Third Sundays at Los Encinos: How to See Encino's 1849 Adobe Without Booking a Week Ahead

Most days, the eight-room adobe at 16756 Moorpark St. is closer to Encino than almost anywhere else, and harder to get into. Los Encinos State Historic Park is free and open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The guided tour of the de la Ossa Adobe is the catch. State Parks offers it by appointment, and asks visitors to email at least one week ahead.

On one Sunday afternoon a month, that changes. From 1 to 3 p.m. on third Sundays, the park runs Heritage Days, a free program open to all ages. Exploring the adobe is part of the afternoon, and the listings don't mention any appointment. The next two dates are Sunday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Dec. 20.

The usual way in takes a week

The California State Parks page for Los Encinos spells out the normal routine. Guided adobe tours run Wednesday through Sunday by appointment, booked by email at [email protected]. The park adds that "the adobe is also open for self-guided tours pending staff availability," and asks visitors to call or email before they come if they want to be sure a tour is available.

Calling has its own problem right now. The park says its on-site phone lines are having technical trouble, so email is the way to reach staff.

You can stroll the grounds any day the gate is open. But a Saturday afternoon visit to the adobe takes planning that most people don't bother with for a place they drive past.

What the third-Sunday afternoon looks like

State Parks' event listing describes Heritage Days as live demonstrations of what life was like on a 19th-century Mexican rancho. The blacksmith forge is fired up, and there are old-fashioned games for kids and adults. The forge isn't a one-off. The park page says the blacksmith shop holds live demonstrations every third Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m., covering why metalsmiths mattered in the rancho period.

The Daily News listed the Nov. 15 afternoon in its roundup of free November events. It mentions the forge, the games and the chance to "explore the historic De La Ossa adobe," and adds that "small family picnics are allowed" and street parking is free.

The posted 2026 schedule has run monthly since May 17 and ends on Dec. 20. The listing also says the park is looking for skilled demonstrators to volunteer at Heritage Days. If you work with your hands in a traditional craft, that is an open invitation, and you can answer it at the same park email.

What you're actually walking into

The site is small, and every building on it is there because of one feature. State Parks lists the grounds as the original eight-room de la Ossa Adobe, the two-story stone Garnier building, a blacksmith shop, a natural spring and a pond. The spring came first, and it explains everything else.

According to State Parks, the spring gave year-round water to Siutcanga, a village that was home to Chumash, Tongva and Tataviam people. The Spanish later called these groups "Fernandeños" because they were enslaved at the San Fernando Mission. The 1769 Portolá Expedition recorded a detailed description of the village and named the valley "El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos," the Valley of St. Catherine of Bononia of the Oaks. Every Encino address carries that name.

The Los Encinos Docent Association's history traces what came next:

1. 1797. The San Fernando Mission was completed, and the village site was largely emptied.
2. 1834 and 1845. The Mexican government dissolved the missions in 1834. Governor Pío Pico recognized the rancho claim on July 8, 1845.
3. 1849. Vincente De La Osa built the adobe that now anchors the park.
4. 1868. Eugene and Philippe Garnier bought the rancho. They built a stone-lined, guitar-shaped pond at the spring and a two-story limestone bunkhouse.
5. 1949. California acquired the remaining parcel, and Los Encinos State Historic Park was created.

State Parks dates the pond to 1874 and credits it to Eugene Garnier. The same spring still feeds it, the one that drew people to this spot for thousands of years. The property sat on a major travel route between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and changed hands many times from the 1840s into the early 20th century. Today its exhibits cover the farming businesses of Rancho El Encino's owners, who included Mission Indian, Mexican Californio, French and French Basque families.

That sequence gives you a sensible way to walk the site on a Heritage Days afternoon. Start at the pond and spring, the reason anyone settled here. Then go into the adobe, which is the part that's usually by appointment, and finish at the blacksmith shop while the forge is lit. State Parks also notes that several bird species live on the grounds, so the pond is worth a few minutes more than it gets from the sidewalk.

Getting there without circling the block

There is no parking lot. State Parks says only authorized vehicles may park inside the park, "no exceptions," and street parking on the surrounding residential blocks is limited to two hours. Two hours covers the full 1 to 3 p.m. program, but only if you park before it starts and leave when it ends.

• Entrances: Entry is free from either Ventura Blvd. or Moorpark St.
• From the 101 southbound: Exit at Balboa Blvd., turn right, then turn left on Moorpark St. The park is on the right.
• From the 101 northbound: Exit at Hayvenhurst Ave. and turn left. Then turn right on Magnolia Blvd., left on Petit Ave., right on La Maida St. and right on Moorpark St. The park is on the left.
• Dogs: Allowed, according to State Parks.
• Picnics: Small gatherings like picnics are welcome. Larger groups go through the park's special event reservation process. Recreation that could damage the historic site isn't allowed.

If you're coming from Ventura Blvd., the rear entrance means you don't have to look for parking on Moorpark at all.

Building an Encino Sunday around it

The 1 p.m. start leaves the morning open, and Encino's other weekly Sunday fixture closes right before it. The Encino Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 17400 Victory Blvd., between White Oak and Balboa, and parking is free. Balboa connects the two. Shop the market in the late morning, drive south on Balboa toward Moorpark, and you can be parked before the forge is lit.

Here is the rest of the Encino calendar between now and the last Heritage Days of the year:

The Encino Neighborhood Council's listing for the toy collection asks people to bring unwrapped gifts for children of all ages and to RSVP through its linked form.

Small-group schedules can shift, and the park's phones are unreliable right now. A short email to [email protected] a few days before Nov. 15 or Dec. 20 is the simplest way to confirm the afternoon is on. If one third Sunday doesn't fit your weekend, plan around the next. If you want inside the adobe on a different day, send your request at least a week ahead.

Mario Acosta has followed Encino block by block for years, from the spring-fed pond on Moorpark to the newest storefronts on Ventura. If you own near the park and want to know where your home stands this season, ask for a free home valuation, and you'll get a straight read on the numbers.