Simi Valley: History, Culture and Trails

Simi Valley offers several distinct points of interest to consider when planning your trip: historic buildings and unusual construction methods, presidential history, theater and film history, and trails through the landscape. These topics range from individual buildings and exhibits to routes and a trail network spanning more than 50 miles. You can plan your visit according to whether you are more interested in architecture and cultural sites or in trails.

Historic Sites and Unusual Construction Methods

Strathearn Historical Park covers 6½ acres and is dedicated to preserving many of the earliest buildings in Simi Valley. The park is free and open to the public. Hours vary by day of the week: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. An audio guide is available during opening hours on all seven days of the week. Since hours vary, it is a good idea to check them before your visit.

Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village showcases a different construction method and is designated California State Historical Landmark No. 939. It comprises 14 structures with cement walls and ceilings embedded with recycled waste and multicolored bottles. Here, the combination of materials defines the architectural character: the bottles and reused materials are part of the construction, not merely decoration. This makes the site a tangible point of interest for anyone interested in the connection between design and unusual building materials.

Presidential History, Exhibits, and Theater

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute campus in Simi Valley sits on a hill and covers 400 acres. The Reagan Library in Simi Valley features exhibits spanning more than 125,000 square feet. The campus size and exhibit area offer two different measures: one describes the grounds, the other the area of the exhibits.

At the Air Force One Pavilion, visitors can board the same aircraft President Reagan flew for more than 660,000 miles through 26 foreign countries and 46 U.S. states. They can also walk around an actual Marine One helicopter flown by President Johnson. The two exhibits offer different perspectives: visitors can board the plane, while the possible tour of the helicopter goes around the outside.

The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center offers a different focus. Housed in a restored 1924 building, it provides a venue for live theater. Both the historic building and its use as a theater are central to this site. If you include culture in your travel plans, you can consider the architecture of this 1924 building as a distinct topic alongside the exhibits and presidential history.

Film History and Trails

Simi Valley's film history includes the former Corriganville Movie Ranch, which served as a filming location for more than 3,500 movies, television shows, and commercials. A 1.1-mile trail features 20 signs about local plants and wildlife. Film history and the signs about flora and fauna offer different points of interest that can be considered separately when planning your visit.

Simi Valley is surrounded by parks, protected areas, and trails. The trail network spans more than 50 miles and extends to Los Angeles. The Arroyo Simi Bike Path, which runs east to west through much of Simi Valley, is a separate route. While the trail network describes the broader area, the Bike Path is more specifically defined by its direction and course through the valley. This lets you distinguish between the extent of the entire trail network and this specifically named route.

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