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Rancho Camulos Museum
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5164 East Telegraph Rd (Hwy 126)
Piru, Santa Clara River Valley, CA
Contact: Manager
Phone: 805/521-1501
www.ranchocamulos.org
Request a proposal for your event from Rancho Camulos Museum
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Why We Like This Place
A drive to Camulos takes you past unspoiled hillsides and orchards ripe with juicy oranges, and the feeling of traveling into California’s rural past is made stronger by the occasional hawk soaring in the canyon updrafts. Just when you think you’re in the middle of nowhere, a sign announces the turnoff for the Rancho Camulos Museum. A row of eucalyptus trees shelters a plain adobe structure, embellished by an arbor twined with wisteria. A bronze marker declares that Rancho Camulos is a National Historic Landmark. But you haven’t reached the Museum yet, and at any rate it’s not a museum in the conventional sense. Set in the middle of a vast working ranch, the Museum encompasses 40 pastoral acres and historic buildings that have been preserved as a living testament to California’s diverse cultural and agricultural heritage.
This history of Rancho Camulos is really the history of two families. From 1839 when Antonio del Valle was awarded a Mexican land grant, to the 1920s, generations of the del Valle family lived off the land’s rich bounty and fertile vineyards. In 1884, author Helen Hunt Jackson chose Rancho Camulos as the setting for her famous love story, Ramona, and the Rancho became known as "The Home Of Ramona." Four decades later, in 1924, the del Valle family sold the property to August Rubel, the son of Swiss immigrants, who sought to preserve Camulos’ historic character. Today, the Rubel Family offers the Museum’s lawns and gardens for weddings and other celebrations.
The stroll to this tranquil oasis is a trip back to simpler days. First you’ll pass the old wine cellar, made of distressed brick and river rock, that once housed the Rancho’s own vintages. Next is a rambling adobe hacienda, trimmed with verandahs and rose bushes that make you think of lazy summer days and homemade lemonade. Many of the surrounding trees were planted by the Rancho’s earliest settlers, and a Giant Black Walnut boasts branches spanning half an acre! In front of this arboreal beauty, a vibrant rose garden plays host to hummingbirds and butterflies.
Behind the hacienda you get your first view of the event grounds, sprawling meadows cradled by orange groves and sagebrush-covered hills. A long, white arbor covered in Mission grapes stretches past an aviary alive with the fluttering of wings and birdsong. Most brides use the arbor as a wedding aisle, while the groom awaits her arrival nearby on the porch of a quaint wooden Chapel. Behind him, open double-doors reveal oaken prayer benches, antique candelabras, and religious statuettes that convey a sense of reverence—an inspiring backdrop for your ceremony.
Afterwards, while the wedding party enjoys photo ops in a blooming herb garden, guests quaff refreshments by a fishpond, where a miniature waterfall flows across polished stones into a pool ringed with ferns and lilies. To add more novelty to your cocktail hour, arrange for guests to take a guided tour of the Museum grounds.
As the afternoon breeze wafts the scent of lavender and jasmine across the grassy meadows, your friends and family dine and unwind at tables set in the great outdoors. Place a dance floor right on the lawn, and couples can dip and sway until the sunset paints the horizon. A mix of nature and history, this Rancho Camulos landmark will not only expand everyone’s concept of a museum, it will weave a tapestry of rustic charms over your entire celebration.
Capacity
Ceremony |
Reception/Special Events |
Meetings |
|
Max. Seated Indoors: Max. Seated Outdoors: 500 |
Max. Seated Indoors: 50 Max. Seated Outdoors: 500 Max. Standing Indoors: 70 Max. Standing Outdoors: 500 |
Max. Seated: 50 |
|
CEREMONY CAPACITY: The Meadow holds up to 500 seated guests. |
||
Fees & Deposits
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your date for weddings and corporate events. The balance is due 21 days prior to the event. Rental fees range $500-3,500 depending on day and time of event, area rented and guest count. There is an additional fee of $15/hour for additional museum staff supervisors for events of 350 guests or more, for evening events and for events at which many children will be present.
Availability
April-November. For weddings, Saturday 9am-10pm. For corporate retreats and meetings, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
CateringBYOAlcoholBYOSites UsesCeremoniesWedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/AmenitiesCatering: BYOParking: ample, complimentary parking Kitchen Facilities: no Accommodations: no guest rooms Tables & Chairs: provided up to 100 guests Telephone: no Linens, Silver, etc.: provided Outdoor Night Lighting: CBA Restrooms: access limited Outdoor Cooking Facilities: CBA Dance Floor: BYO Cleanup: through caterer or renter Bride's Dressing Area: yes View: garden, meadows, waterfall, hills Meeting Equipment: BYO |
Amplified MusicOutdoorsWheelchair AccessAccess LimitedSite ViewsFountain/Water FeatureGarden Hills Lagoon/Pond Landscaped Grounds Meadow/Fields Mountains Waterfall Site TypeMuseumBanquet/Events Facility Historic/Landmark Building Ranch/Farm RestrictionsAlcohol: BYO, licensed serverWheelchair Access: limited Smoking: outside only Insurance: liability required Music: amplified OK outdoors Other: no rice, birdseed or confetti |
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805/521-1501
www.ranchocamulos.org
Email or request a proposal for your event from Rancho Camulos Museum
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