It is a local museum that has a great collection of its own and excellent visiting exhibits. It is doable in one day which makes it a great place to take friends and family who might be visiting! It can be covered easily in one day if that is all you have, but I see something in the regular collection each time I come that interests me. read more

This museum is excellent for families and young kids. They have an older part of the museum that houses 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. read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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This review is well overdue! I visited the Bowers Museum back in Sept 2025, specifically to see the special China Terracotta warriors exhibit :D ! I didn't want to miss it this time around because the last time the Bowers had a similar special Terracottas exhibit was back in 2008, which my friends from the Bay Area had come to see :) ! I was really captivated and extremely amazed by the extraordinary detail of each Terracotta figure, whether it was a human or an animal :) ! It's phenomenal and mind-blowing that all of the Terracottas are slightly different from eachother. In addition to the amazing displays, there were interesting artifacts and weapons that were showcased so you could have a better feel of how the soldiers protected the emperor in the afterlife. There was a partial room that you could enter that was a simulation of the warriors marching :) ! It felt like I was stepping right into history :D ! I wasn't able to coordinate my visit with the special talk that was going to take place on the Sunday afternoon with the museum curator, who I learned was really passionate about bringing the Terracottas exhibit back to the Bowers :) ! But for any special exhibit there, if you're able to attend a special talk by the museum curator, or by any special guests, I would highly encourage attending :) ! You would certainly learn a lot more than simply visiting the exhibit itself :) ! Some people might feel that this museum is relatively small, and is very "no frills" compared to larger museums, like the Getty Center in West Los Angeles, or the Norton Simon in Pasadena. Although the Bowers is smaller in size compared to those other big name museums, Bowers is a big name in itself within Orange County. I have to admit that I like the fact that it's a lot easier to get to and park at the Bowers compared to other museums. And because of that, it makes for a much less stressful experience so you can really enjoy the artwork and the artifacts :) ! I happened to be visiting from out of town because I was visiting family in Orange County. But I was really grateful that the Bowers offered this during my visit to SoCal so I could catch this amazing traveling exhibit :D ! I know that, depending where it stops, it might not always be feasible to get to certain locations to view and experience something like this :) ! read more

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Bowers Museum is a jewel in Santa Ana, our county seat. It was built with money and land donated in the late 1920s from the Bowers who were citrus growers to display local art. The history of Orange County is still told through art in the original edifice. They have permanent and visiting exhibits. My favorite exhibit, so far, is the California plein-air paintings. Many are of undeveloped Laguna Beach; a bit of a throwback to a simpler time before it became a tourist destination. Bowers has a collaboration of some sort with ARCE (American Research Center in Egypt). The museum provides financial support and benefits from monthly lectures on a range of ancient Egyptian history and culture by visiting Egyptologists, archaeologists and scholars. The monthly lectures are included in membership. As is parking. Membership is $70 for one person or $80 for two. read more

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I did not know but this museum used to be a church. They have beautiful ceiling paintings and the wood that helps the acoustics. They have beautiful Asian art pieces as well as Hispanic art pieces. Lovely building and very clean. read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I was really hoping to see the Terracotta Warriors, but unfortunately I missed that exhibit by a few weeks. The museum itself is still pretty cool, though I wouldn't say it's fully worth the price. It's much smaller than I expected--I was able to go through everything in under an hour. That said, they do have some really interesting exhibits from Asia, which were super impressive. For me, it's definitely a one-and-done visit unless a really special exhibit comes up. Parking: They have plenty of spots, but it's $6.99 for all-day parking. read more

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I have been to this museum several times now and am always surprised by the wonderful experience. I am not a museum person, but the exhibits they have are always interesting. The China Terracotta Warriors was an incredible experience. You see it on TV but to stand in front of one of the warriors was truly incredible. There was a Video experience room which was interesting as well. There were also tools, decor, irrigation, and weapon exhibits which give you so much insight into these ancient yet advanced civilizations. There was also an interactive 'design your warrior' area where you could assign paint colors to parts of the uniform. This is just one example of an exhibit. But the museum always does a great job of blending thoughtful placards and interactive experiences. Great job! read more

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Really underwhelming experience during my visit to see the terracotta warriors at Bowers Museum. Parking spaces are tight and limited. It's also not free or close to the entrance. The inside the museum is not well air conditioned and overran by screaming children and absent minded parents. I found it inescapable and they were insufferable. Imagine a kid running right into your leg and shrieking at you while reading the descriptions of an artifact. Not just once, but several times in different rooms I have entered to view the exhibition just to get away. And the exhibit itself for the actual terracotta warriors were pathetic. There were maybe about a half a dozen of them on cased display and that was it! And once you exited the warrior area exhibit, you can't re-enter! For a $60 entrance fee plus paid parking, I expected much more and better viewing experience than this. So totally not worth the money spent or effort made to visit. I really wish I had visited during the weekday or something when it wasn't perhaps going to be so crowded. You have been warned! read more

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I came here as a chaperone for my son's 5th grade field trip to see the terracotta warriors exhibit. I was very impressed by our docent Kelly who was very patient with crazy 10 yo kids and she was very thorough explaining the history of these terra-cotta warriors. Our students also got to make their own clay terracotta warriors as part of the field trip. This museum is very neat and definitely worth a visit! read more

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The Bowers Museum has been a lovely new gem that I've discovered from the annual Free Museum day. It has a well curated set of permanent exhibits that are worth checking out - the China exhibit is also quite interesting, but the exhibit on the South Pacific islands is especially unique and thoughtfully put together. They have special exhibits in addition to the permanent ones, as well as some rotating smaller single-room collections (this time was taking us through how exhibits are acquired and added). The museum is very doable in a couple of hours, and it's nice space - there's a lovely courtyard in front of the main entrance. The museum has two large parking lots on either side. Worth checking out at least once! read more

As soon as I saw that the Terracotta Warriors were on exhibit at the Bowers Museum, I had to come that same day and wow, it did not disappoint. Seeing these incredible figures in person is truly unbelievable. Of course, I still hope to visit Xi'an someday to see the full excavation site, but having a handful of warriors here in Santa Ana is such a rare and special opportunity. My brain can hardly wrap around the fact that these were created by human hands over two thousand years ago..jaw dropping artistry and history. Like what am I even doing with my life? I can barely walk without tripping over my own two feet over here. The exhibit itself is beautifully curated, and the experience doesn't stop there. The colorful Nepalese art lining the entrance hall is stunning, and I also loved exploring the Polynesia exhibit, which is filled with fascinating artifacts. It's such a treat to see so many cultures and histories under one roof. Highly recommend catching the Terracotta Warriors exhibit before it ends! And don't miss the AI photo booth on your way out, it's a fun way to snap some "Terracotta-style" photos of yourself. read more

Bowers Museum - Even more beautiful in person - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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My family and I went here for the Terracotta Warrior exhibit. It was my first time at this beautiful museum. It's small but we spent about 2 hours exploring it. The Terracotta Warrior exhibit was excellent. We spent a lot of time there reading and talking to a very knowledgeable docent. After that we checked out the other exhibits in the museum. They were all great. I really like the Chinese and South Pacific artifacts as well. The exhibits on Pico were also very interesting. read more

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Absolutely love Bowers Museum. They always have relevant, cool, cultural experiences and pieces for patrons to check out! The recent exhibition of the Terra Cotta Warriors is excellent. The docents are so knowledgeable, I appreciate them so much and always pick their brains with my questions! The Bowers permanent exhibit is good too and great source of local history, so don't skip out on that during your next visit! My parents used to have annual passes, that's how I was introduced to the museum. Now, I come on my own to enjoy all that this wonderful museum has to offer! read more

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It was a good day for us to visit the museum. Got there in time for a short lecture of European history and a visit to the China history exhibition of 2300 BCE - 2000BCE . Much of the artifacts displayed this time were discovered from 2009 thru 2023. Fairly recent in historical time - lol. We gained a bit more knowledge of ancient history. We had toured China & visited the X'ian site in 2002 & 2005. This exhibition allows a closer view of very interesting items read more

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Came here for the lunar year family festival and loved it! There were complimentary egg rolls, craft stations and lion dances. Keep an eye on their website for their family festivals. It's usually the first Sunday of the month. Go early and get a parking spot. read more

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Stopped by on a random weekday to check it out and it was a cool museum! Really pretty outdoor and courtyard area. Parking is close by across the street to entrance with a flat fee. I paid for an admission ticket online prior to coming. When I came, there was an extra exhibition of the terracotta warriors that was nice to see. The museum is two stories and took me approximately 2 hours to get through all of it. I liked the wing that talked about the history of California and art pieces surrounding the history. There's a lot of cool cultural things here including both art and history across different regions and cultures. read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This was our first time here and it was a lovely experience. The entire museum is nice and clean. It was well laid out and the parking for the whole time was only $6.99. The staff were nice and friendly. The entry was free but a few exhibits are a fee. The children enjoyed the scavenger hunt. It wasn't too challenging and even my 4 year old loved finding the artifacts. read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This is a beautiful museum with a very solid permanent collection and rotating exhibits. The permanent exhibits include artifacts from ancient China to Polynesia/Micronesia cultures to relatively modern California missions. The current rotating collection is the terracotta warriors, which were shipped from Xi'an. The area is clean, the staff are kind. The actual museum itself is also beautiful, with weddings and quinceañeras frequently being held here. A gem of Orange County -- would recommend! read more

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Came here to see the terracotta warriors since I don't know that I would ever make it to China to see it in person. It was amazing to see a small part of this collection and learn about how this was uncovered. Seeing this exhibit only makes me want to see more! There were other interesting exhibits available to walk through here as well and we enjoyed exploring the museum for a few hours. A great local museum in Orange County. If you were ever interested in seeing the terracotta warriors I highly recommend seeing this exhibit before it leaves town. I only wish there was more of it as it is somewhat of a tease! Makes you want to book a trip to China to see the entire grand collection. It's amazing to learn about what and how they uncovered this amazing find. I'm glad I was able to see it! read more

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Bowers Museum puts on some of the best family events in OC! We went for their Pacific Islander-themed festival and were blown away by the energy -- the live performances were incredible and the creative activities were super fun for all ages. It's such a thoughtful way to celebrate culture and community. A great way to spend a weekend afternoon with the fam. read more

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We just visited Bowers Museum this past weekend as they have the world of Terra cotta warriors exhibition until October. Amazing artifacts of Chinese culture and artifacts dated back to 10,000 BEC. Great features of a small collection of local artist of oils painting as well as a gallery of Polynesian art and cultures. Worth visiting if you are in the area. read more

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Beautiful museum! I loved all the artifacts and how well taken care of the grounds are. Definitely a must see. read more

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My BF loves museums, so I got online and saw Bowers had good reviews. They have artifacts from all over the world, from California, China and south Pacific, with mostly an Asian focus. Currently they have the terracotta warriors, which is rarely shown in CA and definitely worth the premium admission price. They do have a museum restaurant, if you get hungry, though I cannot rate because I didnt try it. Finding a parking spot was not a problem, but you have to scan a QR code, which was a pain, like why can't you just get a parking permit from th parking attendant. read more

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Great local museum. Nice variety of displays that change out. There is a lot of local heritage on display. Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Worth the time to look around and spend some time. read more

The courtyard does function as a nice space for a wedding reception. Having two parking lots is also a convenient asset, just like the QR code that needs to be scanned in order to pay for parking. Most of the museum was closed during the wedding reception but I did like the terracotta warriors display and the netsuke dolls. The restrooms are clean and easily accessible. read more

I haven't been to this museum since elementary field trip and I came back here (last min plan) and it was really cool. The staff is really nice too read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I'm SoCal born and raised and I had never heard of Bowers Museum but glad I finally went! After a last minute decision to go, I was super excited to see the World of the Terracotta Warriors exhibit. Never in a million years did I think I would be able to see Terracotta anything outside of a book or a documentary but this Orange County gem is currently hosting these Chinese master pieces. Outside of this temporary exhibit, I did enjoy the permanent featured work as well, especially the early California art. The museum itself is spacious and has beautiful architecture. I found employees to be nice and helpful but there was one supervisor who seemed to be a little rude and dismissive to her employees and she was a little too assertive with me as well. When I received my sticker that granted me access to the Terracotta exhibit, which did cost extra, I was only a few steps away from where I paid and in the process of putting the admission sticker on my shirt and she was very quick to tell me to put it on. "Mam, take a breath, it's definitely going on." But one mean supervisor didn't deter me from having a very positive experience, definitely recommend visiting while the Terracotta exhibit is still there! read more

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目之所及，皆是回憶，心之所想，才是未來，曾經的都是故事，往後的才是人生～ 第一次參加花展，好開心呀，學長學姊們， 花也插的太漂亮了吧， 在Bowers Museum 展出， 寺裡也在這浴佛， 小孩子的表演， 超級成功的一次活動 read more

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Spent a fun afternoon at Bowers Museum with the family to see the Asian Comics exhibit. Lots of interesting comics from different Asian countries and timeframes. I recognized some from my youth. We also checked out their permanent exhibits, Miao (masters of silver) and Pacific islands exhibits, as well as the China exhibit. The museum was very clean and spacious. Everything was very organized. The staff was friendly. read more

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Bowers Museum is an art museum located in the historic heart of Orange County. Their 8 permanent galleries includes more than 100,000 objects, and features notable strengths in the areas of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Native American art, the art of Asia, and Oceania, and California plein-air painting. Currently they have 2 new featured exhibitions: The Power of Photography and Beyond the Great Wave. Both runs till January 2024. It's our first time in this museum and we're impressed by their galleries and the massive more than 100,000-square-feet space. Furthermore, the museum has a large garden and restaurant. Staff were amiable and professional. General Admission $18 fee was reasonable as well as their parking $6 fee. Moreover, any featured exhibits is an additional $10 fee. It took me almost 2 hr 30 min to see all galleries including the gift store shop. Overall, I really enjoyed their galleries. I highly recommend this art museum. read more

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Love the Bowers Museum! Not too large, so it's perfect for an afternoon. They currently have a Terracotta Warriors exhibit, definitely check it out when you get a chance! They also have some great programs and events, which you can find on their website. read more

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I enjoyed the museum, but did not enjoy having to enter all my credit card information including security number, zip code, etc for a $6.99 charge to the Metropolis app, the only time I will likely use that website. Then when I later tried to delete the information for that useless website, it would not let me. Terrible parking situation which was irritating a number of patrons. Won't rush back. read more

Experience was great! We had been here a few years ago for their exhibit, China's Lost Civilization, which was also Great Although we had been to China and saw the Terracotta Warriors there, it was as if walking in a stadium and looking down at the equivalent of 5 football stadiums. The exhibit at Bowers was up close and you could examine various articles. To make it even better, the docent was excellent, very knowledgeable, and able to answer questions. And to even make it better, there were many other exhibits from China, of which were excavated in 2023! There was even an interactive where you could paint the various warriors. It was originally in color, but over the years, the colors faded... and none of the characters are alike since they were modeled after real persons, horses, etc. read more

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The Bowers museum has a great collection of Asian art amongst other things. It's not a gigantic museum and you can easily cover it in 2-3 hours depending on how fast you want to go. There are exhibits that are included in admission and special exhibits that you need to pay extra for. I only went to the standard exhibits but now I kind of want to go back to see the Asian Comics exhibit. There are multiple collections at this museum and I checked out the ancient arts of China, gemstone carvings, spirits and headhunters, California bounty and masters of silver. I'm amazed at all the artifacts the museum was able to curate. The flow of the museum was very nice and you didn't really need a map to see the whole museum. Parking is very easy and the cost is $6 but it's right across from the entrance. Bathrooms are plentiful and clean. There is an onsite restaurant called Tangata and a gift shop as well. You're allowed to take as many pictures as you like. It was raining when I went but it looked like there was a nice courtyard with sculptors there as well. A must see in the Orange County area! read more

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On a Saturday afternoon in August, my hubby and I came here to see evolution of Asian comics exhibition. It was fun to see the evolution of Asian comics from various countries. The staff are nice and not too overly crowded for exhibition. We also walked around the Chinese exhibit. It is a nice museum in the middle of Santa Ana. Parking is not free $6.99. By 3pm, the parking guy was gone. read more

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Another museum adventure with my boyfriend. While it is hot, we are taking advantage of date opportunities where we can enjoy AC. The Bowers Museum is located in Santa Ana, CA and their motto is "Bringing the World to You". They have a Paid Parking Lot ($6) and they also charge for Admission ($18/adult). We are not, but if you are a resident in the city of Santa Ana, you can visit on Sundays for Free! I think that's great, especially for the students. We were welcomed at the entrance and given a sticker as the admission ticket proof while exploring. They have public tours held daily with groups, online digital guides or an audio tour for you to explore on your own. We preferred to explore on our own. While we were walking around the museum had friendly staff who asked if we need questions or assistance and offering fun facts. The permanent collections they have are the Ceramics of Western Mexico, California Bounty, First Californians, California Legacies, Anthony W and Sharon D Thompson Foywe, Gemstone Carvings, Spirits and Headhunters and the Ancient Arts of China. During the time of our visit, they also have the 112th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition and Ubuhle Women Beadwork of Independence, and MIAO: Master of Silver. My favorite was definitely the Ancient arts of China collection. Being Buddhist, a memorable piece for me was this large elephant tusk with Buddha and the 18 Arhats. I don't support or condone elephants being hunted for ivory or anything, but this was a technically well crafted stunning piece of art. I also liked the Ubuhle Women Beadwork of independence where they sewn these tiny beads into big portraits... Cows were a reoccurring figure that are sacred to their people. It was stunning and you can tell it was extremely laborious. I also enjoyed the Gemstone Carvings and California related exhibits. The Spirits of the Headhunters were a bit too dark for me, but I'm really delicate. Considering we had to pay for parking and admission, I expected the museum to be better maintained. Some parts of the museum seem old and really in need of an upgrade. Even worse, there were some COBWEBS on the statue that was quite in the center of the room. I'm not sure how they missed that. Nevertheless still a nice visit and another fun cultural museum experience with my boyfriend. read more

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Great museum - much to see ! Museum has many special exhibits and events - very reasonable to become a member

That Museum was great to see all the historical item and views how people lived things that I haven't seen in my life time but open my eyes to many different countries read more

Bowers Museum - We stopped in to have a bit to eat a drink for their drink meal wasn't up to par only had two to choose from but there Museum was great - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California

We love it here! It's a great way to spend the day and the entire property is beautiful. We like to have lunch here too when we have time.

The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Looking for cultural enrichment? Visit Bowers Museum. The Museum first opened in 1936 and is the largest and one of the oldest Museums in Orange County. The museum is part of Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. Socal Weekend Walkarounds definitely recommends! Bowers has been voted 'Best Museum' in Orange County for the past 29 years by OC Register Readers. https://www.bowers.org/index.php/about-us/mission-history Bowers offers free general admission to all Santa Ana residents on Sundays through a generous donation in memory of Dorothy Goerl and courtesy of the Lockhart Family. https://www.bowers.org/index.php/visit want a peek inside Bowers Museum? check out my IG Video... https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwypCduRmbC/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== read more

Bowers Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Ana, California