Mission San Buenaventura, Spanish mission station in Ventura, US
Mission San Buenaventura is a former Spanish mission station in Ventura that now serves as a museum and religious site. The complex includes a church with thick stone walls, wooden beam ceilings, a bell tower, and a courtyard filled with native plants.
Franciscan friar Junipero Serra founded the station on March 31, 1782, naming it after 13th-century Saint Bonaventure. Earthquakes damaged the structure several times, but it was rebuilt each time and still functions as a parish church today.
The museum displays handmade tools and pottery from the Chumash, showing how the native people lived before Spanish arrival. Visitors also see liturgical vestments and altar objects still used during services today.
Guided tours explain the layout and religious objects, while the courtyard remains open for free exploration at any time. A small shop near the entrance sells books and souvenirs about the region's past.
Between 1805 and 1815, the Chumash built a stone aqueduct system over 7 miles (11 km) long that channeled water from the Ventura River to the station. Parts of this waterway remain visible in the surrounding area today.
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