the trail are quite rocky, narrow, lined with poison oak and challenging.

Also, be prepared to cross the creek in various sections. It wasn't always clear if we should be on the left or right side of the creek. Make sure to wear good hiking shoes as you will be making some creek crossings, which can be slippery.

I don't usually hike with a walking stick, but it definitely came in handy on this trail. The higher up we got, the rockier and more "bouldery" the trail became. 

The boulders get larger and there are more areas with loose rocks the higher you get up the trail. I don't usually use a walking stick, but it definitely came in handy for this hike.

The boulders get larger and there are more areas with loose rocks the higher you get up the trail. I don't usually use a walking stick, but it definitely came in handy for this hike.

In any case, after some crazy sections of rocks that, when we went (mid-June 2016), included sections of significant piles of rocks (including some fairly recent looking rock slide areas), you will reach the first of the Punch Bowls. This was our final destination, but there are additional pools of water higher up, on trails that appear increasingly challenging.

This punch bowl was our final destination before heading back down. Beautiful to see, though the water was not particularly deep (blame it on the drought) or clean looking. But quite a great destination to hike to nonetheless and enjoyable to relax …

This punch bowl was our final destination before heading back down. Beautiful to see, though the water was not particularly deep (blame it on the drought) or clean looking. But quite a great destination to hike to nonetheless and enjoyable to relax and take it in.

I took 4th and 7th graders with me and they did fine. It was a lot of fun. Definitely not stroller friendly. Dogs are ok on leash, though I wouldn't bring my dog due to the proliferation of rocks.

Learn more about the Santa Paula Canyon Trail at www.hikelospadres.com/santa-paula-canyon-trail.html.