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

Well any museum with a Serra sculpture outside that you can just walk into is an automatic 4 stars…read more The museum itself is wonderful to walk thru. A small modern space, very museum. The two exhibits on the main floor were nicely spaced out. There was a large group of young people with energy and enthusiasm. I asked one of the docents if they were a student group and she said no, they just showed up. So props to the young people just showing up for art.

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.

This museum is a very neat experience! It is intended for adults, but our little ones had a great…read moretime here too! The whole place is decorated with art and it is very immersive! It's a bit difficult to find parking, but after that's settled, knock 3 times on the door and upon entry, you are greeted and signed in. We were greeted by Sabrina and Alyssa. They were friendly and welcoming and made sure that all of our questions were answered. The whole experience is neat because in such a small area, there are so many things to see, smell, and read! They have their own section of a gift shop as well. I can't wait until they expand their location and I'm so glad they our family had the opportunity to experience the Museum of Make Believe.

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.

My hubs and I visited the Sherman Gardens during the first week of March. It was our first time…read morethere even though I grew up in SoCal and fly back every year to visit my parents. Wish I had visited earlier because it is truly a gem of a garden! Due to construction, we were only able to visit about half of the garden. That was a bummer, but what was available for viewing was gorgeous. From the cactus and succulent garden to the tropical banana trees to the seasonal flower beds and shade garden, it was all really beautiful. Also, there was an ikebana show and demo happening that day for free as part of our admission fee. It was a really cool show, the demos were super interesting, and my hubs won one of the pretty arrangements they raffled off! Such a great way to spend a morning.

Participated in their Yappy Hour event this past Friday. Lovely crowd and vibes. Half of the…read morelibrary is under construction for their new project, so we didn't have full access to everything but we still enjoyed the live music and company. We brought our little pug as well. He had a fun time barking at all of the other four legged friends while exploring the grounds. They also had water bowls around the gardens as well as free treats for the furbabies. Lots of shade after 5pm! Overall fun experience. The tickets for Yappy Hour are a bit pricey considering how little of the gardens we got to see because of the construction. Still a fun experience seeing our little pug socialize with other dogs. Our tickets each came with a free drink voucher. They had a good selection of beers and wines. We'll definitely come back for the next Yappy Hour!

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.

Love that this museum is just sitting right next to the Santa Ana Airport like it's no big deal…read more The plane and car collection is awesome, and there's a whole spread of other historical artifacts scattered around that'll eat up most of your afternoon. What's cool is you can actually see inside some of the big planes, which really shows you what these crews were working with. Spoiler: hot, not much legroom and even less comfort. To add to the experience, there are docents/walking Wikipedias, roaming around ready to help. They're kind, friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and their stories are the kind that stick with you for days. I became a member partly because of them. My favorite part of the museum is being able to sit and watch takeoffs and landings from SNA the whole time you're there. I could genuinely camp out all day. Just wish the runway was bigger so we'd get some bigger planes like at LAX. Anyway, so this museum started in 2009 showing Major General William Lyon's personal collection. Every aircraft here is still kept airworthy, not just propped up for looks, which is crazy. That detail alone makes it feel less like a museum and more like a very well organized hangar of time machines. But the real main event is the monthly car and plane meetups. They roll open the massive hangar doors so you can walk straight out onto the tarmac, and suddenly you're watching planes take off from super up close. It's unreal. Members get in an hour early too, so you skip the crowds entirely. A lot of people don't know this place exists though, which is wild given how good it is. Glad we stumbled onto it. Go check it out!

This museum is adjacent to John Wayne airport (SNA) and is privately owned. Started by a wealthy…read moreretired Air Force general (Lyon) who later in life became a real estate magnate it consists of one hangar that is close to the active airport runway. Parking is free and next to the hangar. Inside it is new looking and modern with a small gift shop area and ticket window. Admission prices are quite reasonable, This museums consists of airplanes and cars generally from the WW II era. The cars represent some that Mr Lyons owned back in the pre-war and then post war years. This included a beautiful V-12 Packard among others. The aircraft range from a newly acquired P-51 Mustang, DC-3, C-47, A-26, B-25 Mitchell, a Stearman and a B-17 Flying Fortress that has an interesting past including being in the movie The War Lover with Steve McQueen. All of these planes and cars are kept in excellent condition with the B-25 and P-51 are still flyable. Also on the walls are interesting placards regarding US aviation during WW II. Finally all of these people who work here are very friendly and helpful. From the front desk staff handling the tickets to the docents. I talked to one docent who was a spry 100 years old and flew for the Navy right after the war ended. I recommend the Lyon Air Museum. Nicely done! Budget about 1 hour to visit. They also have a movie that would add about another 30 minutes included in the ticket price.

We really liked the Langson Orange County museum. We came with young kids so our visit was a bit…read morerushed since our kids are too young to truly take their time and appreciate the art. The museum building is beautiful and they have a lovely cafe at the entrance where you can get coffee, pastries, or just get some work done. This is a great place for adults or older kids to visit but not so much for little ones. They did have a drawing activity for all ages while we were there that the kids enjoyed as well as a wall with magnets. We were told that the art exhibits also vary.

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.

Fantastic day there, lunch in well placed dining room good too!…read moreWonderful artworks of the Pacific Islands and other areas we're not used to seeing here in Orange County. Lots of friendly volunteers too! Beautiful old building ,90 yrs old, and classes Id like to go to. Jan Buck

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!

The Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition is a free attraction by the Newport Beach City Hall,…read moreCommunity Center, and Library. There is a shaded parking structure for the area with comfortable parking. It was a hot day, and I was lucky I had some sunblock with me to apply before this spontaneous outdoorsy exploration. These exhibits listed on their brouchure: Interplay Reaching Man Glee Duality Growing Wings Heavy Landing Gecko Millefoilum Trillium Bus Stop Bench Natural Wonders Cosmos: Starry, Starry Night Wind Tree Spiral Dance Coming Through Open Heart Intended Destination Voyage of a Giant The Wave Joy Ride - Removed from brochure Art in Old English We actually came here to see Bunnyhenge... which I don't see listed on the brochure, but more to that in a separate review. Overall a nice free attraction to enjoy an outdoor walk and some art. A very nice spontaneous adventure. Kudos to my boyfriend for finding such a cute spot.

Really enjoyed looking at all the art sculptures walking an approximate of 1.5 mile loop. The trail…read moreconsisted of cement and gravel paths. The flowers around the path were also in full bloom. There is also a cool sky bridge to take in the beautiful scenery. I could see the ocean! Parking is free and trail head starts at the beginning of the parking lot. There were also two small dog parks within the loop.

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