Affordable So Cal experience. Multiple shows and showtimes. Clean inside and out and plenty of…read moreparking. We watched "Explore". Would like to see other shows.

Before I get into the actual Planetarium experience, I want to say that the staff was very helpful…read moreand were wonderful people. 5 stars for them all. HOWEVER - as a consumer, The Planetarium experience isn't about staff-interaction, it's supposed to be about mind-blowing visual / aural entertainment. And that's what my 2 star review is about... Lame. James Hood's MESMERICA features a well-conceived score (mostly electronic with brass/string/percussive simulation) and computer-generated graphics that we felt were very-well thought out. The message of hope, spiritual unity and the importance of 'living in the moment' were needed and well-taken. All that said, WHY were there 3 incredibly distinct blue "light stains" visible 100% of the time on the dome?? Every single graphic that played out on that dome was diminished greatly by those light stains - they were insidious and distracting to the point of turn-off. "Once you seem them, you can't unsee them" - and it ruined the entire presentation. Furthermore, it was obvious that the MESMERICA score didn't have enough music and graphics to carry a 45-minute presentation. 30 minutes would have done it. Seriously. As a 45-minute presentation, it felt far too long. If you're going to do a presentation that relies on slick graphics and visuals (like, isn't that the entire purpose of selling tickets to a DOME SHOW??) you have GOT to clean up that light distraction. Horrible! Sorry, I can't show pictures of it as photography/videography were disallowed.

Visit every museum you can at least once…read more Bowers is a nice visit. This is a smaller museum but they still cover a lot of ground. Art appreciation is the focus of your tour. Easy parking on the side. Eat in house halfway through your visit if you like. Or leave and return. I like how the art is arranged throughout the repurposed property. Plenty of descriptions for your reading pleasure on your walk-through. Small museum but taking your time you can easily spend a full day here.

This museum is excellent for families and young kids. They have an older part of the museum that…read morehouses some art pieces and paintings, as well as missionary artifacts. Then they have a whole room dedicated to the featured exhibit (usually at a separate charge from admission). Then there's the newer part of the museum and a small outdoor space that can be rented out for private events! Our toddlers had a great time here, learning from the museum, and they even participated in a scavenger hunt where they had to find and identify seashells throughout the museum. The staff that we engaged with were friendly and kind. The museum is well-lit and well-ventilated. Bonus points for being stroller-friendly! The parking lot is just across the street, $6 all day.

Lovely museum! Had to come for a school assignment but it's worth coming back to see new…read moreexhibitions (they are moving locations though). I loved the art they had displayed around this time. Everything was kept well and clean and the gallery staff was super helpful and sweet. And the cherry on top was free admission and free parking (make sure you get your pass validating by a member).

Visited the UC Irvine Langson OCMA at the Segerstrom Center campus today. Honestly, the current…read moreexhibits themselves didn't really impress me, but the facility itself is immaculate and very well-maintained. The front desk staff are also incredibly friendly and helpful, which made for a great welcome. They have useful amenities like lockers available on-site, and there's a huge outdoor patio and bar on the first floor that's perfect for hanging out.parking structure validates 2 hr parking i guess. Verify it though. Pro Tip: Don't bother with the local paid structures. Just park near South Coast Plaza for free and take the short walk over.

Dads, out there! You have to take your sons to this living…read moremuseum. They have an amazing selection of planes and cars. More than anything of value, it is the docents who were there during WWII. They tell living stories from those who were there. Like the planes, and the cars, these men who are almost 100 years old, tell some amazing stories. This is a goldmine in the heart of Orange County. It is a living museum. You can see where Hitler stood in his car right in front of you. This is real. Please, take your sons and daughters to this amazing place. Five stars all the way!

I really enjoyed visiting this air museum today. They have an amazing display of airplanes and…read moreautomobiles. All of the employees here are very friendly and knowledgeable about each aircraft. My favorite airplane was the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Overall: I recommend visiting this museum if you enjoy seeing military aircraft or rare automobiles.

best birthday party ever!! danny made it so special. he took it a level u p with kids ! took 4 yr…read moreold and now 2 yr old totally worth every cent! love this place

I recently visited Wonders of Dinosaurs with my family to take my three-year-old nephew, and…read moreunfortunately it was not worth the money. The space has two floors -- one floor is strictly jumping castles, and the other floor has mini rides and mini golf. The issue is that the rides and mini golf cost additional money on top of the admission price ($2 per ride). It's about $30 for a child and $10 for an adult just to get in, so having to pay extra for most of the activities felt excessive. There was also only one employee working the entire floor with the rides and mini golf, which made things feel understaffed and unorganized. Cleanliness was another big concern. There were crumbs and dirt all over the floors, and the men's restroom changing station was very dirty -- the baby changing platform was especially unpleasant. Overall, this place did not feel like a good value for the price. I wouldn't recommend it, especially considering the additional costs and lack of cleanliness.

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.

I finally had a reason to check out the Discovery Cube that I've been driving past on the 5 freeway…read moreall these years. My family visited from out of town so we wanted to take them to some kid-friendly spots to entertain my 3-year-old niece. It's right next to the freeway, so finding it is easy but their parking lot is small. We arrived around 11 am, which is an hour after they open, and their lot was full. When that happens, you are redirected to the lot across the street and that's just a short walk. It can be inconvenient though if you are with multiple children. I was surprised at how big this place was. There is a downstairs and upstairs area, so we spent the entire day there. They had exhibits explaining some science and physics concepts in a fun way children can understand. What surprised me was the interactive grocery store that focused on teaching kids how to read nutrition labels and another area that explained recycling methods. I actually learned some things in that area about recycling hazardous household items. There is another area next to the gift shop downstairs where you can pet stingrays and small sharks. The upstairs area was my favorite! It's an ocean theme and had a bounce area for the kids. Outdoors is the Dino exhibit and their animatronics were such high-quality. There is a cut dig site where each child receives their own bucket to find fossils. They had a Scooby Doo pop up exhibit where you have to solve a mystery and there are clues throughout to help you. I got to make my own sandwich there, which was fun. I appreciated all the hand sanitizing and water filling stations to help keep our hands clean and our bodies hydrated. They do have a small cafe inside in case you get hungry. I had the tomato, pesto, mozzarella croissant sandwich, and it was actually quite good! It was toasted and had good flavor. I knocked it one star because we came across a few exhibits that didn't work or stopped working in the middle of us using it. Overall, it was such a fun experience with my family and my niece had a blast!

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.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is a beautiful place for its normal purpose, but…read morebecame spectacular for a special wedding.The entrance is well secured and features the Presidential Seal embedded in the floor tiles and a few quotes from President Clinton and Senator Dole. The grounds are well maintained and was the perfect backdrop for an outdoor wedding, greatly assisted by SoCal weather. The ballroom features beautiful chandeliers and paintings of other Presidents and luminaries. 4.5 stars

Having toured all 16 U.S. presidential libraries, I find Nixon's quite remarkable! We've enjoyed…read morefree Sunday concerts there in the theater, walked throughout the grounds and the indoor museum, and marveled at the care with which his life story and impact were eloquently documented and coordinated. This is one of the few places where a presidential birthplace and burial site are both on the same grounds. Amidst a gorgeous reflecting pool, rose garden, and the palm trees typical of Southern California, Richard Nixon and his wife are buried about 50 feet from his birth home. The house lies in its original footprint when Francis Nixon built the modest house on a rural citrus ranch in 1912. It's perfectly preserved in the middle of a busy suburban setting today, included in the tour. Surprises within the sprawling complex include a replica of the living room at the Nixon's beach house in San Clemente, a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, a chunk of the Berlin Wall, and oil from Saudi Arabia's first oil well. There are countless other artifacts! Best of all, you might enter the museum thinking of Nixon as scandalous, a Republican who became America's only president to resign. But you'll leave with a deep understanding of, and appreciation for, the impact Nixon had on abolishing the military draft, developing relations with China, and signing legislation that would advance women's sports, protect countries against nuclear war, desegregate southern schools, protect the environment, and even initiate the end of the Cold War.