Ventura City Hall & Municipal Art Gallery 

City Hall, formerly the Ventura County Courthouse, was built by Los Angeles architect Albert C. Martin in 1912 in the “Beaux Arts” style. Its neo-classic columns, arched windows, and terra-cotta façade are offset by 24 whimsical faces of Franciscan padres, the order that founded the city in 1782. The Italian marble entry lobby with its dramatic sweeping staircase leads up to the second floor Municipal Art Collection and what was once the Superior Courtroom, now the City Council Chambers. The city purchased the property and opened it as City Hall in 1972. The County Sheriff’s Office, constructed in 1931, was restored in 1988 as City Hall West, with Chumash murals in the Atrium and bronze entry doors. Municipal Art Gallery website: Cityofventura.ca.gov/MAC