Oxnard California - 25

T HE

OLD SCHOOL
RULES
Explore Oxnard's vintage charm on and off the beaten path.
BY JA N I S F L I P P E N

OPPOSITE: 1 & 3: CALI GODLEY; 4: GARY BLUM; THIS PAGE: MICHAEL FURMAN

Oxnard's population, from first farmers in the 1870s
to today's residents have many things in common," says
Jeff Maulhardt, chairman of Oxnard Historic Farm Park.
"The city brought opportunity to those looking for a better
life and who did not speak English, ranging from Germans
to Japanese to Spanish. Agriculture remains a key component in the city. And the people's passion for this way of life
and the diverse culture it creates has never faltered."
Oxnard is a little bit country, a
little bit beach town and a little bit
global hub.
Named after the Oxnard brothers, who started a sugar beet
factory in the charming coastal
town west of Los Angeles, the city
was incorporated in 1903. Today,
Oxnard still embraces a rich
agricultural history whose story is
told at the museums and attractions throughout downtown.
To understand Oxnard's early
beginnings, a trip to Heritage
Square is in order. This iconic
downtown gathering spot is filled
with a cluster of Victorian homes
that date back to the 1800s. On
weekends, docent-led tours are
available and are a great way to
learn more about Oxnard's early
history and the families who once
1: Heritage Square 2: Carnegie Art
Museum 3: Historic home
4: Woolworth Museum This page: A
1937 Delahaye at The Mullin Museum

occupied the restored houses.
Heritage Square dresses up at
Christmas time offering Victorian
Home Tours.
Showcasing a vast collection of
California artwork, the Carnegie
Art Museum is one of Oxnard's
cultural hot spots. A former
Andrew Carnegie library, the museum is a tribute to the neoclassical architecture. The Carnegie
Art Museum's exhibits span from
traditional to contemporary.
The Oxnard Historic District
was the heart of the city in its
early days. In a ten-city block, 144
homes in the Craftsman, Spanish Colonial and Period Revival
bungalow styles flank the streets.
Placed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1999, the
district serves as the city's lively
"Christmas Tree Lane" during
the holidays, and several of the
homes are open to the
public for the Autumn
Home Tours.

If cars are your thing, the Mullin
Automotive Museum in Oxnard is
worth a visit. Founded by automobile lover Peter Mullin, the museum houses classic cars from historic French automobiles like Avions
Voisin to Bugatti. The museum also
has elegant French furniture and
decorative art from influential eras
on display. Be sure to check the
website (mullinautomotivemuseum.com) before your visit as the
Mullin is open on select Saturdays
each month. Visit the Murphy Auto
Museum, which houses a collection of over 90 pristine vintage
automobiles from 1903 to present
day. If you hear a train whistle, it's
not your imagination! The museum has a working model railway
that covers over 1800 square feet.
Murphy Auto Museum is open on
the weekends and often holds car
shows and events.
To capture the vibe of a traditional five and dime store, meander through downtown to the
Woolworth Museum, believed to
be the only Woolworth Museum in
the world. This quaint time capsule
contains all sorts of nostalgia associated with the F.W. Woolworth
Company. O

LOCAL'S PICK
GARY BLUM,
OXNARD HISTORIAN
"Representing some of the
best of Oxnard's early architecture, Heritage Square is
a must see. The relocated
buildings are centered
around a landscaped setting. An onsite restaurant,
winery, coffee house and
other businesses add to the
ambience. The interpretive
plaques and free self-guided tour brochures help
visitors discover the history
of the structures any day of
the week."

Holiday
Traditions
Oxnard rings in the holiday
season with special events
every weekend, starting
with the Tree Lighting
Ceremony in downtown's
Plaza Park, where you can
see Ventura County's tallest
Christmas tree. The Oxnard
Downtown Christmas
Parade and Oxnard Tamale
Festival share center stage
in and around Plaza Park.
Watch holiday lights dance
across the water during the
Parade of Lights in Channel
Islands Harbor or take a
Victorian Home Tour at Heritage Square. Get a top-side
view of Oxnard's holiday
lights throughout downtown by hopping aboard a
grand double-decker bus
for the Holly Trolley Light
Tour. See a list of Oxnard's
holiday events on page 59.
VISITOXNARD.COM | 2019

Oxnard California

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