PUBLIC TOURS
The California Oil Museum offers self-guided and guided tours for the public. If you would like to schedule a guided tour, please fill out the Tour form and we will schedule a time for you to experience our historical building.
Guided
Oil Museum Tours
​​
1890’s Second Story Offices Tour:
The California Oil Museum offers a guided tour of the upstairs original offices of Union Oil Company restored to its 1890’s Victorian era splendor. Each office has its own storied past with beautiful tiled fireplaces, oak wainscoting, plaster archways and medallions, stained glass, vintage lighting, hand crafted door handles and more. This tour will take you back to a wonderful time and place in early California oil history.
​
​
Self-Guided
Oil Museum Tours
​​
Age of Petroleum:
Visitors tour the permanent exhibits of the Museum, spending time exploring how Native Americans used natural oil seeps, seeing a miniature drilling rig bore into the earth, sizing up vintage ten-foot gas pumps, remembering the memorable brands of gas bought by early California car drivers and viewing intricate models of offshore drill ships and platforms. Great for children and adults alike as you press buttons and turn wheels in these Smithsonian quality exhibits.
​
Rig-Room:
The Museum’s Rig Room is a separate building on the Museum grounds that houses an 1890s cable tool rig that turns on when you walk into the room! A jewel to see, this highly engineered piece of equipment is how oil was first brought up out of the ground in California. This rig was taken right from working fields in the Ventura and Los Angeles County areas- its authentic. The sound of this rig was used in the movie, “There Will Be Blood”.
​
Rotating Exhibits:
The rotating exhibits on science and history are located in the South Gallery and Iron Room. The exhibits are self-guided. For more information on current exhibits please see the exhibit page.
​​