Anthony C. Beilenson Visitor Center in Calabasas

Review №1

2024-06-17 00:04:46

Great place to throw a upscale party had a great time great service good people J

Review №2

2023-08-21 05:13:48

Who knew we had a National Park visitor center right in our backyard. Beautiful grounds. Great little museum / info center / gift shop. Tons of books, merch and other items related to the Santa Monica Mountains, cougars, Malibu, national parks, etc. They even have a National Park stamp & passport station as well as a junior ranger program for the kiddos.

Review №3

2023-08-04 18:05:06

Great little visitor center. Had wide selection of T-shirts. Boys did the Junior Ranger program and the rangers there were incredible about it. Definitely make the stop if you do a hike in the area.

Review №4

2022-04-25 16:55:42

Get an escape from the city and still be in the city?? So much to do here. Check out the web site for activities and events. A group of us went for an art exhibit. Beautiful location, clean indoor restrooms and gift shop. Outside theres a really nice picnic area, pack a lunch, eat under the shade, enjoy being outdoors. If you want to be a bit adventurous, there are trails to walk and hike on.

Review №5

2023-01-19 15:49:44

I did not find this visitor center to be  particularly RV friendly or even sprinter van friendly. The oversized vehicle parking only consists of 3 spots which a large Class A RV towing a small vehicle behind would easily take up almost all 3 of those spaces. Most of the regular parking has a solar panel roof shade over it so tall Vans cannot park in the regular spots either, thus Vans are forced to park in the oversized vehicle parking. In addition to the lack of parking, there is a 2 hour parking limit. Thankfully the parking was free.However on a positive note, the gift shop had a variety of items to choose from, the museum portion was informative, and the staff were very friendly and willing to help.

Review №6

2022-12-22 20:33:15

Honestly thought it was abandoned when we pulled up. Aside from all the cars in the TINY parking lot we would have assumed it was shut down. Walking up to the building, the exterior appeared like it hadn’t had any proper care in months. Every plant was dead and there were leaves littering the ground. The parking lot is very small. There is a decent amount of parking for cars but hardly any for vans or RVS. There are 3 spaces for a van / RV but one Class A RV would take up all three easily. Not to mention a broke down National Parks Van took up one space and another work truck was using another so the day we arrived there was only one spot for larger vehicles. Additionally there was a TWO HOUR limit. Why? People drove a long way through LA traffic to get here just to be ushered out quickly. That’s ridiculous.The water fountains were still the old school kind, there was no water bottle fill up station on the premise.The bathrooms were okay… there was a sign on the door that said they were short staffed and to help keep the bathrooms clean.Walking inside we were greeted by a very nice gentleman and a female ranger who were very kind and helpful.The museum was okay. It started off very childish which I understand is for the kiddos but then adult information was mainly the same 6-7 points repeated all the way through.I get we are out in nature and I am in no way advocate for pesticides but in the museum there was a massive trail of ants leading in from outside, across one of the information canvases and into the air vent.Liked the placement of benches throughout the museum. That was nice.

Review №7

2017-10-24 18:28:20

This is one of my favorite places in the whole world. I spent many years hiking here. Its right across the street from Malibu Creek State Park. Its absolutely gorgeous with beautiful views. The visitor center is new and up-to-date and a nice place to hang out after hiking, with informational, hands-on exhibits that are great for kids.They also have a gift shop. Good place for a picnic. You can also just take a nice, relaxing walk down the gorgeous, tree-lined driveway. Bathrooms on site.

Review №8

2021-10-11 04:24:43

The Visitor Center is in the former Stables for the King Gillette Ranch and is very well done with a small museum and explanation of how the Santa Monica Mountains became an important part of the conservation of natural flora and fauna in California. It has a wealth of information about the Santa Monica Mountains but many people may not realize the visitor center and the ranch house are two seperate things or areas, IMO. The house and the functions are seperate from the center. Make sure you go to the center first and explore all the information available about the area. Then after viewing the museum (and getting some souvenirs to support the efforts) go walk the grounds of the house. Very nice grounds surround the center but the King Gillette house should be restored to its former glory. Of course that would cost a lot of money but potentially an investment that would result in many more donations and rental opportunities. Finally, go out on walks and hikes and do things outdoors to truly appreciate the depth of the value of this conservation area.Please take the time to talk to the Rangers and find out about hikes that will fit your interests and abilities before walking out on your own. They have very good information that will make your experience better.

Review №9

2024-01-21 06:47:30

We visit often. Great place to learn more about the Santa Monica Mountain range. Nice to sit outside and relax as well. Nice picnic spot. Big wooden picnic tables under the old oaks.

Review №10

2022-11-08 04:27:22

Wonderful place to explore for nature lovers and diverse trail routes for Bikers and walkers with the in and around the Spirit of Mountain considered sacred by Native American Indians.