The Museum of Ventura County begins a year-long observance of its 100-year anniversary on Saturday, March 23 with the opening of two new exhibits, Prized Possessions: A Century of Collecting and Birthday Party!

The festivities begin at 7 PM at the Museum’s Ventura location at 100 E. Main Street. Community members are invited to celebrate the opening with an exclusive preview of the new exhibits, hor d’oeuvres, music and the unveiling of the new Museum cookbook. From 9 to midnight guests can enjoy dancing on the Plaza, adult crafts, signature cocktails, a nacho bar and birthday cake! Admission to the event is $50 per person for the entire evening’s festivities or $20 per person from 9:00 – midnight.

These events mark 100 years since the Museum first opened in 1913 in the newly built Ventura County Courthouse, now Ventura City Hall. Known then as the Pioneer Museum, its collection of artifacts and curios were the legacy of Dr. Cephas Bard, a Pennsylvania doctor who came to Ventura after the Civil War. A compassionate man with wide-ranging interests, Dr. Bard often accepted historical objects in lieu of cash payment for his services including priceless Chumash, Spanish and Mexican-American objects. Dr. Bard’s collection formed the nucleus of the Museum’s current collection. In 1977, the Museum moved to its present location on Ventura’s Main Street, near historic Mission San Buenaventura. In 2011 the Agriculture Museum was opened in Santa Paula to showcase the extensive collection of agricultural objects.

The Museum will continue its centennial celebration throughout 2013, with exhibits on films made in Ventura County, Guy Webster’s celebrity photographs, fashion throughout the century and an exhibit on the history of the Tortilla Flats neighborhood in Ventura, and will include many special events.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.