Camarillo Ranch Foundation

Brief History Of The Foundation:

In 1998, the City of Camarillo established the Camarillo Ranch Foundation, Incorporated, as a nonprofit public benefit corporation. The City Council appointed a 15-member Board of Directors to operate the Foundation. In addition to the fifteen directors, the Foundation also includes two ex-officio members from the Camarillo City Council.

The newly formed Board met on May 5, 1999, and has met monthly ever since. The 4.5-acre Camarillo Ranch was given to the City of Camarillo by the Centex Corporation in 1997. Centex had acquired the property from a member of the Camarillo Family. Along with the Ranch, the City also received the barn and stable on the adjacent property. In 1999, the City, working with Centex, moved the massive red barn and stable to their current locations on the Ranch.

One of the Foundation's first acts was the creation of its Mission Statement:

To preserve, restore, and maintain the Camarillo Ranch as an historic site in partnership with our public and private sectors, on a self-sustaining basis; to foster its place in the rich history of California; to transform it into a focal point of the community for education, enrichment, and enjoyment; and to exhibit our diverse history and culture.

In 1999-2000, the City of Camarillo restored the exterior and foundation of the Camarillo House, including seismic retrofit upgrades, the installation of exterior lighting, a ranch style fence around the perimeter of the property, a new roof, and utilities. This renovation also included removing portions of the House that were not part of the original design. The gardens and exterior site features were also restored and interpreted into the museum complex. In the future, the Camarillo Ranch Foundation will be restoring the historic Ranch Barn.

The Foundation is working to make the Camarillo Ranch a prominent Ventura County location for community events, school field trips, weddings and receptions, film shoots and much more for years to come.

The Camarillo Ranch Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes pursuant to Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.