Established in 1845 via a land grant, the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe (RBVA),  one of six ranchos claimed by Mission Louis Rey, is one of the finest examples of historic California located right in the center of Vista. There are more that 25 ranches in San Diego County. Historians believe the  RBVA is the best preserved, authentic early California home in existence today. This single story adobe brick hacienda, was owned by several owners over the years. The City of Vista purchased the Adobe in 1989.  Through the work of The Friends of Rancho Buena Vista Adobe, there is now a collection of over 4,500  artifacts to represent what life was like for the owners who lived there. All eleven rooms are furnished to reflect what life was like during the Ranchero era.

The Rancho Buena Vista Adobe is the oldest standing structure in Vista, CA - a beautifully preserved 19th -century adobe hacienda that tells the remarkable story of the region's rancho era and early settlers history. Originally built in the 1840s, the adobe sits on land once granted by the Mexican government and has passed through the hands of Native American landholders, ranchers, and prominent California families over nearly two centuries. Today, the site is owned by the City of Vista and lovingly tended by the Friend of The Rancho Buena Vista Adobe.

The mission of the Friends of the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe is to preserve the historic portion of this unique site and to interpret its significance; to encourage and support on-going educational projects relating to the 1850s and continuing to the present, inviting participatory learning to encourage public usage of the grounds and non-historic portions of the property through facility rentals; and to provide volunteer assistance and the philanthropic services of soliciting and receiving funds to improve the Adobe's facility and programs.

This year marks the  36th year of the friends. We were established in 1992, soon after the City of Vista purchased the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe. When the City bought the property in 1989, it was empty. The City reached out to the community for volunteers to help support the Adobe, and the Friends were born. A group of people came together as a non-profit, and started the lengthy acquisition process to fill the home with appropriate furnishings and artifacts making this already incredible historic building a jewel of a museum. The Friends, in addition  to providing tours, also had a gift shop to encourage public usage of this beautiful space.  COVID, unfortunately, closed down this work, until now.