Dudley
House
Preserving yesterday for today and tomorrow.
Coming up at the Dudley House Museum
First Sunday Open House October 6Our monthly tours continue from 1-4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. Visit our beautifully restored Victorian-era home and learn about the history of the area. With Halloween fast approaching, tour guides Richard Senate and Lynn Weitzel (co-authors of “Are There Ghosts at the Dudley House?”) may add a few ghost stories if asked. Free. For information, call (805) 654-8381.
Its owner, Benjamin Wells (B.W.) Dudley and his brother, Frank, came to California after the Civil War. The City of San Buenaventura had been incorporated in 1866, and the Dudley farms were far east of its one-square-mile boundaries. It was the family’s second residence on 40 acres of the old Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy, purchased in 1875.
After experimenting with several crops, B.W. Dudley found that lima beans grew well in the cool, foggy climate. By the 1890s, Ventura County was known as the world’s largest lima bean producer.
Open House Hours
First Sunday of each month: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Regular Open House hours are the first Sunday of the month from 1 to 4 p.m. Open on a limited basis for tours and special events.
Special tours for schools and other groups can be arranged.