Los Angeles family guide
Things to Do in Oxnard with Kids
Curated by Simir Shah
Reviewed & updated August 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.
Oxnard on the map
📍 Where Oxnard is
Oxnard sits in Los Angeles, Southern California. Nearest major airport: Hollywood Burbank (~48 mi / 77 km). It's roughly 55 mi (89 km) from Downtown LA and 155 mi (250 km) from San Diego — SoCal traffic can make a drive take far longer than the distance suggests, so plan around it.
Visiting? See SoCal at a glance, getting around and which airport.
Things to do in Oxnard
Channel Islands Harbor
A calm harbor with surrey and bike rentals, a Sunday farmers market, a maritime museum, and easy waterfront paths — laid-back coastal fun away from big surf. The Channel Islands Maritime Museum, founded in 1991, houses a world-class collection of ship models and maritime art, including one of the largest bone-model collections outside the U.S. Naval Academy Museum. More than 30 vendors set up at the harbor's Sunday farmers market.
Free; rentals & farmers market extra
Mandalay Beach
A natural, undeveloped state beach good for quiet walks and tide-pooling, with no facilities on site.
Free, no lifeguard
Silver Strand Beach
A popular surf and boogie-board beach with restrooms, showers, and a real parking lot, lifeguarded Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Free; seasonal lifeguards
Hollywood Beach
A 1-mile harbor-adjacent beach with restrooms and free volleyball courts, lifeguarded in summer.
Free; seasonal lifeguards
'olołkoy Beach Park (formerly Oxnard Beach Park)
A 62-acre beach park (formerly Oxnard Beach Park) with a pirate-ship playground, BBQ and picnic areas, and volleyball courts.
Free
Ormond Beach Wetlands
A rare Southern California coastal wetland with birding trails and habitat for the endangered snowy plover and least tern.
Free
Channel Islands Kayak Center
Harbor-based kayak and paddleboard rentals plus a guided family-oriented history-and-wildlife tour of Channel Islands Harbor.
Rentals and guided tours, priced per activity
Heritage Square
Fifteen relocated Victorian-era homes (built 1876-1912) preserved on a single downtown block, with guided exterior tours available.
Grounds free; guided tours priced separatelyFarmers markets in Oxnard
Downtown Oxnard Farmers Market
Free Thursday market at historic Plaza Park with a huge variety of fresh local fruits and vegetables plus breads and prepared foods.
Local restaurants in Oxnard
Cabo Seafood Grill & Cantina
Downtown Oxnard's festive Jalisco-style seafood house — whole grilled fish, shrimp a dozen ways, and tortillas pressed fresh in the middle of the dining room.
Dominick's Italian Restaurant
A same-family Italian dinner house since 1949, known for New York-style pizza and homemade cheesecake.
Mrs. Olson's Restaurant
A harbor-view diner since 1974 serving hearty breakfast and lunch.
Hollywood Beach Cafe
An independent beach-adjacent breakfast and brunch cafe near Hollywood Beach.
Wagon Wheel Brewing Company
A local craft brewery and gastropub with a family-oriented taproom.
La Central Bakery
Oxnard's oldest family bakery, open since 1947, known for pan dulce, tortillas, and tamales.
Local shops in Oxnard
Pipiripau
A Mexican-culture apparel, art, and lifestyle boutique inside a restored Victorian home at Heritage Square.
Seasonal & outdoors near Oxnard
The closest splash pads, patches, lights and more — distances from Oxnard.
More Los Angeles family guides
Oxnard family FAQ
What are the best things to do in Oxnard with kids?
Family favorites in and around Oxnard include Channel Islands Harbor, Mandalay Beach, Silver Strand Beach and Hollywood Beach, and more. Our guide lists 8 spots, sorted by distance from you with hours, prices and tips.
Are there free things to do in Oxnard?
Yes — free family spots near Oxnard include Channel Islands Harbor, Mandalay Beach, Silver Strand Beach and Hollywood Beach. Use the "free only" filter in the finder above to see them all.
Where can families eat in Oxnard?
Local, family-friendly spots in Oxnard include Cabo Seafood Grill & Cantina, Dominick's Italian Restaurant, Mrs. Olson's Restaurant and Hollywood Beach Cafe, and more — independent, SoCal-only eateries, never national chains.
What does the YourSoCal Oxnard guide cover?
Our Oxnard family guide includes 8 things to do, 6 local eats, 2 local shops and 1 farmers market — all hand-curated, locally owned, and sorted by distance from you.
Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.
Where to stay in Oxnard
Hotels & rentals via Stay22 · we may earn a commissionCompare hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals near Oxnard on one map — then book on your favorite site.