Simi Valley

 Simi Valley Accolades

Lifestyle

Whether you’re into exploring the great outdoors, visiting museums, or attending live performances, you’ll find your place in Simi Valley. From the 4,000+ acres of parkland stretched across 38 parks, to historical landmarks, tourists and locals can enjoy Simi Valley for a lifetime! Surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills, Simi Valley has over 50 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, reaching as far as Los Angeles. Simi Valley prides itself on its protected land and trails. Each city entrance is through a green belt, a nature corridor, or a mountain. Simi Valley is a foodie's utopia! There are over 300 different restaurants across Simi, spanning a variety of different cultures and styles. Whether your appetite is craving fresh produce from the farmer’s market, a local food truck, or a town center with multiple restaurants to choose from, Simi Valley is the perfect culinary destination!

Ronald Reagan Library

Simi Valley is home to the state-of-the-art Ronald Reagan Library and Museum. Located on a hilltop with humbling views of Southern California and the ocean, this one-of-a-kind museum is comprised of rare presidential collections and colorful gardens spanning across over a hundred acres. It's located on a hilltop, with humbling views of the ocean. Upon visiting, you’ll be able to board and explore the same Air Force One that Ronald Reagan flew over 600,000 miles on! You’ll peruse through replicas of the White House Rose Garden and South Lawn, and have a chance to see a replica of President Reagan’s Oval Office, complete with his preferred decor.

 History of Simi Valley

Simi Valley’s beginnings go back to her pre-colonialism roots. The area was once largely inhabited by the Chumash, whose presence in the county dates back thousands of years. The Chumash legacy can be found all throughout the city today! For example, Simi Valley’s important names are taken after Chumash settlements that existed during the Mission period: Shimiyi (or “Simi” refers to the long, stringy clouds that characterize the area), Ta’apu (present-day Tapo Canyon). Also, the official city tree (Coast Live Oak) and the official city flower (California Wild Rose) were some of Chumash’s favorite sources of nutrients. You can learn more about the Chumash influence at the Chumash Museum in Thousand Oaks.

In 1795, Rancho Simi, a Spanish land grant spanning over 113, 000 acres across Ventura and extending to west Los Angeles counties was given by Governor Diego De Borica to Francisco Javier Pico and his brothers. Rancho Simi is the earliest and one of the largest Spanish colonial land grants recorded in California. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, agriculture and ranching dominated the Simi Valley landscape. The land was used for raising sheep and cattle, and harvesting wheat and barley, fruits, and nuts. In the 1950s, the farming way of life began to change. Walnut groves and fruit orchards began to disappear, and single-family homes began to be built, growing into the city of Simi Valley we know and love today.