The Hilbert Museum of California Art is the best museum in Orange County that you've never heard…read moreof. Even me, walking around recommending the place now, can barely remember its name. But still, since coming here for the first time only a couple of weeks ago I've recommended it multiple times. And now? Multiple + 1. Though you'll be asked, at entry, if you've made reservations, don't be daunted. Reservations are unnecessary and museum admittance is free of charge. Though the Hilbert had been on my radar earlier, I'd forgotten about it until noticing, at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, that several artists had pieces acquired by the Hilbert, spurring me to visit. Housed in two separate buildings connected by a central plaza framed with an astounding Millard Sheets mosaic, the building you enter for check-in has a frequently changing (3 times annually) display. On this visit they featured the California Art Club's 115th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition. Outstanding in every respect, I couldn't help but notice how many artists were there touring the show and how many of the pieces were already sold. Yes, the works in this particular exhibit were for sale, much of it quite reasonably priced considering the astounding talent on display. The second building features exhibits from the Hilbert's permanent collection and there was nary a dud in this space either. In that this is a museum of California art, the collection includes a lot of Disney-adjacent artists but also, so much more. I particularly enjoyed the way they kept each of these exhibits relatively bite-sized, to enable a broad showing of their remarkable collection. Knowing that the Hilbert is free, excellent, and always mixing things up pretty much guarantees a return visit on every future trip to Southern California. If you like museums and are anywhere nearby this is a museum definitely worth making time for.

This was hands down one of the best out of nowhere experiences I had in a long time and it…read morecompletely blew my mind. Not just was it one of the coolest free things to do with a lot of content to be seen. I so glad I stopped in.

Disclaimer.... I have not been inside the exhibits at Bowers Museum for many years, so I barely…read moreremember that part. This review is for the wonderful events offered!! My mother and I have been to Timeless Melodies, actually 3 of them so far! They are very well done and keep us smiling the entire way through. We learned a little, reminisced a little and even sang along a little. The speaker, Larry Maurer, is incredibly knowledgeable and keeps the event moving at a pace that keeps us all entertained and awake! Parking was a breeze, the seats in the theater were comfy with great views too. Prior to going into the theater, we strolled around the hallway exhibits and the wonderful gift shop. The gift shop has high quality and unique gifts of all kinds; jewelry, kids books, art, collectibles, and so much more! Worth taking a look around. Thank you Bowers for offering these wonderful series of events!! Looking at the calendar online, there are so many and all of them very intriguing. Thank you again!

WOW! What a great museum! Took my Father-in-Law here on…read moreFather's Day and he really enjoyed it! The day we came was actually during the world cup and in the main lobby they actually set up a projector and chairs in AC to watch the game! I don't think I've ever been to such a lively museum! LOL And we didn't know this but on Father's Day you can go in for free if you're a dad! Dang we lost our chance but the pricing here isn't to bad actually! About $18/person and if you want to park in the parking lot it's $6. Not to bad! Plenty of parking and clean :) I like that the museum is big, clean, and well thought up when each room is themed! And they also host monthly family culture days! Where they gave free snacks and other local businesses in the community were there to promote their services! If you're still thinking about coming here, just come! You won't regret it :D

The best store I've ever experienced--yes, experienced. I feel blessed that the rebel in me said…read moreenter even when the sign clearly read "Please, Do Not Enter." What waited on the other side was a cascade of surprise, curiosity, and constant discovery. Every curated piece felt like an invitation to look closer, to see differently. It was clear I had stepped into the world of two brilliant minds, generously offering us a small glimpse of how they see. And I was all in. I left spinning, elevated, creatively full--astonished that a place like this even exists.

I got the cutest purse form here . It was a good day where none of the south coast plaza rent a…read morecops bothered me and left me in peace to actually get inside my bag and make myself happy . It's a beautiful pattern silk blue and green with shiny silky threads

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.

Very rarely do I get a deal in the OC on Goldstar on plays, so when I found one I wanted to see I…read moretook advantage. Theater is a little difficult to find as it is tucked back in what appeared to be somewhat of a depressed area (you could tell back in it's heyday the area was hoppin'). Street parking can also be difficult to find, and there is a parking structure nearby but not sure about the rates (Sun street metered parking is free all day). Theater itself is located in an art gallery, and it is very small and seating is congested (seats are also very uncomfortable like old style theater seating where you feel the springs pop out).

The area is growing so fast and the eateries are really turning out unique and creative dishes that…read moreyou cannot find elsewhere in Southern California...or the world. The Artist Village is an integral part of DTSA (Downtown Santa Ana) and full of Artsy and Delicious venues and events. This area is truly one unique place, a must stop and...."As Good as it Gets!"

I visited the discovery cube in Orange County qnd it was definitely a fun experience even as Ana…read moreduly. I also found out that this visit can be free during the first weekend of the month, for Bank of America account holders. Upon entering the museum, there was a display of build your own racing cars where a lot of kids were racing their creations. It was definitely a fun site to see. As you venture throughout the museum towards the back area, you walk into the dinosaur exhibit area. This is where they talk about fossils and various dinosaurs and there's also an explorer kit that you pay extra to try and find items and clues. Upstairs, you can have a better view of the space missile rocket that's on display and it's quite fascinating to read about rockets. Towards the back right of the museum currently there is a Scooby Doo Halloween exhibit so it was also fun to experience that area. Lastly, the most famous area is still the indoor Minh water area where you can see where is fish and stingrays. Overall a great experience for kids and adults. One less star as you have to pay $10 to park in their parking lot. I remember many years ago I used to be free, but I guess since it's more popular, you have to pay for parking now.

I've spent my whole life driving by the cube off the 5 freeway and yesterday I finally got to visit…read moreit with my daughter! We were invited by friends who had comp tickets, we were so grateful! The museum is really big so make sure to plan almost a full day there. We brought our own lunch for us to save some money. But there is a café where you can buy lunch, snacks, drinks, etc. if you didn't bring anything. There's a lot of exhibits on both floors. My daughter really liked the ocean exhibit the dinosaurs, and the grocery store! The parking is $10. Make sure to come early. The main lot was full by the time we got there at around 11 AM. But I think there's an overflow lot for other cars. If you live in the area, it makes sense to buy a membership if you're gonna go two or three times throughout the year. It pays for itself the more you go!

A beautiful area with a well maintained area. Bathrooms available. The Kellogg House is available…read moreto walk through. I went to see a Disney Main Street event. Lots of booths with things to sell (some higher priced items), food vendors and a singing quartet. Come check it out.

Our class did a field trip here this week and they seemed to enjoy the experience…read more I think panning for gold was their favorite part.

Tiny. Muzeo is tiny. So, if you're worried about the 2 hr validated parking or the 90 minute street…read moreparking, you'll be fine. You'll probably be done within 30 minutes. If you want something more worthy of your admission fee and time, maybe skip Muzeo.

I am on a quest to visit all the museums in Orange County for the month of July. Today I visited…read moreMuzeo Museum in lovely downtown Anaheim. Muzeo is housed in two buildings. Right now building one, there is an incredible art exhibit on the history of skateboarding in Anaheim. It's awesome. I took so many photos lol. I used to skateboard when I was a kid. Loved every second of this exhibit. The second building houses so very cool artifacts from the 1800s to the 1900s reflecting the history of Anaheim. It was cool to go back in time to see the history of a place I called home. I saw the history of Anaheim vineyards and Valencia oranges, I saw a lot of information on the ranchos in Anaheim. The Anaheim street names are all named after very important ranchers and farmers in Anaheim. For example I saw the name of a rancher Don Bernardo Yorba who created the greatest rancho of California's Golden Age. No wonder we have cities like Yorba Linda and streets with name Bernardo. Fascinating stuff. Also, there was a video recalling the bicentennial which was July 4, 1976. It was a big deal. There were other artifacts like photographs and a typewriter, luggage and military uniforms. So much history packed in that museum. If you love to visit museums, Muzeo is one that you must visit. They provide validated parking in lots 3 and 5. If you are an Anaheim resident, the cost is only $8. Regular admission is $10. There are discounts for seniors, students and children.

If you're a Disney fan, this place is an absolute hidden gem! The selection of Disney prints,…read morepaintings, and collectibles is incredible, with something for every type of collector and Disney enthusiast. One of the best parts of the experience is watching talented Disney artists create their artwork right before your eyes. Seeing the creative process in person makes each piece even more special. They also host amazing guest artists, and on occasion, you can even meet Disney Imagineers, making every visit unique and memorable. Whether you're looking for a beautiful piece of artwork, a collectible to add to your collection, or simply want to immerse yourself in Disney creativity, this is a must-visit destination. The quality of the artwork, the talented artists, and the magical atmosphere make it an unforgettable experience that keeps you coming back

While shopping around at Downtown Disney, my family and I found the Wonderground Gallery in the…read moreDowntown Disney District. It's a boutique styled gallery and shop. The gallery specializes in Disney themed artworks, prints, collectibles, housewares, accessories and more. You can browse through framed pieces, posters, mugs, and other merchandise that blends classic Disney magic with art. The gallery also features a drawing station where sketch artists create custom hand drawn art right before your eyes! When my family and I came in on a Friday evening after California Adventure, the Gallery was busy! We saw the large unique Collectible Magic Key! It was cool, but expensive. You could easily spend an hour here looking at all of the Disney art pieces. Over the years, the Wonderground Gallery has celebrated a variety of art styles and periodically hosted meet and greet and even signing events with featured artists! Recently the gallery was refurbished in 2024. Parts of the offerings were moved over to other Disney stores like the Disney Home store. If you're visiting Downtown Disney, I'd highly recommend checking out the Wonderground Gallery. Before taking pictures of the gallery, we did ask a cast member if it was okay, and we were informed it was good to take pictures inside the Art Gallery! My family and I enjoyed our time here. Discounts are accepted at the Wonderground Gallery which includes the Magic Key Holder Discounts, the Disney Vacation Club discounts, and the Disney Visa Cardmember perks.

Just amazing. I love to Railfan at Fullerton. The train action there is insane and I is just so goodread more

Guide was not kid friendly (considering he was also a kid). Had to inform him my 2 year old…read moreunfortunately does not understand certain instructions but as his parent I will try my best he not touch anything! Thankfully it was free if not id ask my money back since we were a group of 7 Don't plan to come back unfortunately. Even the kids with us questioned why he was talking to them in a manner as of they don't know or understand him. Perhaps with proper training and learning how to interact with kids would help make the tour "fun". The guide also kept making comments of not being given "breaks" or "water breaks".