Located just beyond Ventura Harbor Village and overlooking the ocean, the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park features exhibits, a lookout tower, a native plant garden and more. It serves to educate visitors about the unique wildlife and rich history of the Channel Islands.

The visitor center was built in 1982 to educate the public with information and resources about the national park. It is made up of dedicated park rangers and volunteers who help run the center. Admission is free, making it accessible for anyone to stop by and learn about the Channel Islands. The national park covers five islands, which include San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara Island.

People from around the world visit Channel Islands National Park and often stop by the visitor center, which welcomes approximately 400 visitors each day.

While the visitor center is a crucial stop for visitors before exploring the islands, it’s also an excellent place to explore and learn about the features of each island even if you’re not planning on going to the islands.

Bonnie Smith, a park guide at the visitor center, has worked there for nearly 10 years. She is responsible for opening and closing the center and is always available to answer visitors’ questions.

“I love being able to meet visitors from all over the world and being able to help answer any questions they might have and help them prepare for their trip out to the Channel Islands National Park,” Smith said. “I know it can take a lot of time and money, for some people, to make a national park trip possible, so I try my best to help them have a safe and enjoyable experience out on the islands.”

One of the many reasons to visit the center is its variety of unique exhibits. As you enter, you’ll first encounter a diorama featuring the skeleton of a Pygmy Mammoth discovered on Santa Cruz Island. Just across from that is the tide pool exhibit, where visitors can observe various marine life swimming. To the right of the tide pool stands a towering model of an elephant seal, surrounded by other island wildlife in a scene that looks like it was taken straight from the Channel Islands themselves.

“A highlight is definitely the marine life exhibit which features different marine life found over on the Channel Islands. We have sea stars and lobsters and swell sharks here in our tide pool tank, so it’s definitely a very popular exhibit,” Smith said.

There are also interactive exhibits where you can touch replicas of items used by the Chumash, the ingenious people that lived on the Channel Islands thousands of years ago, and learn more about their way of life.

Another highlight of the visitor center is the viewing tower and the native plant garden, two beautiful and peaceful spots where visitors can relax and take in the natural surroundings. Located on the third floor, the tower offers stunning ocean views, and on clear days, visitors can see Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island. From there, it’s also possible to view Ventura Harbor and the city itself. Downstairs, the native plant garden features species unique to the Channel Islands, some found nowhere else in the world. The garden is organized into sections that represent the different habitats across the islands, educating visitors about these plants and the importance of protecting them.

“I think that sometimes living in Ventura, we take for granted the beauty of the world around us and so I think that a lookout like that is a great opportunity to stop and look and appreciate how gorgeous the scenery is,” senior Solana Warren said. 

Other features of the visitor center include webcams near the entrance that give a live look at some of the wildlife on the islands like the bald eagle nest webcam, a short movie called “Treasure in the Sea” that plays every hour and Tidepool Talks on the weekend.

With summer break almost here, the visitor center is a great  place to visit for all ages to get out of the house in the summer and learn about a national park only a boat ride away without needing to leave the mainland. 

“I think that the fact that the visitor center is free and educational, and it’s kept up and the staff is friendly and excited for you to be there, it really creates an environment that is an essential resource for a community that wants to learn how to care and value nature,” Warren said.

The visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m daily and there is currently a traveling exhibit featuring K-12 artwork that was submitted to the Coastal Commission that lasts until the end of June. 

“I hope that when people come to the visitor center, they know that these Channel Islands are a very special place,” Smith said. “As a park ranger, it’s my job to help ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable visit and that as a public servant, [I’m] here to provide excellent customer services and connect people with their public lands.”