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.

Super cute, whimsical and magical experience at the Museum of Make Believe…read more After seeing some Instagram posts and reels about the cute space, my friend and I decided to stop by to visit for a day trip. You do choose a time slot to enter, but due to traffic we were going to be a little bit late. We called and let the staff know and it was no biggie. Parking is a bit confusing since it's near a very busy road and residential area, so just make sure you're not parking where you can get fined or towed. After some confusion, we parked in the structure (unclear if allowed or not, but subsequently nothing happened. Phew!). The museum is located at the business plaza building and immediately stands out with it's beautiful storefront and the door that looks like it's out of a fairytale. Immediately we were welcomed by Sabrina, who was not only super informative (but in an easy to understand, not overwhelming way), but super friendly and made our visit that much more amazing. She knows the lore, knew the key and critical points to swoop in to enhance the magic (like when we went to ask the wise wizard some questions), and was very accommodating overall. The people really do make the magic. During your visit, you can opt to do the scavenger hunts and answer the riddles for some prizes and it varies in difficulty from easy to hard, but everything is open to interpretation based on YOUR IMAGINATION. It's the Museum of Make Believe for a reason. The attention to detail is immaculate, from the miniatures and dioramas, the foliage on the ceiling to the ground, and even in the water closet, there's so much to see and you can easily spend a long time just taking everything in. I won't include spoilers but I love that there's not just a lot to see, but to experience through sound and even smell! Lots of thought went into this museum and I'm glad it's getting expanded as well! Can't wait to see what the future holds for such a magical place!

After walking by many times, I finally visited the Laguna Art Museum when they offered free…read moreadmission during the month of November. I knew it was a small museum, but was surprised to see that it was larger than I expected, thanks to the recent acquisitions on the bottom floor. Friendly staff and docents make you feel very welcome. Admission is $15, with free admission the first Thursday of every month from 6pm-9pm. Children 12 and under are free.

Previewed the art auction items and the selections are varied and cater to a lot of audiences. The…read moresilent auction items can be access through Bidsquare. Ed Ruscha's piece is different. Shepard Fairey's piece not just another poster.

After we attended the Sawdust, we went for a stroll and came across this art event. Again this day,…read morewas free for LA residents with ID, and the kind lady at the entrance offered me free entrance as well, so I could join my sisters. This was an indoor event with interactive artists available in their booths. I actually enjoyed this event more than the Sawdust! I loved most of the artwork displayed here. One of our last stops was with an artist whose main focus was the beautiful and majestic hummingbirds. Being hummingbird lovers we purchased a few pieces to display on our walls. Food, beverages, restrooms, and small gift shop were available on the premises. Friendly service all around . I would definitely come back!

After visiting the Sawdust Art Festival, we strolled over to the Laguna Art A Fair that was about a…read more5-10 minute walk. We were stopped by one of the friendly artists just outside the entrance who informed us that on this particular day it was free to enter for LA County residents as well. Make sure you visit the site before visiting for possible free days. They had a band playing when we walked in and it was less crowded than the Sawdust Festival. We strolled through the area where most booths had the artists available and wiling to engage. We stopped to talk to and look at the artwork of an artist who focused on hummingbirds. My sister purchased three prints. Each sister receiving one. They were beautifully painted and adorable. We found that we liked the artwork here more than the Sawdust Festival. Glad we stopped by.

The April art walk has some phenomenal art with the Museum having several exhibits featuring Andy…read moreMoses, new acquisitions and permanent collection which have not been shown in the last 5 years. The large concave paintings of Andy are panoramic. The circular ones are equally exciting as well. LCAD featured works by OC high school students. Other galleries offered fresh artworks.

The Laguna Beach Art Walk is pretty much the best free fun you can have in SoCal. Sure, it goes…read moreyear-round, but it really shines in the summer. Look, 29 days out of the month your wallet may cringe at the mere thought of a night out in Laguna Beach, but on the first Thursday night of the month, your wallet will jump with glee at the thought of only being used for your ID and to take a few bucks out of for tips. Free art, free music, free entertainment, free drinks... and even free transportation. These galleries really know how to do it up for artwalk, they don't just set out a bottle of Beringer like some art walks, nope you may get a Newcastle at one gallery, a martini at the next, and a glass of wine at the next. They definitely mix it up. There's always interesting artwork in the galleries, and the gallery owners are generally super fun to talk to and don't hound you to buy, buy, buy. I really love how everyone in attendance is in a great mood and just out to have a good time - it's such a great vibe.

On our way back from lunch in Laguna Beach we stuffed into this wonderful little gallery that was a…read moreBeach Bungalow back in the day, so you can imagine it was quite spacious. The problem is it had no ventilation whatsoever it was a steamy experience... I would've stayed longer if it wasn't so warm inside but the art is amazing worth a trip to come back when it's not quite so balmy outside... I just love Martin Beauprie's paintings... If you have a chance to go he does this amazing Japanese black white and gray with a very slender woman wearing red they're quite unique and special the light hits them just right and you can see the crystals Come to life like diamonds... His pieces just Mesmerized me to no end... really quite beautiful and unique.

Hah-I'm not sure if it's wrong to post about the people who represent my art, however technically…read moreI'm an internal customer. I think it's important for buyers to know that Lu and Greg have some of the highest integrity of anyone I've ever worked with. They genuinely care about everyone who walks in the door regardless of whether there is an intention to buy art. Lu is always interested in the aspirations and the lives of the people who enter the gallery, and she has quite the history herself with more than 30 years as a gallery owner. Greg has an easy going personality and a way of balancing the interests of art collectors, artists and the gallery to make sure that everyone is considered. Having been in the professional art world awhile, I've experienced some shady situations in the past and heard plenty of terrible stories from other artists and collectors about their experiences with galleries. It is important to know when investing in art that a gallery can be trusted. I buy and collect art myself. I would be horrified if I purchased a piece of art and learned that the artist wasn't paid. Lu Martin Galleries has represented my art full time since 2014. They have always paid me for on-time or early.They treat their artists like family (the healthy kind/Not dysfunctional--HAH) So if you have read this far... hope you go meet them. They are across the street is my favorite beach Heisler Park-got there too--and so many other great galleries on the same block too and cute restaurants). Anyone can complain about the older set up there as I've seen in a previous review...However in my near decade of exhibiting in Laguna, I've seen shiny white walled galleries open and close. Lu Martin Galleries has longevity because of who they are in their values. Walls and carpet can be changed---hearts of gold...that is innate...and it can't be faked or made up. These people are legit goodness.

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.

Wow, this is a great park!…read more There's a bunch of fun sculptures throughout this nice park. Bunnyhenge is probably the biggest one. There's also a dog park here for small and large dogs. I like how there's an accessible elevator for the bridge to connect the two parks so you don't have to cross the street. Parking is also easy since it's at the civic center. Do yourself a favor and check out the Newport library too!

August 21, 2025 | Laguna Beach | Festival of Arts was a creative, art-filled & musical experience!…read more Art | Wide variety of art in all forms! Beauty, as well as beautiful art is in the eye of the beholder! I was drawn to whatever artwork caught my eye, as well as a caught my attention & made me pause for quite a while! There were beautiful photographs, sculptures, paintings & so much more! Creative Minds | It was great speaking to some of the artists, who were more than happy to talk about their artwork and experience as an artist! In fact, I was drawn to one woman's artwork so much that I purchased a piece from her collection! The confidence in the eyes of the portrait was amazing! And the direct eye contact was everything...I had to have it!! She captured the unique moment while on a safari! Exciting! Her travel photography was beautiful! I absolutely loved it! Concert | Thursday 5:30-7PM Raffia Thomas was an amazing performer with quite the sultry voice & the band was incredible as well! Tickets were $50 each, in addition to the entrance fee! My friend and I ended up walking right by Raffia, complimented her, and she invited us to her upcoming performance at a winery! Atmosphere | Busy, welcoming, plenty of booths, plenty of people & quite the social environment; enjoyable! Parking | $25 near the entrance! There were a variety of other parking options as well! Overall | What a fun experience! I love being surrounded by creative people, beautiful art, or art that catches my eye and especially, the musical performance! I had a great time & met up again with my friend before leaving! On my way out of the festival, I simply handed the slip/receipt of my purchase to the attendent waiting at the entrance & I was free to go with my purchase! Yay!!

The Pageant of the Master show was really great this year. I thought the new premise was really…read morecreative. It was a tour of all the museums of the OC, SD and LA counties. As a local, it was really fun to see all the places I have visited and a couple I hadn't. The Festival of the Arts is usually nice to visit before the event but this time there was a concert going on in the same area. Seemed very odd to have a concert, the festival and the pageant all happening in the same venue at the same time. It made for no seating and a loud atmosphere. We couldn't really talk with the artists in the festival as the band playing Beach Boys music was so loud. I think each event, taken separately, was nice but all together it was a bit much. Seems like they are trying to pull every possible dollar out of the venue and succeeding. I would not have been happy to be one of the artists trying to show my work in all that.

Over 50 quality artists represented with a strong emphasis on California figurative, realism, and a…read moresmattering of small sculptures. Exhibitions rotate approximately every month. First Thursdays are a great time to mix it up at the evening Art Walk with friendly crowds and a chance to meet the artists. Almost all original art, very few prints from a select couple of artists. The gallerist has a keen eye for quality and always curates interesting and beautiful shows. One of the most popular and respected galleries in an art-centric resort town with an abundance of galleries.

if i can i would give this place a -1/5 stars. The old lady owning the store was very rude and is…read morevery snobby. No customer service what so ever. Don't come here there's better art galleries near by.

TLDR: Pageant of the Masters is a California vibe and unique event. Yes you should experience it at…read moreleast once and I'm a fan for life after seeing it for the first time. You can find street parking, it does cost money, there's a kiosk to pay, there's also a lot across the street. I went twice this year and got tickets at a significantly discounted price at the box office and they stop selling tickets at 8 pm. The closer to the front the better, but there's not a bad seat in the house. Finally went to Pageant of the Masters after years of hearing about it but still not understanding what it is. This year's theme was Gold Coast: Treasures of California which featured different types of artwork from local California artists as well as the many art museums throughout California and some of the famous pieces stored at those museums. I really enjoyed it because I love art museums and seeing some of these art works come to life and learn the history behind them was neat but I also absorbed all of the info. about it. I met up with a friend here who was a Pageant fan. We got here an hour and a half before they opened the amphitheater up and go to see the art exhibits outside. I'd compare it to going to the Hollywood Bowl to hang out and eat and drink outside the gates before you go in to see a show. There was tons of art and artists with their work on display and for sale and outdoor seating with a small stage with some amazing bands playing. The artwork here is not your typical artwork you'd see at an art walk, these artists and their works are for serious and REAL buyers. Art gallery type work that featured paintings, sculptures, photography that was bold, unique and of a a variety of tastes. Once inside, there's an orchestra playing music underneath the stage. It is recreations of paintings on a large scale, using humans and with a live orchestra. They use not only the stage, but also the smaller stages to the right and left and the hillside a bit to execute the vision. Bring binoculars to get a more detailed view and to see who is a human and who is just a cutout of a human. Production is very cool! Defiinitely a vibe and something fun to see with the whole family.

They really need to liven up the entertainment. I live around the corner and I'm in my 50s but I…read morefeel like all the music is made for people over 80. It used to be so much fun to go there to listen to the music before the show but now it's just a bunch of old people sitting around. They need to appeal to younger people and live it up. I also like to see more concerts during the off-season in the Irvine bowl.