I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.

My family and I were first-time visitors to this museum, and we truly enjoyed our visit…read more First and foremost, admission is free with advanced online reservations required. Parking was $19.00 for the first three hours with validation. The art museum is truly a gem of Los Angeles. It can be challenging to reserve tickets because open time slots fill up quickly, especially during the summer months when many people are on vacation. The artwork on display is mesmerizing, beautiful, and thought-provoking. Personally, I appreciated every single piece of art I observed, as so much work, love, and dedication went into each item on display that one can only wonder what the artists were thinking or feeling as they created their masterpieces. The entire museum is well-maintained, spotless, and fun. Security is extremely important, as evidenced by the many staff members closely monitoring the large crowds around each section of the museum. Staff members are also there to answer any questions. I wish to rerun here very soon with family and friends, as our visit was educational, inspiring, and fun.

My family visited The Broad Museum a couple of days ago, and let me tell you, the exhibits are…read moreworld class. Even though the museum is free, I suggest getting tickets on line to reserve a timed-entry in advance, It does get crowded. I did notice that there are some exhibits that require a separate paid ticket. Parking was $29 unless validated. Then it dropped down to $19. Definitely worth visiting. You won't be disappointed.

Very fun, creative, and inventive it reminds of the ride the calico mine train but a walk-through…read moreof the ride

This museum is a very neat experience! It is intended for adults, but our little ones had a great…read moretime here too! The whole place is decorated with art and it is very immersive! It's a bit difficult to find parking, but after that's settled, knock 3 times on the door and upon entry, you are greeted and signed in. We were greeted by Sabrina and Alyssa. They were friendly and welcoming and made sure that all of our questions were answered. The whole experience is neat because in such a small area, there are so many things to see, smell, and read! They have their own section of a gift shop as well. I can't wait until they expand their location and I'm so glad they our family had the opportunity to experience the Museum of Make Believe.

Nice stop after eating at Emma Jean's. The museum is free, but donations are appreciated. There are…read moremultiple rooms to walk through, some photo ops set up, a gift shop, and a restroom.

The people that work here are so sweet and welcoming. Entrance is free but I highly suggest leaving…read morea donation to keep them in business. There's three separate rooms with amazing things to show the kids. I have an 8 year old and he was so interested in the old technology and appliances. They also have valuable history on Victor valley. Overall a great experience and I highly recommend checking them out.

To be honest, it was mildly surprising to learn that Orange County has its own museum of art, if…read moreonly because not many of the counties in the Bay Area do, other than SF. Yet, at the same time, given the size and population of OC, it also makes perfect sense. Either way, I can't say I ever would've guessed it would be this nice, though! Just a shame that their exhibits didn't really blow us away... Located in the burgeoning arts and theater district of Costa Mesa, just down the road from South Coast Plaza, OCMA is such a gorgeous looking building. Sure, it helps that it's only a few years old, but the look of this place is no less impressive. Right out in front, there's a 65-foot art piece in the middle of the plaza that helps connect all of the neighboring buildings. Inside, there's a fairly large gallery space on the ground level with rotating exhibits, an upper level that appears to hold their more permanent collection of pieces, a coffee shop right next to the gift shop, and a rooftop restaurant with a large open area/garden. Sadly, though, as nice as the museum's design and amenities may be, though, much of the artwork was just okay. While the artwork upstairs was fine, the featured exhibits didn't really speak to us. Obviously, art is subjective, but one included pieces that appear to have just been drawn with a spirograph. The other consisted of several photographic series, whose commentary on social media I can appreciate, but felt exceedingly voyeuristic in nature - one following/semi-stalking a fellow after a chance encounter, another of strangers invited to sleep in the artist's bed so they could be photographed/documented, and a third showing the belongings of guests at the hotel she worked at. Artwork aside, the thing that I like most about OCMA is how admission is entirely free. So, in that sense, it's impossible to be too disappointed with the experience and/or what we saw. However, one thing to note is that you do have to pay if you park at any of the nearby garages, which are all unaffiliated with OCMA. For example, at the one on the other side of the Segerstrom Center, it cost us about $10 for two hours or so. Alternatively, South Coast Plaza is just a few blocks over and parking there is free, but I don't know how aggressive they are with towing and it feels like a big gamble just to save a few bucks. All in all, even though none of the exhibits were really our flavor, we still had a good time checking out OCMA. Oddly, there weren't many other visitors here when we arrived, but it did seem to get busier as the day wore on (there was a big group walking in as we were walking out) and we certainly didn't mind not having to deal with a bunch of crowds around. Plus, as nice as the museum looks, it's actually fairly small compared to others I've been to elsewhere. Since the featured exhibits have so much influence on the experience, I absolutely wouldn't mind coming back to see whatever they happen to have featured down the line. The ones they had when we were here may not have interested us, but the next ones might! Plus, it doesn't hurt that admission is free! All in all, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down.

When I went, desire then having lots of space very little was out to look at. It was free, so not…read moremuch room to complain. You do get more than you pay for lol. They have an area where you can add your art too which is cute. The immersive experience at the time was cool. It's worth the trip, I'm assuming certain exhibitions are more with your gas + time than others so maybe check before you trek

Wonderful museum for families. With ebt card or wic card, it's a dollar entry and children under 3…read moreare free. The museum is split up into several topics. There is an animal exhibit, early years in the high desert, cowboys, the military and stones. They also have a small pretend city with a firestation, market and bistro. Theres costumes to play dress up and there's a magnetic wall to play on. Theres puzzles and books as well. The day we went, there was an event going on with vendors, food trucks and performances. It was great to learn about all kinds of things while also having a lot of playful fun.

Great little county museum! Lots of exhibits for small children and interesting factoids for the…read moreadults. Sections on the military history, real estate history, native history, and even some paleontology. $10 entry fee with a variety of discounts available. Worth a side trip for some local history.

For those who may not know, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, is free from 3 to 5 p.m…read more maybe only on weekdays but maybe weekends too. I am not sure, but most of the information is right, if one is compelled they can fact-broaden my statement. I went to take advantage of this offer but it was June 19th and in honor of the holiday everyone got in for free on this day. But apparently it was a last minute decision. So poor reporting seems to be more like offering information as it comes, not in a malicious way, or incompetent way, more in like the town crier gives what he knows in excitement and it is the responsibility of hearers to know what to do with the information, including vetting it responsibly or accepting it as a gift when given by surprise, even though it could have come in handy earlier. So I entered and I made a beeline to the Butterfly Pavillion. I think it was 12 dollars and worth every single cent. And I write that as a full-blown understatement because exaggeration did not seem the way to go. Like saying this place was worth more than 12 dollars, it was worth the weight of a camel's back in gold. The experience was beautiful. And that statement can be easily understood. I mean butterfly garden + momentary visit= beautiful. But more than that it was a type of beautiful that I had not experience before. It was a new facet of nature's beauty that I experienced. Mostly because I had never interacted with butterflies in this way. For instance, there was a butterfly with wings that were a strong bold blue, almost neon, and for sure, vibrant. Like a royal blue not because it was that shade but because amongst blues it would have palatial lineage in its shade. We were warned that butterflies might be on the ground. And on two experiences two were. The first I encountered was not flying. And the younger members of the experience made sure to announce the butterflies presence and its vulnerability. I feel like sometime in this place's history a butterfly did get stepped on. And for no other reason, than the natural happens. In the second occasion, a butterfly was trying to fly or stand still and could not because the winds made it topple. During that moment a butterfly apparently landed on my back. Man people, if not all, wonder if a butterfly will land on them? And what it would mean? I mean, it could be good news. Saying that a butterfly landing on a person is an omen of disaster does quite fit the visual of the insect and what horror brings. A butterfly did land on my wrist and of course one can't help but feel special. Like, the butterfly chose me and its trying to communicate something. Something important that the universe wants me to hear. What exactly that is? I am not sure. I need to reflect on that later or I will know when the butterfly effects comes clearer in time.

I was really looking forward to visiting the Natural History Museum, but I left feeling…read moredisappointed--and not because of what was inside. First impressions matter. Before even stepping through the doors, the entrance felt neglected. The front of the museum was dirty, the stairs were stained and covered in dirt, and the area was lined with street vendors right up to the entrance. Instead of feeling welcomed to one of our cultural institutions, it felt cluttered and poorly maintained. Museums are places that inspire curiosity, learning, and pride in our communities. The experience should begin the moment visitors arrive, not only once they purchase a ticket. I understand that maintaining public spaces isn't always easy, but keeping the entrance clean, inviting, and organized would go a long way toward creating the experience visitors expect. I hope this is something that can be improved because the museum deserves an entrance that reflects the value of what's inside.

My 7& 9 year old have been to the discovery cube twice on class field trips but always felt they…read moredid not have enough time to enjoy it. I finally had a day off work and was able to take them on a Friday. They had the ocean encounter and Scooby doo event simultaneously which we got to enjoy as well. Lots of different learning activities that were interesting for the girls. Their favorite place is the shopping mart. When they told me about this place before, I thought it was just a market like Pretend City where you buy things and put it in the cart. To my surprise, they have different missions that always teach you how to be an eco-shopper or healthy shopper. I really loved the education tired into these activities. As an adult, I loved this area as well. My second favorite place was the recycling center game. It definitely brings out the competitiveness in all of us. I found out that I was a terrible garbage sorter LOL There is definitely room for improvement. My 7 year old enjoyed the dinosaur exploration area. She enjoyed looking for items with the digital scanner you check out at their store desk. We learned a lot of fun facts and got to enjoy the nice outdoors without being too hot. The touch pool was fun. We got to feel the sharks and sting rays. The ocean encounter exihibit was nice and peaceful. Lots of information about preserving our oceans. I enjoyed all the lantern ocean mammals hanging in the sky. Very nice. Scooby doo area was a nice play for photo fun and discovery mysterious. Girls enjoyed the different activities they had there. Needless to say, this was a great day for all of us. I highly recommend visiting!

Came back for the ocean encounter exhibit and it was great, my son had a blast!…read more There wasn't much for him to do since he is still young and reading isn't all there yet, but he had a great time at the submarine simulator and just seeing all the displays of sea animals. The AC was on blast, my parents were cold so they sat outside in the dinosaur quest benches to warm up.