Port Hueneme, pronounced why-NEE-mee, is a small beach city of about 21,100 people in the state's January 2026 estimate, and it incorporated on March 24, 1948. The Port of Hueneme says the name comes from a Chumash word meaning halfway or resting place, and that the point here is the closest crossing to Anacapa Island, 11 miles out. The Navy base and the port together take up about 60% of the city's land.

The harbor was finished in 1940, and the city calls it the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Navy took it over in 1942, and about 175,000 Seabees passed through Port Hueneme's advance base depot during World War II. Today the Navy's Seabee Museum sits just outside the base fence, and admission is free. Bananas are the port's top import by weight, which explains the annual Banana Festival. Below you'll find this week's Port Hueneme events, then the beach, museums, shopping and kid-friendly spots worth knowing, where to eat, and the annual events worth planning around.

Details checked Sep 16, 2026. Hours and prices change, so confirm with the venue before you go.

Top things to do in Port Hueneme

Outdoors and hikes

Hueneme Beach Park

A 50-acre beach park, which the city calls the only city-owned beach park in Ventura County, with barbecues, sand volleyball, lifeguards and swings.

E. Surfside Dr. at S. Ventura Rd. · Parking $2 an hour or $8 a day

Open 6am to 10pm. No animals on the sand. An annual parking pass is $50 for residents and $100 for nonresidents.

Official info

Hueneme Pier

A 1,250-foot fishing pier, first built in 1956 and extended in 1968, with its hourglass-shaped end added in 1999.

Hueneme Beach Park · Free

People fish here every day. No overhead casting, and no swimming or surfing within 100 feet of the pier.

Official info

Lighthouse Promenade

A walkway from Surfside Drive to the harbor entrance, dedicated in 2008, that leads to the 1941 Point Hueneme Lighthouse, which the Coast Guard owns.

Free

The city's own pages disagree on whether tours inside the lighthouse are running, so check with the city before planning one.

Official info

Museums, arts and history

U.S. Navy Seabee Museum

The Navy's Seabee history museum, founded in 1947 and the second-oldest museum in the Navy's museum system, with a Bee Fun Zone play area for kids.

3201 S. Ventura Rd., Building 100, at Sunkist St. · Free, including parking

Open Monday to Saturday 10 to 4; closed Sundays and federal holidays. It's outside the base fence, so you don't need base access. Plan on at least an hour.

Official info

Port Hueneme Historical Museum

The 1925 Bank of Hueneme building, designed by Myron Hunt and later the city's first City Hall, now a local history museum and Ventura County Landmark No. 32.

220 N. Market St. · Free

Open Saturday and Sunday 11 to 3.

Official info

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Memorial Sundial

A sundial by the sculptor James "Bud" Bottoms honoring the 88 people lost on Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on January 31, 2000.

Beach Lot B, near the gazebo · Free

Official info

Shopping and markets

Surfside Seafood

A seafood and burger spot just west of the pier, with a bait and beach supply store and live local music.

500 E. Surfside Dr.

Hours aren't posted online; call 805-488-9533.

Official info

Channel Islands Harbor Farmers Market

The closest certified farmers market, since Port Hueneme doesn't have one of its own.

3350 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard · Free to browse

In Oxnard, just up the coast. Sundays 10 to 2.

Official info

With kids

Bubbling Springs Park

A 21-acre park with play equipment, two dog parks and a walking path with workout stations, linked to Hueneme Beach Park by a 7-acre path corridor.

Bard Rd. at Park Ave. · Free

Open 6am to 10pm. The city has nearly 12 miles of walking and biking paths.

Official info

Moranda Park

A park with play equipment, basketball, softball, four tennis courts and 10 pickleball courts. It hosts the city's Spook-Tacular in October.

Moranda Pkwy. · Free

Open 6am to 10pm.

Official info

Where to eat in Port Hueneme

Well-reviewed local spots from our directory, chosen by rating and number of reviews. Chains are left out.

Browse all Ventura County restaurants

Big dates and annual events

Good to know

Things to do in Port Hueneme: FAQ

How do you pronounce Port Hueneme?

Why-NEE-mee. The Port of Hueneme says the name comes from a Chumash word meaning halfway or resting place.

Is the Seabee Museum free, and do you need a base pass?

It's free, parking included, and you don't need base access. The museum sits outside the base fence, with parking off Ventura Road at Sunkist Street. It's open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and closed Sundays and federal holidays.

Do you need a fishing license on Hueneme Pier?

No. California doesn't require a fishing license to fish from a public pier in ocean waters, though report cards still apply for some species, like spiny lobster and sturgeon. On Hueneme Pier, overhead casting isn't allowed, and there's no swimming or surfing within 100 feet.

Can you visit the Point Hueneme Lighthouse?

You can walk the Lighthouse Promenade from Surfside Drive toward the lighthouse at the harbor entrance. Tours inside have been listed on the city's website both as running on third Saturdays and as suspended, so check with the city before planning a tour.

How much is parking at Hueneme Beach?

Pay machines in Lots A through E and along Surfside Drive charge $2 an hour or $8 a day. An annual pass is $50 for Port Hueneme residents and $100 for everyone else.

When is the Port Hueneme Banana Festival?

Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10am to 5pm at the Port of Hueneme, 105 E. Port Hueneme Rd. Admission and parking are free, and pets and coolers aren't allowed.

Are fireworks allowed in Port Hueneme?

No. The city bans all fireworks, including the safe and sane kind, so there's no backyard Fourth of July here.

Thinking about living in Port Hueneme?

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Read the Port Hueneme living guide