There are so many places in Southern California to take a beautiful drive, away from the busyness of the city. The Heritage Valley Highway 126 connects two cities, Santa Clarita and Ventura. In addition to running through a beautiful valley with vibrant orchards, small towns, and statuesque mountain ridges, this scenic drive in Southern California is filled with historic points of interest worth visiting.

You will begin your drive at the Castaic Junction in Santa Clarita, where Highway 126 begins at Interstate 5. Head west on Highway 126, making stops along the way, for approximately 44 miles, where you will arrive in Ventura.

The Heritage Valley route takes less than an hour to drive straight through, but with so many interesting stops along the way, it could easily take all day.

1. Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Museum

About 10 miles from the start lies Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark, a 40-acre museum consisting of several buildings constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Open as a museum to the public, this property provides a peek into California’s early history and cultural heritage. You can tour the Main Adobe, brick fountain, private chapel, bell structure, winery, barn, gas station, bunkhouse, and small adobe. This site was not only the home and ranch of the prominent California family, the Del Valles, but was also the setting for the renowned novel, Ramona, written by Helen Hunt Jackson.

2. Fillmore Historical Museum

Another nine miles along Highway 126 brings you to the center of Fillmore where you will find the Fillmore Historical Museum, made up of three restored buildings - the Fillmore Depot built in 1887, the Hinckley House built in 1905, and Rancho Sespe Bunkhouse built in 1919. Learn about the history of this town and surrounding areas through photos, furnishings, and memorabilia, as well as the buildings themselves.

3. Fillmore sign

As you make your way back onto Highway 126, take a minute to admire, and maybe photograph, the historical Fillmore sign on your left. This type of pre-World War II sign is rare these days. This neon sign was originally built in 1940 and is a designated historical landmark. Fun fact: This neon-lighted sign glows bring green at night.

4. Sycamore Tree

About five miles past the historic sign is another historical landmark, the Sycamore Tree, located right in the middle of Hall Road. This California Historic Landmark served for a long time as a place of meeting. At times it was used as a polling place and a post office, a religious chapel, and a resting place for Franciscan Padres passing through. The original marker (which is now missing) stated, "In 1846, General John C. Fremont passed this site of the sycamore tree on his way to sign a treaty with General Andres Pico to secure California for future annexation to the United States."

5. Historic Downtown Santa Paula

Just a few minutes up the road, you will enter the next town of Santa Paula. Santa Paula’s historic downtown looks like a scene out of a movie. Most of the buildings here were originally constructed during the turn of the century, then many of the buildings’ facades were renovated in the 1950s. Main Street is popular with television, film, and advertising companies, and is a great place to do a little shopping or grab lunch at one of the local sidewalk cafes.Santa Paula actually has a total of 31 registered historic sites, some of which are schools and other community buildings. Many of these sites are picturesque homes on Santa Paula Street. You could literally spend the entire day discovering all of the places of historical significance in this little town. Be sure to look for the murals on several downtown buildings, each depicting various aspects of Santa Paula’s history.

6. Santa Paula Oil Museum

One National Register Historic Site is located right at the east end of Main Street - the California Oil Museum. The museum is inside the original 1890s building that served as the Union Oil Company headquarters. Interactive exhibits, photos, artifacts, and a genuine working oil rig from the 1800s provide a thrilling look back at the culture, history, and commerce of Southern California.

7. The Faulkner House

Another couple of miles down the road, you will come to another of Santa Paula’s historical landmarks, The Faulkner House. Also known as The George Washington Faulkner House and Faulkner Farm, this remarkable Queen Anne-style house was built in 1894. The property is not open to the public but you can see it clearly from the road and admire the beautifully-preserved Victorian architecture.

8. Saticoy Railroad Depot

From the Faulkner House, you can return to Highway 126 and continue west out of Santa Paula to the community of Saticoy where you can visit the old Saticoy Railroad Depot, located approximately one mile off of the highway. The Saticoy Railroad Depot was built in 1887 by Southern Pacific Railroad.

9. The Dudley House

Just over six miles west, and on the other side of the highway near its end, is the historic Dudley House. This 1892 pioneer farmhouse is the last of its kind in Ventura and is a designated National Historic Landmark. Restored to reflect the life of the Dudley family from 1895 to 1925, it is now a museum open to the public on the first Sunday of every month.

10. Olivas Adobe Historic Park

You will cross the last section of Highway 126, where it joins Highway 101 in Ventura, to visit your last historical landmark, Olivas Adobe Historic Park. The main feature here is the restored two-story Monterey-style adobe home of Don Raymundo Olivas built in 1847.

If all this sightseeing has made you hungry, the Ventura Harbor Village, just over a mile west of Olives Adobe Historic Park, is a lovely place for dinner and a little shopping while watching the boats bob in the marina.

Have you taken this scenic drive in Southern California? How many of these historic places have you been able to see? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Check out this article for more scenic drive ideas in SoCal.