Top Museums in Santa Ana, United States

As someone who isn't that into aviation I was surprised about how awesome this museum was! They had a children's activity that was for them to talk with the workers at the museum and learn more about aviation. The workers were so great, they knew quite a lot about their job and seemed happy to talk about it. The planes looked nice and there was an interactive section where you could go into different vehicles. When we went it was near the time of the 4th of July and they had motorcycles out (I think they were out because of the holiday). It was also really clean and right next to the runway so you could see the planes taking off! I would definitely recommend coming here if you're nearby.

Cool place, I liked the motorcycles more than I did the planes.

We really liked it here. many interesting exhibits. In some you can sit and feel like a pilot or driver.

LYON AIR MUSEUM is next to Martin Aviation. In Love this museum. I bought a yearly membership for the last several years. The planes are beautiful and airworthy. Not rusting static dead hunks of metal. The best part is it you are a car guy they have regular events based on makes and brands the the cars that show up that are just awesome to look at and yes, sometimes touch and talk to the owners. Like a car hop drive in but with themes like Ferrari, mustang, corvette, or even Cobra day. If you like beautiful aircraft and cars, you gotta get an early pass.

Its nice for kinds under 8 probably. Is not that big and very crowded. It took a long time to get to do any activities, the kids got bored so we left. May come in a non-holday for better activities

Discovery Cube Children's Museum is an absolutely amazing place for kids of all ages! It offers a complete immersion into learning with engaging and educational activities. Recently attended their Pumpkin Palooza party, and the sense of delight is off the charts! The atmosphere of fun and learning is unparalleled. Highly recommend to families for both entertainment and educating children. It's a unique experience that will be remembered for years to come!

This is a really cool children's museum with SO much to do! There are a ton of different activities for kids and it can keep them busy for hours!

Absolutely amazing place to visit, a must see! lady at the front desk was an absolute blessing to talk too. Not from this area but will absolutely come back when I return

Wonderful museum filled with surprises. Amazing Polynesian collection and two rare items from Taiwan. Saw the Hokusai show from the British Musem, what a treat!

fun experience for kids of all ages, although the younger kids will have more of a blast. the place is always clean, and there are several staff members around every room to help you if you need anything. normally doesn’t get too busy, and is a fun way to kill time.

lots of activities, and special holiday and seasonal events, making it a different experience every time you go. there is so much to do here!

the new aquatic area is my favorite! :)

Pretty big museum with an extensive collection of art and SoCal history. The Hokusai exhibition costs extra but I would say it’s worth it to check out. I was pleased with this visit and would recommend going to anyone from the area or visiting.

A High-Flying Adventure at Lyon Air Museum

The Lyon Air Museum, located in the heart of Orange County, is a unique blend of aviation history and interactive exhibits that make it a perfect destination for family outings.

From the moment you step in, you're immersed in a world of aviation wonders. The museum does an impeccable job of creating an engaging environment for all age groups. The exhibits are not just informative, but also interactive, which adds an element of fun to the learning experience.

One of the highlights for the children was undoubtedly the opportunity to sit in vintage cars and pretend to pilot an airplane. This hands-on approach makes the museum an active experience, rather than a passive one. It’s not just about viewing exhibits; it's about becoming a part of them.

What sets the Lyon Air Museum apart is its location right next to an active runway. The chance to watch airplanes take off and land in real-time is a rare treat, not just for the kids but for adults as well. It adds a sense of real-world connection to the historical exhibits inside the museum.

In summary, Lyon Air Museum offers a comprehensive and exciting exploration of aviation history. The combination of well-curated exhibits, interactive experiences, and the unique runway view creates a memorable visit. It's a spot that offers both education and entertainment, making it a wonderful choice for a family day out.

Rating: ★★★★★

The parking costs $6 dollars. Admission is $18, but we get free admission for being members of other museums. The exhibition are well curated, with 8 galleries: ancient arts of China (the best), spirits and headhunters, gemstone carvings, California legacy, bounty and first. We had fun and it is worth the visit- of course not comparing to the old palace or La Louvre museums.

Such a great small air museum. Lots of great WWII aircraft in great condition. The staff were super friendly and I took some time to walk around and listen to their knowledge. I came for the airplanes but there is a lot of motorcycles, cars, and other memorabilia. All the vehicles are in working condition unlike other air museums were pieces are static, any of the planes could be rolled out and flown as long as a pilot knows how.

Lyon Air Museum is an aircraft museum that exhibit a collection of authentic aircraft, rare vehicles, and war memorabilia of the 20th century. It is base at John Wayne Airport in OC.

Founded by Maj Gen Will Lyon, this 30,000 sq ft museum houses a fleet of operational aircraft and vehicles-jeeps, cars & motorcycles. Admission ticket was $14 bucks. Museum was very organized and extremely clean. Most of the museum volunteers were former USAF officers and pilots. They bring a breadth of knowledge and experience about the aircraft and the WW2.

You can spent 30 mins to see the entire museum but I spent 2 hrs just because I love aviation. Overall, I like LAM and I recommend you visit.

Great tour with ghost stories. I really love the museum. can't wait to go again again this was a hosted ghost tour

Excellent museum!! The quality of their exhibits are equal to those at New York or Los Angeles museums. And their restaurant has excellent food!

Fun little place I didn't know existed. They have an annual Halloween event. Good times.

I got married here and this place is beautiful and the process was quick and organized. Please do not order your marriage certificate via mail because it will take an unnecessarily longer amount of time than they say it will. I still haven’t gotten mine and it’s been well past the 5-10 business days I was told it would take to get to me. There’s no tracking number with no way to track it and there is no electronic form for it to be sent. If you, can pick it up.

Love this place. Lost count how many times we came here but we are members. How can you say no to learning? Never too young or old to learn something. The layout is really thought out. Once you enter you will be greeted by the staff. There’s always a staff where ever you go.

Exhibits is really cool. From hockey, to the grocery store, landfill, planes, cars, sea, helicopter, ….I can really keep going.

Parking is very close.

Great place to be when it gets too hot. Lol hahaha

If you’re in the OC area getting a membership is the best thing. Happy learning!!

Went for creepitreel a d it was so much fun!! My second year going.

Great family festivals, gift shop with great selections of gifts, books. The museums regular collection is very impressive but so are the traveling exhibits. If I lived closer than 250 miles, I would be a member.

Meter parking that accepts coins and credit cards. Museum is on the entry level, you go upstairs for the recorder. Was able to get our marriage license and the entire process (with an appt) only took maybe 20mins.

Pretty awesome air museum right next to John Wayne Airport. I got my tickets off Groupon. You get them a bit cheaper that way. You are able to see inside some of the aircrafts which is pretty awesome. This place is a decent size but it gets a little hott and sticky inside. The sounds of the plans taking off next door is pretty great too. You get front row seat watching them leave the airport. Most definitely recommend if you are in the area or passing through

One of the best air museums in town, parking is a bit small. Staff is friendly and welcoming. One of the main attractions is the Mercedes Benz that was used by the Führer Adolf Hitler. They also have an airplane cabin where kids can be kids. Also the movie theater is great, not only because is the only place with AC but because you get to learn about the hot rods or the history of the museum itself. Overall highly recommend.

Very awesome museum showcasing old war planes, hot rods and war vehicles. Excellent place to watch planes take off and land too.

Brought my two kids to the see the Paw Patrol Exhibit and it was fantastic. The exhibit itself was fun, lots of to do. The whole building has so much to offer such as ocean encounters, space, and lots of hands on activites. Tons of interactive experiences for kids all ages, great for creative minds. The cafe also offered the funnest kids menu for the kiddos, all healthy choices. Highly recommend for families.

So interactive for the kids...and adults. Great experience many types of learning activities to do. Hands on experimenting from the sea ⛵ to the air, and space. Don't forget to check out the paw 🐾 patrol exhibit. A great day experience with a fair price for you and the whole family to enjoy.

California Art Institute exhibit was excellent. Standing exhibits were also hig quality. Particularly liked the Spirits and Headhunters about the Pacific Islanders.

Awesome day! We’re supposed to go SD but we got caught of extreme heavy traffic and re route to Discovery-unplanned.

Darren the staff at the entrance explain everything to us and end up going back to him and get annual pass🎉Highly recommended ages 1-12yrs old. Love the space & mission control area great for science, building cars and let it race with siblings or friends was the hit, the grocery story learning my kindergarten how to scan and do some math as well, Paw Patrol exhibit, aquarium, much more.

Lunch was another story, a little pricey $3 juice 🧃 $3 chips, $10 kids meal only 5 baked tots included. Tenders was like uncooked grill chicken my kid didn’t like it, the other one was space or 🚀 ship quesadilla was same under cooked grilled chicken with cheese, the 🦖s’mores was taste like cinnamon toasted tortilla with chocolate syrup &marshmallow not bad at all. Pizza 🍕 was the hit👍🏽 Shout out as well that they are using compostable plates, utensils even the cups are made from corn- Bravo 🙌🏽 🙌🏽🙌🏽♻️ Thank you for being mindful 👍🏽 Most restrooms has refillable water stations the same like at the airport. 💚Lesson learned next time bring your own lunch otherwise pizza day is not bad at all🤭

Over all experience it was FUN DAY for the entire family 👍🏽 we end up getting annual pass👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽See you soon

Great place, not too big but the kids enjoyed going into the plane cabin, to play.
Awesome airplanes, according to personnel they still work
There is a little theater with AC to sit and refresh while watching old videos.
If my kids like it, so did I.

Best value in THE OC for kids. Plenty of hands on and learning g while very entertaining for them. The parents and grandparents will live to see thier kids so happy and learning. The staff are helpfull as well. One drawback is the driving entry point at opening time created a line of cars out into a very busy intersections. All in all a great experience.
If you come more than once buy the family entrance fee. It is good for many other museums as well.

I had a fantastic time exploring this museum.The museum's layout was well-designed, allowing for a smooth flow from one exhibit to another. The museum also offered educational programs and guided tours, enhancing the overall experience. Thanks!

Excellent location for interactive science activities. This is not a museum. We enjoyed the grocery store the most. Amazing level of detail in it's construction. The children learned a lot about nutrition and comparative shopping.

I had a really wonderful time at the Bowers Museum. It's a lovely cultural museum in Santa Ana, probably one of the best in Orange County, but it makes a serious misstep in the Mission Indians exhibit that is really unconscionable and needs addressing. Parking is paid, despite what is said online, so be prepared for that. Restaurant looked good. A few vegetarian options. No vegan options that I saw. Gift shop was interesting for a museum gift shop. Worth checking out. Try to get a tour from the docent Diane, she's the best.

The exhibits:

My favorite was Spirits and Headhunters, which focused on cultural art out of the Pacific Islands. This was a gorgeous exhibit that was beautifully laid out, making full use of the space in such artful ways. I truly was happy and content to just exist in here for a couple of hours, and that's exactly what I did while going through, reading the inscriptions, and looking up a little more information on my phone.

This is where we start getting into the iffy for me.

As I'm losing myself in learning more about some items in one exhibit, I was kind of accosted by a docent who called me out for being there for a long time. This was a quiet day and I was one of probably three other people that were in there, so I was a little confused. She proceeded to talk at me about the history, which, sure, was welcome, but felt far more like she was trying to catch me doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing. It really took the peace out of the moment and kind of killed my enjoyment. I managed to shake her off and get back into the moment, looking up different things, when another docent again starts talking at me about the items, but in a very western-centric lens that downplayed the artistic abilities and achievements of the people represented, with a lot of emphasis on how "primitive" they were. Modern art history and anthropology views utilitarian art as just as important and vital to the continued development of a culture as aesthetic art so I was a little shocked that this outdated view is being held by the museum, especially when we were surrounded by the literal elements of the aesthetic tastes of the Polynesian cultures on display. Aside from that and the interruption, this exhibit was just so good. I still have so much good to say about it.

The Miao Silver exhibit was so good. You have to see it before it goes away. Just incredible craftsmanship.

The Chinese art exhibit was so good!! I came just for this and it didn't disappoint in any way.

The Mission Indians exhibit needs serious updating. To display it as is, unconscionable, erasing the genocide of the indigenous people of the area and calling their enslavement in the California Mission system just them "helping" to build the missions and "helping" to grow vegetables and "choosing" to stay close and "choosing" to wear Western clothing. I was shocked. I was disappointed. It was the last exhibit I saw and I'm glad it was, because I probably would have left after seeing it if it had been my first one.

Honestly, the best thing about this museum was the docent Diane, the most intelligent, qualified, and welcoming person I had spoken to that day. I met her in the Chinese art wing and she was an utter delight to chat with, providing excellent information that really rounded out my understanding and added to my curiosity. She skillfully engaged families and I watched her just get so many kids excited and into the art they were looking at. They'd ask questions and make observations and she'd just encourage it along. She moved to the California Visions wing just as I was going through it and showed me some really incredible details I never would have otherwise picked up, like pointing out a husband and wife painting team and the differences in their work. She kept my energy and my interest up in a wing that otherwise I wasn't as excited for. I wish every museum had a Diane!

Discovery Cube "The Cube" in Orange County is the best of the two locations. It offers hours of interactive fun for a wide age range of children and their adults. One of the great perks is the food cafe. Their are many options. Most food options are on the pricey side, but it is prepared and not prepackaged. Definitely healthy choice options. The staff is the nicest. I highly recommend this be on your summer activities list.

We had our ESA Pug with us and the Museum staff were so kind all around. We got personal tours from Ellen on California Artists and Sherry on China’s Art history. SO informative and inspiring! Totally recommend visiting :-)

Great museum. I called ahead, and didn't need to make a reservation or buy tickets online.
There was no long line, checked in quickly.
There are many great displays, sculptures, paintings,jewlery,baskets, gems,tools,masks,drums.
We saw displays from various geographical areas, like China,and from local areas,like early Laguna Beach.
There was so much to see, I happened to look at my phone,and had been there a couple hours. It didn't feel like I was there,that long. So many interesting exhibits,time just flee by.
The displays are informative, signs explain the cultural history of displays,also tvs show some relevant history, and you can use your phone to scan qr codes,to obtain more history/ background of exhibits.
There were also docents available, if you have any questions.
I loved the gift shop, so many items, for both children and adults.
Parking was across the street.
There's a kidseum/ museum across the street.
Admission was 15 bucks an adult.
Sundays are free admission for Santa Ana residents.
Staff were very friendly,social.

The museum is good, you can take it in 30 mins only. Fighter jets and old car since the WWII. There is a view to John Wayne Airport open to the small jets runway. Interesting for kids under 10 years .. and sometimes for adults

Came here during the week with my 7 year old nephew.
It's a fun experience it's a lot smaller than the California Science Center

If i had to choose between the two I would rather go to the California Science Center

It's a lot bigger, lots more to do and it's free

Here at the discovery cube
Kids go in for $15
And Adults go in for $20
Plus parking is $6

Also the Discovery Cube is mostly for kids and the California Science Center seems to have a little something for everyone.

Overall the discovery cube is okay to visit at least once

We went on a lark and it was really wonderful. I took my five-year-old granddaughter and she just loved it.

They have done an incredible job of preserving part of our American history.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a wedding at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. The venue offered a unique and captivating setting for the special day, with its blend of cultural exhibits and beautiful outdoor spaces. The staff's professionalism and attention to detail ensured a smooth experience, allowing me to focus on capturing the couple's precious moments.

The museum's architecture and lush gardens provided a diverse range of backdrops for my photography, adding depth and character to the couple's visual story. As a wedding photographer, I can genuinely recommend the Bowers Museum for couples seeking an inspiring and well-organized venue for their celebration.

Wow! My babies had so much fun! It's right on the airport runway so you can see planes touching down and taking off! They have amazingly preserved WWII aircraft! We loved the interactive exhibit! The babies were able to sit in the cockpit and push the buttons and ride in the jeeps!

This court house was such a fun vibe for a Valentine's Day Elopement. All the staff was friendly and efficient. There are a lot of pretty little spots for taking photos.

Business is back to "usual" at the Old OC Courthouse.

- Masking is no longer enforced.
- Couples can have 0-2 witnesses sign their marriage license.
- Couples can bring guests for their onsite ceremony.
- Ceremonies take place in front of an altar again (room A or B) or at the superior courtroom if you pay the additional fee (highly recommended if you have a larger group).
- If you get married during a busy day (Friday or the one Saturday a month they are open), allow extra time in case you need to park at the nearby parking lots or structures since the little courthouse lot does get full quickly.
- The city contracted a third party, and parking tickets *are* being issued.
- You can pay with coins or credit card but need to be careful about the expiration time.
- You can use the convenient phone app, but you will pay 20 cents extra per hour (whyyy).

In summary, it is the most practical, affordable, and beautiful venue to get married in OC. Best wishes!

Such a great little Museum, we came here on a first grade field trip and we all loved it. We loved learning about how Mr. Kellogg engineered so many things!! We got to wash laundry by hand and wring it the way they used to back in the day. We even got to make butter!!

I absolutely loved this place! Attended on July 10th for the Dino Exposition of 2022! Fell in love with the beauty of the Kellogg House, Magg House, Gold mining area and the Museum grounds. I will be returning in December 2022 for a Family Wedding ❤️

Went here for the Blacksmith Shop reopening. One restored house to tour, which is fantastic. One house where you can look inside the lobby at the walls stripped to the lath.

Beautiful grounds to have any type of function or event. The 2 main historical homes are Beautiful. Especially the Magg farm house because i lived in that house for 15 years.

The museum was empty because they have not placed displays out yet during the reopening from COVID. Not sure when that happens with the timeline. Beautiful building! Luckily, I had a OC Parks pamphlet from before COVID that provided a lot of information that I might have missed. It might be a better trip to wait for when things fully reopen? UPDATE! Don't miss downstairs! All of the history is there...

This past Friday 2/5 was my first time photographing a ceremony at this beautiful courthouse. While still under Covid guidelines, we (couple + myself) make the most with our surroundings. I was able to capture a first look, gorgeous portraits on the staircase, and we even did a petal toss. If you're wanting to capture your moment, I can be there for you! ~Maria, Owner/Photographer of Pink Heart Photography by Maria Evins

I got married here on a Thursday and it was really busy in the late afternoon but since I made an appointment check in was really easy and quick. We got to have a larger room that was very nice and the officiant was quick. They let you exchange rings and recite your own vows if you want to well.

I got married here way back in 2014. Decided to walk thru on my lunch break when I was serving jury duty. It really brought back many memories and the place looks just like it did then. Also, fun fact this is one of the filming spots for legally blonde

This museum is very cool! It's completely indoors, so the wind, heat and rain are no issue when visiting. They change out displays every few months so there is something new to see all the time. They have a kid interactive area where there are some cars and a plane that the kids can climb into and have fun. They have a huge selection of planes inside of this hangar. It is amazing! The staff are very knowledgeable and they will take you around on a tour as well.

The prices are very reasonable. I really like that school groups are FREE to attend! The museum is tucked away, so be sure to take the service road all they way to the back. You will not be disappointed.

Very cool field trip I went on with my daughter's 1st grade class. Always good to learn & be reminded how life was in history, & the accomplishments that others achieved in their lives. How Mr. Kellogg came about to design his home around his love for ships, and how he designed the city of Corona.... very interesting.

I posted this review 6 years ago and I still feel the same! This place only gets better and better. It is a beautiful gem in Orange County, you can't find many places like this especially in the city! The grounds are gorgeous and the houses are a wonderful representation of their history. Tours, weddings, events..They have it all 💓 And Jamie is just AMAZING (and the staff) as always 😊