List of museums in Orange County, California facts for kids

Welcome to a guide about awesome museums in Orange County, California! Museums are special places that collect and take care of interesting objects. These objects can be about art, science, history, or different cultures. They let everyone see and learn from these collections. This list also includes art galleries run by universities or non-profit groups. We won't be talking about museums that only exist online.

Explore Orange County's Amazing Museums

Orange County is home to many fantastic museums. They offer fun ways to learn about history, art, science, and more! Let's explore some of them.

History and Local Culture Museums

These museums help us understand the past of Orange County and the people who lived here.

• Arden Modjeska Historic Home & Garden in Lake Forest is the beautiful home of a famous Shakespearean actress, Helena Modjeska. You can visit by making an appointment.
• Balboa Island Museum on Balboa Island shares the local history of this charming island.
• Brea Museum and Heritage Center in Brea tells the story of Brea's past.
• Costa Mesa Historical Society Museum in Costa Mesa focuses on the history of its city.
• Diego Sepúlveda Adobe in Costa Mesa is an old adobe house from the early 1800s. It shows how people lived during different periods, from Native American times to the Victorian era.
• Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum in Santa Ana is the late 1800s home of one of the first female doctors. It's run by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.
• Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton has beautiful gardens. It also includes the Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum, and Heritage House, an 1890s Victorian home.
• George Key Ranch Historic Park in Placentia features an 1898 historic house. It also displays old farming tools used for dry farming and citrus.
• Heritage Hill Historic Park in Lake Forest is an outdoor museum. It has several historic buildings like the Jose Serrano Adobe from 1863 and an old grammar school.
• Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana is home to the Victorian-era Hiram Kellogg House. It has exhibits about local history.
• Irvine Historical Museum in Irvine is a mid-1800s ranch house. It shares the history of Irvine.
• Los Alamitos Museum in Los Alamitos explores the local history of the area.
• Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano is a famous historic Spanish mission and church.
• Mother Colony House in Anaheim was built in 1857. It's one of the oldest wooden buildings in Orange County.
• Murphy-Smith Bungalow in Laguna Beach is a 1920s beach cottage. It shows local history displays.
• Newland House in Huntington Beach is the oldest house in the city. It's run by the Huntington Beach Historical Society.
• Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana holds the Orange County History Center. It's a great place to learn about the county's past.
• Olinda Oil Museum and Trail in Brea has original buildings and items from the Olinda Oil Lease, which started in 1897. It also has a hiking trail.
• Ramon Peralta Adobe in Anaheim is a mid-1800s adobe house. It shows the history of the Santa Ana Canyon area.
• Stanley Ranch Museum in Garden Grove is an outdoor museum. It has several historic buildings from the 1880s to early 1900s.
• Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum and Botanic Garden in Yorba Linda is run by the Yorba Linda Heritage Museum and Historical Society.
• Tustin Area Museum in Tustin shares the local history of the Tustin area.
• Westminster Museum in Westminster is an outdoor museum in Blakey Historical Park.
• Whitaker-Jaynes House in Buena Park is a Victorian-era house from the early 1900s. It also includes the Bacon House, an old miner's family home.

Art Museums and Galleries

These places showcase amazing artworks from different times and cultures.

• Beall Center for Art + Technology in Irvine is part of University of California, Irvine. It shows art that mixes with science and engineering, especially digital technology.
• Bowers Museum in Santa Ana has a wide range of art. You can see Native American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Asian art, plus paintings and decorative arts.
• Casa Romantica in San Clemente is a cultural arts center. It has international art exhibits in a historic home and beautiful botanical gardens.
• CSUF Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana is a contemporary art center. It also has a theatre.
• Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in Orange focuses on California art from the 1920s to the 1970s. It also has a Disney Production Art gallery.
• Irvine Fine Arts Center in Irvine is a city-run art center.
• Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute & Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA) in Irvine shows California art. It covers works from the Impressionist period (1890–1930) to modern pieces.
• Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach is dedicated to California art.
• Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton is an art center with an exhibit gallery.
• Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana features modern art.
• Orange County Museum of Art in Santa Ana displays modern and contemporary art.
• University of California, Irvine University Art Galleries in Irvine has three art galleries on campus.

Science and Children's Museums

These museums are perfect for hands-on learning and fun for kids!

• Children's Museum at La Habra in La Habra is a museum just for kids.
• Discovery Cube Orange County in Santa Ana is a science museum with many interactive exhibits.
• ExplorOcean in Newport Beach focuses on the ocean. It has aquariums, touch tanks, and ship models.
• Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine is a fun, interactive city built for kids to explore and learn.
• Ralph B. Clark Regional Park Interpretive Center in Buena Park has exhibits about the Ice Age. You can see fossils and learn about local geology.
• Ocean Institute in Dana Point is open every day. It has marine life aquariums, science exhibits, and tours of the Pilgrim, a replica ship.

Special Interest Museums

These museums focus on unique and exciting topics.

• Astor Classics Event Center in Anaheim is a museum for cars, communications, and radio.
• Fullerton Museum in Fullerton covers history, cultural arts, and sciences.
• International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach tells the story of surfing culture around the world.
• Kawasaki Museum in Lake Forest is all about motorcycles.
• Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana is located at John Wayne Airport. It features military aircraft, rare cars, military vehicles, and motorcycles, especially from World War II.
• Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin has a collection of historic, exotic, and classic cars. It includes super bikes and racing cars.
• Museum of Teaching and Learning in Fullerton has educational items and traveling exhibits about learning.
• Museum of The Republic of Vietnam in Westminster shares the military history of the Republic of Vietnam.
• Muzeo in Anaheim has changing exhibits about art, culture, and local history.
• Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda tells the story of President Richard Nixon's life. You can also see his birthplace home.
• Santa Ana Fire Department Museum in Santa Ana is dedicated to firefighting history.
• Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente celebrates the history and culture of surfing.

See also

• List of museums in California

Museums That Are No Longer Open

Some museums in Orange County have closed over the years.

• The Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa, which showed cars, closed in 1986.
• The Irvine Museum in Irvine gave its art collection to UCI in 2016. It became part of the Langson IMCA.
• The Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park is no longer open.
• The Newport Sports Museum in Newport Beach closed in 2014.