List of museums in Orange County, California facts for kids

Orange County, California, is home to many cool museums! These places are like treasure chests, collecting and taking care of amazing objects. They show off things about history, art, science, and different cultures. This list includes museums run by non-profit groups, government, or even private businesses. It also has art galleries from universities and other non-profit organizations.

Think of a museum as a place where you can explore the past, discover new ideas, and see incredible art. From old houses to science centers, there's something for everyone to learn and enjoy!

Awesome Museums to Explore

Orange County has a wide variety of museums. Here are some of them:

Art and Culture Museums

• Bowers Museum in Santa Ana: This museum is huge! It shows off Orange County's history, Native American art, and art from Africa, Asia, and ancient South America. You can also see paintings and cool decorative items.
• Beall Center for Art + Technology in Irvine: Part of University of California, Irvine, this center has exhibitions that mix art, science, and engineering, often using digital technology. It's a great place to see how creativity and tech come together!
• Casa Romantica in San Clemente: This is a cultural arts center with beautiful gardens. It hosts international art exhibits in a historic home built by Ole Hanson.
• CSUF Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana: A modern art center that also has a theater.
• Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in Orange: This museum focuses on California art from the 1920s to the 1970s. It even has a special gallery for Disney Production Art! You can also see American illustrations and newer California art.
• Irvine Fine Arts Center in Irvine: A local center for fine arts.
• Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute & Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA) in Irvine: This museum features California art from the Impressionist period (around 1890–1930) all the way to modern works.
• Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach: This museum is all about California art.
• Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton: A cultural arts center with an exhibit gallery.
• Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana: This center focuses on modern art.
• Orange County Museum of Art in Santa Ana: Another great place to see modern and contemporary art.
• University of California, Irvine University Art Galleries in Irvine: There are three art galleries on the UCI campus.

History and Heritage Museums

• Arden Modjeska Historic Home & Garden in Lake Forest: You can visit the home of famous Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska by appointment.
• Balboa Island Museum on Balboa Island: This museum tells the story of Balboa Island.
• Bradford House in Placentia: This historic house is furnished to look like it did in the early 1900s. It's run by the Placentia Founders Society.
• Brea Museum and Heritage Center in Brea: Learn about the history of Brea here.
• Costa Mesa Historical Society Museum in Costa Mesa: This museum shares the history of Costa Mesa.
• Diego Sepúlveda Adobe in Costa Mesa: An old adobe house from the early 1800s. Its rooms show how people lived during different periods: Indian, Mission, Spanish, and Victorian.
• Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum in Santa Ana: This late 1800s home belonged to a female doctor. It's run by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.
• Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton: This place includes the Orange County Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum, and Heritage House, which is an 1890s Victorian house museum.
• Fullerton Museum in Fullerton: This museum covers history, cultural and fine arts, and sciences.
• George Key Ranch Historic Park in Placentia: See an 1898 historic house and old farming equipment.
• Heritage Hill Historic Park in Lake Forest: This open-air park has several historic buildings, including the Jose Serrano Adobe (1863), El Toro Grammar School (1890), St. George's Episcopal Mission (1891), and the Harvey Bennett Ranch House (1908).
• Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana: This museum features the Victorian-era Hiram Kellogg House and exhibits about local history.
• Irvine Historical Museum in Irvine: Located in a mid-1800s ranch house, this museum is run by the Irvine Historical Society.
• Los Alamitos Museum in Los Alamitos: Learn about the local history of Los Alamitos.
• Mission San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano: Explore the remains of this historic Spanish mission and church.
• Mother Colony House in Anaheim: Built in 1857, this is one of the first buildings in Anaheim and the oldest wooden house in Orange County.
• Murphy-Smith Bungalow in Laguna Beach: This 1920s beach cottage has displays about Laguna Beach's history.
• Museum of The Republic of Vietnam in Westminster: This museum tells the history of the Republic of Vietnam and its military.
• Muzeo in Anaheim: This museum has changing exhibitions about art, culture, and local history.
• Newland House in Huntington Beach: The oldest house in Huntington Beach, run by the Huntington Beach Historical Society.
• Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana: This historic courthouse now holds the Orange County History Center.
• Ramon Peralta Adobe in Anaheim: A mid-1800s adobe house with exhibits about the Santa Ana Canyon area. It's open for special events.
• Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda: Learn about the life of President Richard Nixon. You can also see the house where he was born.
• Santa Ana Fire Department Museum in Santa Ana: This museum is all about firefighting history.
• Stanley Ranch Museum in Garden Grove: This open-air museum has several historic buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
• Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum and Botanic Garden in Yorba Linda: This museum focuses on local history.
• Tustin Area Museum in Tustin: Learn about the history of the Tustin area here.
• Westminster Museum in Westminster: This open-air museum is located in Blakey Historical Park.
• Whitaker-Jaynes House in Buena Park: A Victorian-era house from the early 1900s. You can also see the Bacon House, an older home from the late 1800s.

Science, Sports, and Unique Museums

• Astor Classics Event Center in Anaheim: This center has both an automobile museum and a museum about communications and radio.
• Children's Museum at La Habra in La Habra: A fun, hands-on museum just for kids!
• Discovery Cube Orange County in Santa Ana: A fantastic science museum where you can explore and learn through interactive exhibits.
• ExplorOcean in Newport Beach: This museum is all about the ocean! It has marine aquariums, touch tanks, ship models, and exhibits about life on the ocean floor.
• International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach: Discover the history of surfing from all over the world.
• Kawasaki Museum in Lake Forest: This museum is dedicated to motorcycles.
• Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana: Located at John Wayne Airport, this museum features military aircraft, rare cars, military vehicles, and motorcycles, especially from World War II.
• Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin: See amazing historical, exotic, and classic cars, including super bikes and racing cars.
• Museum of Teaching and Learning in Fullerton: This museum has educational artifacts and traveling exhibits about different topics related to education.
• Ocean Institute in Dana Point: Open every day, this institute has marine life aquariums, science exhibits, and tours of the Pilgrim, a replica of an old brig ship.
• Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine: Another wonderful hands-on museum designed for children.
• Ralph B. Clark Regional Park Interpretive Center in Buena Park: This center features ice age fossils and exhibits about local geology.
• Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente: Another great place to learn about surfing history and culture.

See also

• List of museums in California

Museums That Are No Longer Open

Sometimes museums close. Here are a few that used to be in Orange County:

• Briggs Cunningham Museum in Costa Mesa: This was a museum about cars, but it closed in 1986.
• Irvine Museum in Irvine: Its collection was given to UCI in 2016 to become part of the Langson IMCA.
• Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park: This museum had wax figures of famous people.
• Newport Sports Museum in Newport Beach: This museum closed in 2014.