There are 3 parking options: Tower Plaza Parking Structure (602 Anton Boulevard), Irvine Parking…read more(3201 Avenue of the Arts), and The MET Parking (535 Anton Boulevard). I chose the Tower Plaza Parking Structure (near the Westin Hotel), which was just a short walk to the museum, while the other options are a bit farther. Parking is paid, about $6 per hour. Once you arrive, check-in is quick and no reservation is needed. Admission is free, and they provide a sticker that you'll need to wear throughout your visit. The museum is two floors, featuring a variety of sections and artists. The architecture itself is beautiful and perfect for photos, and the artwork is unique and enjoyable to explore. Overall, it's a great experience, especially since it's free. Tip(s): - Park at Tower Plaza Parking Structure (near Westin Hotel) and just walk to the museum - Free entry - Restrooms available - No appointments needed

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

Such a great way to spend a couple hours checking out California inspired artwork. There's so much…read moreto experience when viewing some subjective art. I also appreciate the historical value portrayed with it. There are two buildings- the north and south. The north side has the permanent exhibits- Disney, stone and scene, radio museum, Maynard Dixon and the Oregon trail, and contemporary paintings. The south has the Emigdio Vasquez art work, Route 66, and Ralph Massey exhibits. I appreciate local museums so much and hope to see so much more of it!

Spent a couple hours at the Hilbert and thought it was a lovely experience. The staff are so warm…read moreand welcoming, and very knowledgeable about the artists and the collection. Tip: for kids (or anyone) ask for the scavenger hunt and get a little prize so fun!

I spent the day there with my sister who just turned 86. I hadn't been there since I was a young…read moregirl and didn't remember the challenging hills, probably because they weren't challenging to me then. Pushing my sister in a wheel chair was good exercise for me but thank goodness for the golf cart people who were so kind and gave us rides to wherever we wanted to go. We got to see much more than we would have without them. Our lunch was so tasty at the 1919 Cafe, and even enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio. It was a wonderful day. The Museum and gardens where beautiful and inspiring!

One of the most beautiful places to visit in SoCal. My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful stroll as…read moreflowers were blooming all around. Beware that if it's a warm day, I recommend bringing water bottles and some hats or cover to lessen the heat. Current 2026 Prices: Weekdays (Mon-Thu): Adult $29 Senior (65+) // Military // Student $24 Weekends (Fri-Sun, Holidays, Peak): Adult $34 Senior (65+) // Military // Student $28 Youth (4-11): $13 Children (Under 4): Free Members: Sustaining ($175): Free admission for 2 adults in the same household, member event invites, and store discounts. Affiliate ($350): Includes all Sustaining benefits plus early entry to the gardens on weekends Discounts: Seniors (65+) and teachers/professors can receive $20 off, and 2-year memberships can be purchased for a 10% discount as well. Best part of the garden? FREE PARKING. With that said, it's a free parking lot, pretty big but can fill up very fast during peak hours. Street parking is also available but of course, it comes with a longer walk to the entrance of the garden. If you plan to visit during weekends, come early as it gets crowded very quickly, hence the parking situations. After 2-3PM or so it becomes more spacious. From ranges of Chinese gardens to Japanese gardens, desert, jungle, Australian, there's tons of variety when it comes to The Huntington. I'm very impressed as they have plenty of art galleries as well that's part of the pathways. Very much worth it to check those out during your visit. They have plenty of greenhouses as well similar to the La Brea Tar Pits, those are worth a visit as well. Overall, a wonderful garden to visit, and might be one of the best and biggest in California. A must visit for sure and I'm very impressed with their maintenance. Everything looks fresh and clean here, and always a great vibe overall. The gift shop is also a nice visit if you're looking for some souvenirs.

Looking for something fun to do over the weekend? Admission to the Broad is free and Parking is…read more$19. Accessible by the metro, a stroll the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Living in Los Angeles, it's kind of rare to feel like a tourist in your own city. The Broad is a stunning gallery that has amazing pieces on display! We definitely booked tickets for Takashi Murakami and decided to double up on the Infinity Room. It was so fun and please do not sleep on the gift shop. The Takashi pins are nice gifts!

5.8.26 Tickets are…read morerecommended and can be reserved on their website, though walk-ins are accepted. Options include General Admission or General Admission with access to the Infinity Mirrored Room (reservations for this open the last Wednesday of each month). I mistakenly booked only General Admission and was disappointed to find that the Infinity Room was fully booked at my time slot. General admission includes access to the museum's third-floor galleries. I typically gravitate toward art museums over history or science museums, and this one delivered. The collection features primarily paintings, along with several portraits and sculptures--engaging and thought-provoking throughout. There is a parking garage located beneath the museum. Rates are $19 for the first three hours with museum validation, $7 for each additional 15 minutes, with a $29 daily maximum. There's also a $19 flat rate after 5 pm on weeknights and all day on weekends.

You know, I've worked at two different art museums, and I'm still not what you'd call an "art…read morebuff," ...I'm more of what's you'd call "a lot buff!" *rimshot* Thanks folks, I'll be here all week. Take my wife, please. Boy are my arms tired. I'm pretty sure Grand Central Art Center is my new fave part of downtown Santa Ana. It's part grad student studios/other exhibitions/sales galleries. And, let me tell you, this is one top notch art gallery. Coming from a non-art buff, that means a whole helluva lot, doesn't it? Well, it should - because if I, a person who thinks Damien Hirst is just complete bullshit, then it should mean something to you. I'd say 85% of the works in this gallery caught my attention - a much higher ratio that the rest of the galleries around here. They've got some cutting edge stuff, a lot of trendy stuff and a dash of traditional sorta stuff. The space is top notch too. I love the way the different galleries are setup. But wait...there's more. On this particular art walk night that I went, they had posters of their upcoming exhibitions. Don't you roll your eyes and say "so what." These posters were the best free posters I've ever seen. Printed on fine quality paper with awesome designs. Oh, and FREE. Duh. Thumbs Up: -Non boring art. -If you're lookin' to buy, there is art here you can actually afford. Well, not you, but you over there...you can afford it. -Next to just about everything cool in Downtown Santa Ana. -Free food and drink during art walk! Thumbs Down: -It may end up being my second favorite thing after I finally visit Lola Gaspar across the way.

During the OC Yelp Elite Event here in March, a fascinating piece of artwork caught my eye…read more And no, for those who were there, it was not the Hitler Head teapot. Yes, I agree. W.T.F. Anyways, the husband and I saw a really cool piece of art and inquired about it a few days after the event. The price was right but we had some difficulty actually buying it. Let's just say there was a lack of communication with the curator and it took both my husband and I multiple attempts to buy the piece...over a month later. Whatever. But I would like to add that Alyssa, the curatorial assistant, was very helpful once we were able to finally pick it up. The experience of buying the art was a headache, but I actually really like the gallery. They show very eclectic genres of art and a wide range of contemporary artists - from cult artist "Dark Vomit" (scary!) to Thomas Kinkade (even scarier!). But the stuff in between is really cool. Take an afternoon and go check it out. The Artists Village in Santa Ana is one of the cooler neighborhoods of OC and Grand Central Art Center is, by far, one of the better art centers.

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.

You don't have to be an art history buff to love the Getty Center. Beyond world-class masterpieces…read morelike Van Gogh's Irises and Monet's Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, the entire campus is a visual treat. The modern architecture, scattered sculptures, beautiful central gardens, and incredible LA city views make for a perfect day out. - Admission is free, but you must reserve a time slot online. - Parking costs $25. - Important: They are closing for a massive 1-year renovation starting March 15, 2027, so go experience it now while you can!

This is a beautiful campus. I had some visitors come from outside the country so I was the…read moredesignated tour guide. The daughter loves museums, so this was definitely on my list to take them. There are a variety of art pieces, paintings, photos and what not to look at and admire. The view is amazing a dm there are a few places to grab some snacks and food if you get hungry. As far as the tours, you can guide yourself, get audio devices for a guided tour and there are staff ready to answer your questions if needed. The staff is friendly and professional. Parking is easy and there is a tram that takes you from the parking structure to the museum. Definitely a great place to visit to appreciate art and the views. Great place to take photos also.

A hidden gem (quite literally) in Laguna Beach, the Museum of Make Believe truly lives up to the…read morewhimsy and magic it seeks to bestow upon its travelers. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a trip of puzzle-mystery with a nostalgic edge. Huge shoutout to Sabrina & Sylvan for guiding us along the way and their warm hospitality.

Super cute, whimsical and magical experience at the Museum of Make Believe…read more After seeing some Instagram posts and reels about the cute space, my friend and I decided to stop by to visit for a day trip. You do choose a time slot to enter, but due to traffic we were going to be a little bit late. We called and let the staff know and it was no biggie. Parking is a bit confusing since it's near a very busy road and residential area, so just make sure you're not parking where you can get fined or towed. After some confusion, we parked in the structure (unclear if allowed or not, but subsequently nothing happened. Phew!). The museum is located at the business plaza building and immediately stands out with it's beautiful storefront and the door that looks like it's out of a fairytale. Immediately we were welcomed by Sabrina, who was not only super informative (but in an easy to understand, not overwhelming way), but super friendly and made our visit that much more amazing. She knows the lore, knew the key and critical points to swoop in to enhance the magic (like when we went to ask the wise wizard some questions), and was very accommodating overall. The people really do make the magic. During your visit, you can opt to do the scavenger hunts and answer the riddles for some prizes and it varies in difficulty from easy to hard, but everything is open to interpretation based on YOUR IMAGINATION. It's the Museum of Make Believe for a reason. The attention to detail is immaculate, from the miniatures and dioramas, the foliage on the ceiling to the ground, and even in the water closet, there's so much to see and you can easily spend a long time just taking everything in. I won't include spoilers but I love that there's not just a lot to see, but to experience through sound and even smell! Lots of thought went into this museum and I'm glad it's getting expanded as well! Can't wait to see what the future holds for such a magical place!

This museum is in a really nice location. It's right next to the beach and you can't beat that. I…read morebought my tickets online and they had a special for 50% off. There's also free parking next to the museum which is a plus. It was my first time at this museum and it's a pretty small museum. When I went, the second floor was closed because there was an event that night. I went to see the Robert Williams exhibit which is on the main floor and there was a lot to see. There's also a lower level with an exhibit for local high school artist which is cool. Although the museum was small I was there for almost an hour. I thought the description of the pieces were very detailed and helped me understand what I was looking at.

Love it here! There are two buildings. It's the building on the right…read more The computers were down on the Saturday I visited, so admission was free. Otherwise, general admission is $15 and admission for seniors is $10. I visited during the Robert Williams exhibit. Great, comprehensive collection of artwork, past and present. Paintings and sculpture, large and small. There's a small gift shop located immediately next to reception. The basement exhibit was artwork created by middle school, up and coming artists. The second floor was an exhibit surrounding paper and books. Although visitors are not allowed to go outdoors, awesome ocean view from the second floor window and patio. You can either take the stairs or elevator. Parking: I parked on the next block. Free, residential street parking.

Noguchi gardens is a gorgeous spot to just relax for a little, enjoy a break from the hustle and…read morebustle of the world. It's a small space but the artwork is nice and instills a sense of calm that is appreciated

Fun and interesting little place to visit if you are in the area by South Coast Plaza mall…read more Not the easiest place to find since you can't see it from the street. It is behind the Mastros restaurant. There is a parking structure nearby that is like $3 or $4 for 15 minutes and you can probably run through in 15 minutes, but 30 minutes to be safe. You can also walk from the mall parking lot, it is a little bit of a stroll but manageable. There are plenty of pictures so you can see what you are getting into before you make the drive, pay for parking, and walk over. When we went there on a Sunday morning, there were only 2 or 3 other people, so it was very quiet and zen. I enjoyed the write-ups and the exhibits. If I worked right there I would probably visit all the time.