Murphy Auto Museum closing
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
April 15, 2024
Oxnard, California – The Murphy Auto Museum will be permanently closing. The last day for public admittance will be Sunday, July 7, 2024. The museum will use the remaining month of July to sell furniture, fixtures, artifacts and ephemera as they begin the de-accession of the contents. The building will be turned over to the landlord on July 31st.
The museum will keep its regular operating hours from now through July 7th, which is every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am till 4:00pm; the last admission is at 3:00pm since it takes about an hour to view the museum’s collection. Admission is $10.00 for guests 13 years old and older, free to guests younger than 12 years old, and free to active military with identification.
The museum’s board has been trying for several years to find a sustainable path to keep the museum viable and part of the community. However, economic realities have forced the decision to close the museum in conjunction with the end of the present lease agreement. The Murphy Auto Museum has been a part of Ventura County since 2005 and sees an average of 10,000 visitors per year. The museum, at any given time, has over 40 antique and vintage cars on display, as well as Americana, an HO scale model railroad, a large slot car raceway, vintage trailer town, diecast car collection, a monthly car show and more.
“We’ve been embedded in Ventura County since 2005,” said David Neel, Executive Director of the foundation. “I took over the running of the foundation from Dan Murphy, the museum’s founder in January of 2014 because it was in danger of closing then. It is sad that Oxnard has had two fantastic car museums for many years, ourselves and the Mullin, and that the Mullin has closed and the Murphy will be closing.”
The museum invites the public from near and far to visit the museum before it is gone. “We’re a little gem in the big city of Oxnard, and we bring a lot of smiles to people’s faces. We want everyone to come visit the museum one last time and make a lasting memory.”
The museum is located at 1930 Eastman Avenue in Oxnard. For additional information, the public can email the executive director david@murphyautomuseum.org, call the museum at (805) 487-4333, or visit us on the web at www.MurphyAutoMuseum.org.