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California Oil Museum

Museum of the oil industry, changing exhibits of science, history and art, plus a gift store.
National Historic Site #86002619

Tours available 805-933-0076

This National Register building was completed in 1890 by the Hardison & Stewart Oil Company, who later that year merged with three other oil companies to form Union Oil Company. The subsidiary Santa Paula Hardware Company was located on the first floor. This building remained Union Oil’s headquarters until relocating in Los Angeles during the early 1900s. Union Oil opened the California Oil Museum in the building in 1950. Today, the building is owned by Chevron since acquiring Unocal in 2005. The building is leased to the City of Santa Paula, which has operated the California Oil Museum since 1993.

-Courtesy Santa Paula Historical Society