Reviews of Bowers Museum. (Museum) in Los Angeles (California).

Bowers Museum

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395 Comments

Museum

Museum

2002 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92706, United States

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Information of Bowers Museum, Museum in Los Angeles (California)

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Reviews of Bowers Museum

Dut Kasilag

Another Hidden Gem !!! Located in Santa Ana, O.C., it’s pretty close to the downtown area. The museum has an amazing collection of Polynesian artifacts, which I think is the main draw of this museum. It also features a little bit of Chinese, Hispanic, early California and some Mission pieces and the way things are curated are easy on the senses. They also added some thematic music to the exhibit rooms that added to the overall vibe as if you’re being taken back in the time and this was one of my personal favorites of my visit because museums usually don’t play music in their galleries. The museum’s architecture is patterned after the early California Missions but the entrance is modern. The gift shop is nice and there is also a restaurant on site. There is ample parking across or you can do street parking as long as you’re conscious of the allotted time. I also wanted to add that they did a neat exhibit on Mt. Everest. Lastly, dedicating a gallery for California’s budding artists is the way to go, so Congratulations!!! May I suggest if they can include educators to their discounted entry, that’s a win. Bring the family and enjoy!

Ron Deo

Nice museum with a mid-sized collection of art pieces and displays. The parking is paid via digitally on your phone and the staff is helpful once you're inside. At times they'll have book signings as well. The gift shop is also pleasant to to browse for small memorabilia for your visit.

Maria Healey

Was able to check out the Disney Archives exhibit in May 2021 and was blown away with all of the items on display. Really presented well and enjoyed the entire experience. I look forward to returning again for additional exhibits. Not a bad drive from either San Diego or LA.

alan royse

Parking: they have a parking lot but it's paid parking. There's a few free spots in the neighborhood but only for 2 hours. I went on the free day and had to park several blocks away in Floral Park. The museum ordinarily is not free but there are days you can enter free with you are a Santa Ana resident or have BoA card. The exterior is well kept, lots of greenery. The inside this month was full of Chinese and Polynesian artifact and artwork and woodwork. There was also a section for more local history including indigenous, Spanish colonization and Mexican rule. It's not the biggest museum I've been to, definitely small compared to others but lots of exhibits. They have premium exhibits that cost extra to see. Worth a visit especially if entry is free.

Mama Petersock

What a lovely musuem tucked among a bustling neighborhood :) Very sweet, kind, welcoming staff - even the security guard knew lovely things about the property and took a few minutes to chat with us and share his favorite exhibits. Also there was quite the variety among the permanent collections - and some traveling ones that just wrapped. Local residents can get a discounted entry fee - but double check their website for all the relevant info. There was a decent sized gift shop on the way out, and a restaurant across the hall ~ all in all, I feel you can easily spend two to four hours there 😀

Amber Faux

A great place to know more about historical and contemporary art, including textiles, carvings, paintings, and more. Exhibits are immersive and there are helpful volunteers and employees to guide you through. Upon walking in, there's a receptionist table ahead and a gift shop to the right. At the table, they offer maps, guides, future or current event brochures, and a fun scavenger hunt for families. Staff are helpful and respectful. A student discount is available for entry. Their exhibits rotate every now and then. Artefact or display descriptions show the importance or uses of the item. Soft music may play in the background as TVs show the history behind the exhibit. Restrooms are clean and there's easy access to seating in most exhibits.

Juanita Vela

Beautiful exhibits. Detailed information for the items per exhibits. Time well spent today! Most of the pics are of the Chinese Dynasty exhibit. One is the Pieces of 8 necklace from one of the the Pirate's movie, Disney Crown Jewels exhibit.

Jerry Napombhejara

Very interesting. Good place to learn about history of other cultures . There is a restaurant on-site. Entrance fee is $15.00/person and parking is $6.00/ day.

April Hoskins

Love the Bowers, such a great museum. Went to the Guo Pei exhibit. It is Fantastic! I highly recommend seeing this stunning conjunction of color, fabric, jewelry, shoes, and attention to smallest detail.

Jonny Petts

Visited here are looking up museums in the area. Looked really interesting. Entry was reasonable and paid for the $10 extra to see the disney exhibit. I didn’t feel the disney exhibit was worth it for me personally I could have gone with seeing that portion as I hadn’t seen many of the newer disney films so that’s my fault but I think if you’re an avid disney fan you’ll like it! The rest of the museum was awesome - I particularly loved learning about the formation of California and the early years in its history. The Chinese exhibit was also one of my favourites - some stuff dating back thousands of years. Took me around 2 hours to go around reading a fair amount of all the exhibits. Could probably get 3-4 hours out of it as some of the others ones did not interest me as much as the Cali and China exhibits. Worth a visit I think!

Michael Jester

Very detailed museum. A lot of different exhibits and all of them were interesting. The rooms are spacious, too, so it doesn't feel cramped.

Jaymie Martz

Really cool place! It wasn't busy, so I was able to enjoy the exhibits. Only $15 for entry and $6 for parking. Definitely worth a visit.

Wendy Danbury

My friend and I went to the Crown Jewels of Disney exhibition, and after enjoying the accessories featured in dozens of movies, we had a lovely lunch. We wandered into the Everest exhibit, and learned a lot about the British expeditions over 45 years of attempts to make it to the summit. I enjoyed learning a little about the Tibetan culture, and found myself agreeing with the Buddhists who couldn't understand why these European men were risking their precious incarnation to climb in the dangerous places surrounding their homes.

Cyndy Kao

I went specifically for the Gold and Jade exhibition and it did not disappoint. The docent was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about educating our group regarding the technique and intricacies of each piece. It's a large open space that's beautifully curated. I'd consider a membership here once finances allow for it!

Paul G

This is a small, specialized museum focused on California history but features special exhibits regularly. See and learn things you cannot find in other museums.

Kimberly Perry

Guo Pei, the current exhibit is a marvelous experience. Discovering her inspiration for her fashion design. Her affirmations through her designs are incredible. Truly a trip worth taking.

Bee

This museum is clean, spacious, and had a unique variety of exhibitions. I especially loved the gold sculptures! I was able to find some souvenirs in the gift shop to take back home to Arizona. If your hungry there is also a cafe, but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to check that part out.

Oscar Garcia

The Mt. EVEREST exhibit was really informative especially the lady who guided the tour, she was very helpful and answered all of our questions regarding mount everest.

beba az

This is the first time we visited this museum. So beautiful..many art and Scalptures to see.all the staff and front desk so helpful and answered all the questions..definitely will visit this museum again.

Lynella Jordan

I went to the Guo Pei exhibit and how lovely it was. I am looking forward to some of the upcoming events, too.

Catherine S.

They have such a great permanent collection - any CA history buff needs to go to the Bowers. Also, the current Guo Pei exhibit is beautiful and informative; see it while it's still there!

Diana R

This is a hidden gem! I didn’t know I would like it so much. It’s far beyond my expectations and such a surprise! My favorite part are the Gift of Los Angeles by Gayle Garner Roski, and the Gallery with paintings by William&Albetta McCloskey. People working at the Gallery are so knowledgeable and showed that they know well and love every piece of art there. They made the tour more joyable. I might possibly revisit when they have new event or collections. Highly recommend.

Anna Child

The Guo Pei exhibit was phenomenal! Being able to all the details up close was truly amazing. The staff was helpful and friendly.

Kay Lew

Amazing exhibit at this time by Guo Pei. Detail to embroidery is exceptional.

Nayt Grochowski

Wonder way to spend an afternoon viewing their exhibits, easy parking and a decent admission price.

Jeffrey Love

A fantastic, local gem! Wonderful staff, very knowledgeable. Had a great afternoon there!

Carlos Vera

 Experience exquisite masterpieces and dynamic objects from the vast and diverse Pacific Islands in this special exhibition guest curated by Photographer Chris Rainier. Since its reopening in 1991, the Bowers Museum has hosted more than 80 exhibitions such as Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur, Secret World of the Forbidden City, The World of the Etruscans, Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World, Queen of Sheba: Legend and Reality, Mummies: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor, Art of the Samurai: Selections from the Tokyo National Museum, Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, Gods and Gifts: Treasures from the Vatican Ethnographic Muse

Alice Fox

Great museum! Very friendly staff. We’ll light and laid out. Interesting exhibits!

Sarii Rubio

The front staff is super friendly and we loved all the art. We got there a little before closing and the lady in front was the absolute nicest and informative. She even gave us a scavenger hunt for our child and if she found most of the items she gave us a gift. I wish we had more time to see all of it but we will stop by again on our next trip.

Sa Wynn

The best museum in town for kids and family!

katelyn herrera

Went to the museum for the Disney archives exhibit. Gotta admit the exhibit didn't have as much as I thought it would.😐 The museum itself was beautiful. We also looked at the exhibits the Maio masters of silver, even though the pieces were mostly gold 😊. The gemstone art I don't remember the exact name of the exhibit and the spirits and headhunters of the pacific islands. We ate at the restaurant, which is now more of a cafe and pricey for what is was even with museum inflation pricing. I got a chicken ceaser salad and a dole whip drink and it cost $39 and no the drink wasn't alcoholic. The gift shop was small but had some neat items based from each exhibit. I recommend visiting if you get the chance.

Amanda Sandoval

This place is best for older children. There are a lot of cool things to see but what makes it cool is the things written on the plaques about the exhibits. You can see everything in 1 hour if not reading 3 hours if you read to get the gist. 4 if you read everything

Paula Bradley

I went with a friend who attended a jewelry showing. Only 6 vendors, and very few people because it was never advertised. But the museum is fascinating. The section we were in was artifacts of ancient Polynesian culture. I will definitely go back to see the rest of the museum.

Michelle A

If you need a short museum fix, a fabulous meal and great gifts, check out this place. The exhibits are incredible, the food in Tangata is amazing, the staff are all super helpful and friendly. And the gift shop is reasonably priced and has so many treasure. And becoming a member is easy and very affordable and you get lots of perks.

Ginger Lou

I absolutely adore this museum! I don't even live in the area but drive over an hour to view it's exhibits. Well worth the drive ❤️ everything about it is spectacular hands down.

Donna Larson

We went today to the Disney Archives exhibit. Absolutely fantastic! A must see for any Disney fan. The exhibit features history, props, costumes, photos, cars and much more. The cost is $23 during the weekday for adults. Or you can purchase a tax deductible museum membership at varying price points and get the exhibit included. Check out Bowers Museum webpage for details. If you are a Disney enthusiast then go check this out. A great way to enjoy a few hours at a quality exhibit! Now through June 20th.

Nikki Armour

We enjoyed the exhibit immensely. It features a real variety of items from the company's history, so we found pretty much something for each of us in our party to enjoy. It was a quick check-in and no lines or crowds when we visited, and the museum shop had a great selection of Disney items as well. There is a $6 parking fee, but the parking was adjacent to the museum and had an attendant on hand. D23 members and cast members also receive a 10% discount in the shop.

Dave

Reopened 3/17/21! The Disney exhibit is great, as is the brand new exhibit of gold and jade art of nature! I also really appreciate the Pacific collection...one of the best between NZ and NY. Worth a visit!

Jen Mather

We'd only ever gone to Kidseum before, so this was our first experience and we really enjoyed ourselves. Bought our pre-timed tickets online for 10 am the night before and had almost the entire museum to ourselves for most of our 3 hours spent inside. We could have stayed longer and taken more time but one child wasn't feeling up to it. Adult tickets $13 and student ticket $10, we have a 10 year old who got in free with an adult. Parking is $6.00 and close by the entrance on Main Street. Really enjoyed the Gemstone exhibit and because we are Hawaiian, we loved the Pacific Island art area which was mostly about Melanesia (Papua New Guinea) but still made us feel relevant. We didn't pay extra to go into the Disney exhibit but a few people came out looking excited.to have gone in. Probably could have stayed the entire day looking and relooking at all of the cool artifacts they have in their collections - especially the basketry!

Christopher Morton

A real gem in Santa Ana. Give yourself a couple of hours to explore. They change the exhibits regularly so check back often.

Brenda Baker

Easy parking. Clean restrooms. Friendly staff. A beautiful museum with an amazing CA Mission exhibit. The Disney collection was impressive. The cafe had some yummy food. We will defiantly return

Karen Rowley

Excellent museum! The exhibits are do well done and educational the docents are very knowledgeable and friendly.. AVOID THE CAFE. WAY over priced ($5 for a small ice tea) plus they added a 14 cent administration charge (??? What is that???) along with the tax .

Gerver L

One of the best museums in Southern California. I would recommend to have 2 hours minimum to enjoy everything the museum has to offer.

Pamela Brown

Tks. For responding to my previous review ! Very nice of you ! I'm trying to make it over there ! I'm handicapped & wondered if someone over there can lift my small electric scooter from my trunk, as I'm coming alone ! Sincerely, Pamela.........not really handicapped, just can't walk very well. Just old age ! Tks.

Nathan Brais

The Bowers is an OC tradition! This place has beautiful exhibits and hosts events that bring the community together. Ask about free admission days and bring the whole family for the experience!

Mike Lynch

We went for the Disney archives exhibit, my first time to the museum, the exhibit was very well done. Then we wandered around the museum and I began to realize how large it is. What a hidden gem.

Sean Panzer

Amazing exhibit of Guo Pei couture. I will definitely keep an eye out for other exhibits coming through. Very pleasant experience overall. Could use an update in their ticketing system to accommodate online purchases so that we don't have to wait in the same line as those purchasing tickets that day.

Jason Lin

Here for the first time because of the Guo Pei exhibition. Seems like it was popular. They extended the exhibition for an additional week. However, even popular, it was never unbearable. The staff very friendly and helpful. Really loved how they had a guided tour at 1 pm. The docent was helpful, knowledgeable, and very friendly. Asked questions and she was able to answer. The outside they had live music, plenty of places to set and enjoy food and beverages in the nice summer weather. They happened to be giving out free samples of fruit pie this day. Win!

fernando ramirez

i really enjoyed this museum. it's easily accessible from the freeway and major streets. the only downfall was there being minimal parking available and having to pay for parking. i feel the price of admission was fair for everything you're able to see while visiting. we were lucky enough to actually speak with some of the volunteers who explained some of the different art in different rooms.

Kerry Russell

We had a lovely lunch then went through the Couture exhibit. The preColumbian ceramics were wonderful

connie griffin

We visited the Disney Archives 50th Anniversary Exhibit on Thursday, 10/1. Tickets for seniors are $20. Parking is $6. Our entry time was 10 a.m. The staff are wonderful and very helpful. Had lunch at the little bistro (and discovered the sandwiches were made fresh daily from the Naples restaurant at DTD). Visited the lovely gift shop. It was difficult Not to buy anything. The museum has a outside patio too. Overall, I rate it 10 out of 10.

Swan Amity

The Bowers museum is currently hosting the Guo Pei exhibit and it is stunning! As a fiber artist, I was completely inspired by the materials, design elements, and the skill of the embroidery. Absolutely amazing work.

Rebekah Polanchak

Beautiful day at the Bower's Museum where they had an outdoor Bridal Show in their courtyard. Patina Catering group was on hand for appetizers and beverages and my favorite was meeting their pastry chef Francil. She and her staff made some quite tasty little desserts to serve at wedding receptions, bridal showers or tea parties. Francil is originally from Sonora, Mexico near the Arizona border. Her grandfather owned a bakery in Mexico and she worked with him when she was a little girl. On her vacation time she would make an effort to go to France as often as possible and take culinary classes.

Alicia Westberg

The visiting exhibits were amazing and the historic part of the museum is always fantastic!

Rodrigo M. Romo

An excellent museum with a great historic content about the region where it stands. It has temporary exhibitions, a good collection about California and the history, a permanent exhibition of Chinese culture and Pacific Islanders. I think everyone can find something interesting.

Steve Caron (Huxley)

Well, I enjoyed this little museum but it's a bit sparse and dated for the price. The medieval knights display was fun, and Ann the guide was very knowledgeable. The Chinese terracotta warriors signage infers that they are part of the museum's display, but they aren't actually present, which comes across as a bit deceptive.

Kevin Hanson

One of my favorite museums! They always have interesting exhibits!

Litzy

It was a free day and there was too many people but the display that they have now is worth going back. They were having a chocolate and whisky taste too but they where sold out.

lucila chavez

Best museum in the area. Affordable price. Lots of historical artifacts. Great place to learn about our local history.

Dan Broadhead

We came out to the Bowers to see a screening of Monty Python And The Holy Grail in the theater. This was a lot of fun. Plenty of people dressed up in medieval type costumes. The museum also gave out coconut halves so the audience could participate in the galloping horse found effects, and small attack rabbits, which were supposed to be hurled during the appropriate scene, but I think no one wanted to risk losing their souvenir because I did not see any go airborne. Someone from the museum also came out and tossed a holy hand grenade into the audience during that scene. Well done. Besides the movie, we were able to squeeze in a mad dash through the museum before closing time and take in several of the exhibits and get some exposure to many continents and cultures which we'll likely never see with our own eyes. Easy to get to and parking was a cinch.

Dio Ruiz

Great place to go take beautiful 😍 pictures but you need to get a permit pleas make sure to contact museum for more info 😀 👍 …

Ralph Olivas

Bowers is one of SoCal's premier museums. You'll see outstanding artworks from Indigenous Peoples of the Americas and the Pacific. And, be sure to keep an eye on their Special Exhibition schedule!

Danny Castro

With the $25.00 Adult Admission for the Disney exhibition and the $6.00 for Parking price tag. It's not so bad.

Robert Foster

Great museum with some great exhibits. A little busy and lacking enforcement on social distance, otherwise great!

Monica Laws

Went for the knights exhibit and event on the lawn, great idea, we enjoyed it. Staff was friendly and helpful. Very nice docent in the Early California section, spent a lot of time with my child explaining early California life and that probably made the visit for him. I personally found the art collection a little underwhelming.

Steven Dominguez

This is a museum in Orange county which is a must visit. There's many different exhibits on display, but rooms with early California artifacts is the best. So much to read about history in California and especially of the Orange county area.

Teigan de Boer

Fabulous Museum. Loved the dress exhibition. Also ended up being there during a special event with a tea ceremony that was amazing. My only criticism is that their permanent galleries are very Male perspective dominated in the stories they tell.

rubi Ayala

The Museum offers Free events like the Cherry Blossom Festival and 5 de Mayo and more! We really have fun during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Peyton Clark

The Disney Archive experience was unreal! The other exhibits are amazing as well lots of history and art!

Kim A

I love current exhibit at the Bower's Museum in Santa Ana, CA. The Disney Archives. Dumbo greets you, Mary Poppins Carpet Bag, and so .uch more. This exhibit ends mid June. Must wear masks. Very few people at the museum mid week, at 11:00AM.

Risa Haskvitz

Always a wonderful experience; beautifully curated unique exhibits. The museum shop and restaurant are also well done and offer a great variety of options and gifts.

Pat Wilson-Perkins (PWP's - Gmail account)

Very interesting. Unfortunately our group only had a veey limited time to visit. I wish I could have seen more. The gowns were unique.

Maris Brown

Interesting exhibits and nice gift shop. Staff were friendly. Small museum. Nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Danny Torres

Beautiful small museum. Very clean. Very spacious. Beautiful exterior grounds in Santa Ana.

Henry Nichols

I had a great experience here. The exhibits were amazing. Would come again.

Nick Wong (NickGaming)

A lot of parking near by this museum. This museum has cultural diversity of relic. It has very good environment to visit and learn every relic. I haven't have the chance to eat in restaurant but I will try it next time.

Holly Kmita

Wonderful place to visit. Not only is museum very educational. But they also have a cafe and a great gift shop with lots of really cool things.

Ehrhart Racing

Once in a while this museum has great Attractions. The armor and cut gem shows were wonderful.

Robin Shepard

Impressive Pacific Island displays, and the large artifacts were really a treat to see. The place is good-sized, could take upwards of 4 hours or more to get a good look, or you could just do one or two sections in less time. Pricing is a bit high, but we thought it was ok for the originality of some of the displays, and taking museum location into account. Also, there's a very lovely courtyard with neat trees and plants outside.

Jeanne Cuff

Lovely space, exhibits were set up well, loved the Gou Pei Couture exhibit.

Patricia Norton

The staff was amazing! The exhibits were extraordinary and breathtaking. Not only were the exhibits literally exciting but there was a lot of information shared via Bulletin and video. It wasn't over pack and I was able to enjoy myself and take in everything. I would highly recommend it if you're in the area

Debra Green

Bower's Museum hasn't changed in years, hence the 3 stars. They do have a current exhibit by Guo Pei - a designer who has turned her work into true pieces of art. Check out her shoes - no one could possibly wear them. But her gowns were quite interesting. I would have liked to see more light cast on her work because it wasn't that easy to see and I think Bowers coul have done a better job of displaying her gowns

Victor G Ettinger

This is a special & delightful museum. The current major exhibition is about the initial attempts to climb Mt Everest. It is a thrilling display of fearless crazy people doing wonderful things. I think it only last until mid-May but if u can get there, it is highly recommended.

Alex Aydin

Beautiful location with very interesting exhibits.

Mandy Kirby

Absolutely loved the dress display that is on right now. They have several galleries, displaying art from various regions in the world

EL LY

Our favorite to explore foreign & domestic artifacts, find inspiration, abd learn something.

Bertha Cueto

Very beautiful and very informative and interesting place 👍 …

Mercedes Van Wyk

Great place! Took 9 kids here for a little field trip. Kidseum is closed, but actually museum is small enough that it held their interest for 2.5 hours.

Kyle Naumovski

KUSC for fam and kids was amazing event free to attend at the museums garden. Ez affordable Parking

Karine Rivet

A lovely cultural museum, with a wonderful space available for private gatherings.

Marc Bosserman

I mean!!! It's a museum filled with beauty and space and wow! Very nice place!!

SunShyne Chen

Disney Archieve was very cool to see! I have gone to quite a few Disney tours, archieve events, and watched a lot of exclusive shows so I've seems majority of the items. It's always nice to see in person, even on repeat an avid Disney/D23/Walt fan... Cool to see Mulan's live action sword up close, that was new!

Michelle S

Came here for the Disney Archive exhibit in 2021 it was a lot of fun.

Matthew Rafat

Excellent museum, much larger than I expected. A separate fee was assessed to see the special Disney exhibit. Unless you have kids or are really into movie props, the “Disney” section might not be worth it. Finally, consider a “family” membership if going with two people. (March 2022)

Val Dand

Wonderfully educational. Worth the time! Spacious and family friendly.

Nellie A. LeGaspe'

I went there for an event, I really enjoyed it, now I need to go actually to see the exhibits.

John Pedroza

Very interesting museum. A little on the pricey side, but I really enjoyed the Disney Archive exhibit.

Gloria Honda

This is a beautiful, small museum. The Gua Pei program was a captivating blend of personal story, imagination, art, design, fabric and construction. Details include tiny swaraski jewels earrings, rings, and headpieces. Shoes looked impossible to walk in until one views the videos. It’s a treat to see how these diverse creations move on real haute couture models. Who was that model in red hugging the young artist creator designer?

Eric Johnson

This is a great place. I have never been here before and it truly was a treat to see all the different pieces.

PH 7 (PH7)

Having many wonderful collections and friendly staffs.

Lucca1313

Disney exhibit was interesting. Mostly some more recent movie and television props and concept pieces. The other exhibits were definitely worth a visit as well.

RhinoGirl

I've always love to go to museums! As a field trip, they were here for a scavenger hunt. And I was her for taking pictures of arts that are interested. Finally, my mom took me back there for a 2nd visit! I love to visit there sometimes... :)

Nidia A

You can learn so much here, they're always open to questions and very nice.

Ann Ahamed

Exhibits were small enough not to be overwhelming but big enough to get much information. A real treasure.

Robert Warmuth

The museum is wonderful! the new parking vendor (parking.com)is horrible. took me almost 15 minutes to figure out how to park. Saw several people leaving because they got too frustrated by the parking. Every person we saw hated the parking.com . I suggest hiring a person to work your parking lots.

Josh Lewis

Wayyyyyy bigger than I thought it would be. My girlfriend and I figured we'd kill an hour or so here, and ended up spending a little over three. We had a lot of fun, the Knights exhibit was really cool. Definitely worth a trip, especially since DTSA is so close by.

Josh Edwards

Very cool place to go to see exhibits. They also have a good restaurant and a gift shop.

Dick Wolfe

Small and charming museum with terrific ongoing and special exhibits.

Martha Richardson

It's a place for people who like to take photos in this type of setting. That's it. I agree with many that it may seem overpriced but if you enjoy taking photos of this kind and if you like to photograph with a camera and see how amazing lights can do, it's not that bad of an experience! My husband and I had fun as much as it may seem a bit underwhelming to most.

Wendy Ashton

So many neat exhibits! It felt like being behind the scenes of Disney!

Stephanie Dorsey

What a great place, lots to learn and look at. The Disney display was really neat, I was able to experience it with a personal tour guide named Dennis who was so well informed and he was able to help me with navigating the city for food and fun. I will be coming back to Orange County and this will be a stop I make with the whole family!

Joe Hughes

This is a hidden gem in Santa Ana, California. A must see! The new Disney Exhibit is coming very soon.

Stephanie Aho

Such well curated and displayed exhibits! And this Disney Archives is no exception!

Rhonda Nitschky

Membership is well worth the price for anyone who loves to explore art and history and enjoys experiencing the music, dance, food and heritage of different cultures. Free monthly family festivals. Free monthly arts and crafts workshops for seniors that include all necessary supplies. They do an amazing job of programming lectures and talks featuring the most distinguished and stimulating speakers. Cool monthly talks hosted by societies devoted to Egyptology (ARCE) and beads and jewelry (OC Bead Society). A fabulous gift shop and nice restaurant. I just love the place.

Frank G

I went for the Inside the Walt Disney Archives exhibit and was not disappointed there were so many great things to see. It was so amazing to see the original pieces that were used in the parks, movies, or wherever else. There just the right amount, to be able to see everything but not have to spend hours. The rest of the museum and other exhibits were also worth seeing. I especially enjoyed the Treasures in Gold & Jade exhibit.

Trung Dung Ho DDS

Such beautiful setting for a wedding . The art works that are on display are stunning . Definitely worth a visit

L.J. Herndon

Outstanding gallery and exhibits for anybody that is motivated by art and culture.

Melissa McDonald

Went for the Disney Exhibit. It was done well and would recommend it to any Disney fan.

Cheryl Freed

Great museum with all kinds of different exhibits that are stunning!! Gift store is full of goodies with varying price points. Restaurant is very good with nice staff. Be ready to do a lot of walking as there are a lot of exhibits. I highly recommend a trip there.

Particle Boy

Nice visit. Found wonderful gifts in the gift shop. Gifts were a big hit!

Claudia MdO

We went there during our visit to the area, we got there around 2pm and definitely we needed more time to explore all the expositions. The grounds are very well kept and they've a relaxing garden.

Daniel Quasar

.Beautiful architecture and spacious rooms call to you, enticing you with works of art that are extraterrestrial. We came to view Guo Pei's collection and were not disappointed. Breathtaking

et yoshi

Caught the last day of Disney's exhibit. Loved seeing the outfits and props up close. Amazed at the detailing!

Jozeh

Love this museum, been here a couple of times and I've always learned something new

Rubine Red C

A hidden gem in Santa Ana!

Robert Dier

What an awesome time we had at the Bowers Museum. The Disney display was wonderful. A lot of history and a lot of artifacts from the past. If you love Disneyland and all of the incredible Disney productions you'll be thrilled. Wow!! The rest of the museum is awesome. A display of art that will knock your socks off. If you want to have an incredible time with the family make an afternoon of it. You won't be disappointed and neither will your family.

Amy Granger

This museum is very nice. It has a wide variety of collections to view. Physical distancing is not enforced within the exhibitions. Parking is an additional $6.00, which is not listed on the website. Parking lot is one half block from the entrance. I would visit again but not on a very humid day as it was not cool inside the building. The staff is very friendly and helpful. You are able to view as many exhibits on the same day with the purchase of one ticket as long as you don't exit the building. There's a cafe and a gift shop there as well. Everything is on the bottom floor. If you are a museum lover you will enjoy Bowers Museum.

Evelyn Peralta

We came for the Disney exhibit and throughly enjoyed it. So many great items on exhibit.

Sharon James

I had a really amazing time with my best friend here. Wasn't expecting there would be someone to be there to take pictures for you, or even tell you the best angles. Andy was super kind, friendly and very professional with his photographer skills. Me and my friend definitely enjoyed our time here with his help. Would absolutely come bacK again.

Lisa Sooy-Cook

Went to see Disney expo and had lunch. Always love the Bowers, love to introduce new people. Excellent day trip, very affordable, restaurant superb.

Jossie Munoz

First time visiting during the International Festival of Chocolate (Jan 9th). Enjoyed the children's activities, dance performances and artistry. Can't wait to go back to see their exhibits!

Ayla Baha

Had an incredible day. Impressed with the collection, especially the bonsai exhibition!

Karen “Quincey” Grace

Today there was a dynamic demonstration of Japanese drumming, and an almost surreal demonstration of candy-sculpting. I wish we could have stayed long enough to see the dancing. We saw the girls in their beautiful kimonos in the hallway before they went on stage.

Robby Boucher

Really great musuem with lots to see, well worth the entrance fee. One thing since moving to LA area that I have missed are excellent art musuems, and this one focuses on art from other nationalities and histories.

Michael Levitin

One of the few true museums in Orange County. A must see experience for locals, showcasing permanent collections of local history & art. Amazing traveling exhbits visit here often too. You can see the whole museum in 2 to 3 hours. Tickets are seperate for general admission and then the featured special exhibition (and extra few $). Parking at the museum is also valet (small fee), but (when I last visited in 2021) you pay and then can park on your own.

Grant Tingley (fejimanz)

Great museum. Didn't expect to see as much as we did.

Larry Sperber

We saw a wonderful exhibition on designer dresses

Sal S

Its a hidden gem of a museum. The exhibits they rotate through here are fantastic and the art and architecture is a lot of fun. Its a great way to spend a morning or afternoon and you can come back several times to see new exhibits.

Melvin Welch

My wife and I had a very enjoyable visit Saturday. Unfortunately we enjoy their Cafe but could not have a drink at the bar and they were short help.

annette sullivan

Great exhibits, had a personal experience with Yvonne, a knowledgeable and informed expert on my favorite exhibit! Beautiful museum! ❤️

Jonathan Cuevas

Beautiful place with many exhibits .

Lis Adrienne

I always enjoy the Bowers Museum. They have good exhibits, and occasionally outside presentations as well. One area to address, would be the restaurant. It's food and drinks are especially over--priced, and have been the one draw back for an otherwise great evening. $12-14.00 is way too much for a 2 to 3 oz drink. Same for a croissant with chicken salad. Consider making it more reasonable, and reap the rewards!

Andrea K

Military friendly, must show your active duty ID to benefit from specials. At the time of my visit, there was a gorgeous display of gold and jade sculptures that compliment each other beautifully. Here you can learn about cultural art and historical warfare from Indonesian and Polynesian communities. I can't forget about their stone carvings, stunning art made of different crystals that look impossibly hand made. There is also a great gift shop and a courtyard perfect for photo ops.

Joe Neuburger

We went for the Disney Archives exhibit and it was fantastic! The regular museum exhibits are also worth checking out. Parking is six bucks, but it's easy and right at the museum. If you are a Disney fan, you must check out this exhibit before it ends next March!

Patty Tolliver

I came to Bowers Museum to see the Water Color Exhibit. It was a wonderful afternoon with my friend. We had lunch first and then saw the exhibit. After that we went through the California Bounty Exhibit I highly recommend both of those exhibits.

Aryel Weseman

Very interesting piece of art and history. Loved the couture dresses.

Sarah Michener

This museum is a lovely experience. We were able to experience the Disney exhibit and the rest of the exhibits. We had a great time! I love the outdoor eating! And thank you for all of the appropriate measures being taken to keep people safe! Well done!

Alexis G (AlexizJpeg)

Fun place, definitely interesting. Plan to spend hours here.

David Partridge

We spent a day at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. This is a large museum with history of the area as well as cultural arts from around the world. They have different traveling exhibitions all the time. The museum has a store and a nice restaurant. Normally the highlighted traveling exhibition will have an extra admission charge. The museum is located in downtown area and close to the arts district.

Kate Kyvik

Exhibits are beautiful! Not enough signage though for things like "no flash", WAY overly crowded often times and masks are no longer being required, and the staff weren't the friendliest, but overall the museum is very beautiful and we look forward to new exhibits in the future.

Kimberly Valencia

I came here for a field trip and the tour was excellent. The activities were all engaging and age appropriate. I will definitely be back to visit on my own.

David Starkman

Interesting exhibits. Nice restaurant 🍴! …

Kris Takasuka

Great museum. Just big enough but not overwhelming. I didn't even get the ticket that gave me access to the special exhibit and I was still had a great time. Staff is very helpful.

Iuliia Pozdina

I was so impressed and inspired by Gayle Garner Roski works!

Carla Pekas

Always a good place to visit. The exhibitions are wonderfully curated and change every season.

Iliana “Ily” Hart

This place was very beautiful! I loved the display of the collection made by the Chinese fashion designer! Her designs were very interesting and well made! We also went here on the day of the Cherry Blossom Festival event. The tickets here are reasonably priced so it is worth it. I also liked the display with the Native American artifacts. I learned a lot of neat things after going to this museum. I would recommend going here to anyone and everyone!

Peter Czipott

The Bowers is a small museum with exquisite collections, predominantly in Asian and Oceanic art. It was the temporary exhibit of Disney costume jewellery that finally lured us to the museum, but it is the permanent exhibits that will linger in the memory.

H V

Very elegant museum. So much to do. Googled maps brought me here. I was in the area for breakfast and wanted to do something in the afternoon. Spend a great two hours here. So much to see and read on history. Enjoy the origins of southern California especially the art of the Indian cultures. There's also a restaurant here very beautiful and prices are in the mid range. Wish I would of skip breakfast I would of eaten here instead. Price for adult admission to museum is $13 as of this writing.

David Wiseman

Beautiful facility with wonderful exhibits of Asian, Pan-Pacific, and early Mexican-Californian history. The Everest exhibit is quite extensive.

Nicolaas Dewald-Aranda

It is a cute local museum. It is not very big but they do have some great diversity in the art. They have a nice California section, A really cool Mayan section, a Chinese Section and a South Pacific/head hunters exhibit all part of the permanent collection. They do have some cool exhibitions from time to time. The exhibits are not very big. I wish the museum stayed open later and had more evening activities.

Lin Staley

I started going to the Bowers Museum when I was a child. It has since built up and has more of everything. Plan to spend time here enjoying all of the educational things to see and the beautiful art and exhibits. This is a great place to bring your family for the day. Very peaceful and quiet.

Mark & Janet Salvaggi

We went for a D23 Special Event 50 years of Disney Archives. This was great & look forward to doing it again soon!!!

Webs Pierre

Bowers Museum is beautiful. If you're into Latin and Asian-Pacific art, I recommend you take a trip. A lovely restaurant and gorgeous courtyard are leading into the museum. I recommend this venue for couples too.

Robert A

The museum was beautiful. Staff was well knowledgeable.....

Lillian Chesley

We had a wonderful excursion viewing the Asian, Taiwanese, and Pacific Island exhibits. It wad all pretty impressive. However, the self tour recordings were not very user friendly nor on an order that made sense, this area could stand improvements.

Ellen Powell

Absolutely wonderful exhibits. If you're a Disney fan it is a must see!!

Claudia Cossio

Educational, beautiful and and fun for the entire family.

Mingjie Xu (徐明杰)

Small but well organized museum.

Sandi Queen

I was so surprised that it is as large as it is. Had a wonderful time, but spent 5 hours doing two exhibits, we'll have to go back at least two more times to see the one building. Never mind there are two other buildings! I would recommend it to anyone. $50 gets you in for a year. Well worth it.

David Keune

It is the perfect size museum to not have to spend a whole day or feel overwhelmed with too many exhibits. The Disney archive exhibit is phenomenal and the Polynesian exhibit is a must see while it is there. Great price and staff also.

Iliana Sweet

Historic building and beautiful pieces of history and art. Went to the Frida Kahlo exhibit. A great collection of pictures.

Joel Galindo

Great place to visit when they have events!

Linda Neese

I went to see the Guo Pei exhibit it was phenomenal. She is so incredibly talented. I am a huge fan. A must see.

Henry Sotelo

Great experience and some nicely curated exhibits.

Leah Shook

I have only been here one other time for a special event, so I was unaware of the extent of their collection. The knights exhibit was excellent. We we're unable to see everything in the 4.5 hours we were there, but from what we did see, it seemed far more culturally diverse than most natural history museums. I also noticed Santa Ana residents get in free on Sundays (you may want to confirm this is every Sunday before going) so we will have to see the rest soon.

THE DUKE OF THE WORLD (THE HUMAN MECHANICS)

Excellent place to visit. Its very educational. The restaurant has very good food. The chef has an excellent choice of menu. This restaurant opens for lunch only and open for diner on the major holiday such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The museum display so many artifacts around the world. The gift shop has all the gifts. Stop by in an afternoon and enjoy what the Bower museum has to offer. Enjoy your afternoon!

Travis Schuckert

Fantastic museum and highly recommend to go check it out. It has many rooms with rotating exhibits. We went specifically for the Disney Archives, but loved entire museum. Will definitely go back in the future!

Victoria Ung

Came here for a gala. Had a great time at the venue! Staff was amazing, friendly, and helpful. The museum (what we saw of it, at least) was beautiful and a great place for a gala. It was very spacious in the seating area where we had our dinner. And the lawn had a beautiful set up and was spacious enough to have room for dancing and just socializing in general. Would definitely be interested in going back to experience the museum itself and what it has to offer some other time.

Eniko Gyorgy

Beautiful, interesting exhibits. Wonderful museum, plenty of parking. Very nice restaurant there also, to have a lunch brake.

Federico Huerta

Well maintained museum, good exhibits, it's a bit small. Caretakers were polite and helpful. Three hours well spent. If you get there very early, you might be able to enter the museum's parking for free, when I asked they told me it was all right since the person in charge of parkings hadn't arrived yet, so free parking!

John Hedges

one Great cultural museum. When I learned of it, we started going, became a member with a great gift shop; I buy beautiful cultural arts there; my wife loved the culturally inspired jewelry. And they have a totally outstanding restaurant with a wonderful souffle; love it

Naked Shot

This is a temporary review, well, technically it is a voiced invitation to the Bowers Museum for tomorrow Sunday Oct 24 at 11 a.m. in celebration of the Dia de los Muertos! The event is FREE and is my understanding that Tamales and champurrado will be in the menu for brunch. Plus fun activities in accordance with the dia de los muertos tradition. I'm Mexican and Nov 1 and 2 we honor our beloved friends or family who are no longer with us. Is a beautiful tradition if I may say so myself. A day to cook the favorite dish and favorite desert of the loved ones who one wishes to honor. Join me, in the celebration of life. Then I will write an official review. Tamales are from panaderia La poblana, a crack on the wall "mom and pop's" Mexican bakery with authentic Mexican bread, tamales, cakes etc. If you have done your share of food tasting you will agree with me when I say crack on the wall mom and pop's restaurants is where is at if you're looking for the real deal.

Remus Simmons

I went for a closer friend wedding reception and the venue was amazing. We were able to see some of the exhibits and the scenery was just amazing. Highly recommend visiting

Michael Feldman

This museum is gorgeous, and much larger than I originally expected. The Shackleton exhibit was fascinating, and the half-dozen separate exhibits I walked through were all breathtaking. There's a gemstone sculpture room that will almost bring you to tears with it's beauty; there are clay pots and stone carvings from the very dawn of Chinese civilization, roughly 10,000 years ago. It's all remarkable. Do yourself a favor and go, right now. You'll leave with a newfound love, admiration and respect for your species.

Bruce Franklin

Excellent place to spend time. Relax and enjoy. The permanent exhibits Are fascinating. The featured exhibits are always a draw. Nice shaded outdoor atmosphere in the courtyard. Visit, you won't regret it. Membership is available for a nominal fee.

Red Devil

This was totally worth the price. You get up close and personal with rare artifacts. They give you so much story in the exhibits that this is not a quick trip. Plan to spend several hours walking around, reading, looking, gawking at everything. The exhibits are EXPANSIVE and inspiring. The docents are super knowledgeable and so willing to help! And the restaurant has really great food - truly something for everything.

Victoria Steger

Lovingly curated exhibits! It's a small museum, but there's always something new to see.

Leah Cleary

Pretty small museum. Still references native tribes as "Indians". It is also really expensive for the small size. Some interesting nuggets though and they often get good traveling exhibitions. Good way to burn some time in Orange County but there are so many better museums in LA, 1-2 hours away.

Freddy Fitzgerald

The Bowers museum from the moment you enter it captures your imagination. it's Spanish and modern style architecture is stunning. There is tons to see they always have a few expositions that will blow your mind. My fiancé and I were so impressed we became members of this beautiful place. Oh and the staff is amazing! They really knew so much and were so friendly. This place is totally worth the ticket value. The only thing I wish is that they didn't charge the $6 for parking but other than that amazing! I totally recommend you going to check it out!

Raquel Wilson

This was the second time we visited the museum in less than a year. The exhibitions are always fascinating and in terms of admission fee, there is always a choice to see just the main thing (we paid $15/person this time), or all of the exhibitions (like $22/person, not sure) My mom is 84, and has limited energy so we always just pay for the main exhibition. If you ever go, make sure you go to the restaurant for lunch! The food is fantastic!! Among the 4 of us, we ordered omelettes, hamburger and cobb salad and everybody loved their order!! I had the best cobb salad ever!! Seasoned just right and all of the ingredients were so fresh and of top quality! The bread was warm and of generous portion. Great coffee too. Last time we went, we also ate there for lunch and the restaurant was part of the main attraction for us this time too!The restrooms are more than clean; they are tastefully kept. The ushers/staff there are extremely helpful. When my mom and I were trying to decided what to do next as we didn't feel like paying more for other exhibitions but did not feel like leaving yet, a friendly guard told us about a free activity in the lobby (brass rubbing sponsored by St. Luke's church of Long Beach) and we had such a great time doing that, too.The gift shop has some interesting things to look at, but too expensive for our taste.If you have a day in Orange County and are interested in visiting museums, this is a must

chris m

Went to see the Disney archive. Good exhibit.

Luis Gallardo

Wow I loved it, I'll definitely come again

Vivian VK

Nice small museum. Really like their early California section. Got there about an hour before closing. Cost $10 extra to see the special exhibit, Empress Dowager Cixi. Didn't pay. Peeked through the door, it was very small collection. I have visited The Summer Palace in Beijing. Glad I passed.

Inky W

Beautiful museum with the best South Pacific Islander collection. They have lots of great family events and a children's museum as well. Parking is easy and they get unique and interesting exhibits all the time. A real world class "neighborhood" treasure.

Ryan Stock

Wonderful exhibits! Caught the Disney Archive exhibit--it's a bit expensive at $25/person, but worth it to see all the props, art, and Jesse known history behind Walt and Roy Disney.

Kimberly Gonzales

Great museum with terrific revolving exhibits. If you're in the area, see what's being shown. Cafe is great with a great menu and service. A couple was doing wedding photos outside. What a great location for photos. If you get the chance go!

Randy Rimmey

As we go to the Italian Cinema every month, we've never been disappointed. This last Sunday was a pleasant surprise, as their was an exhibition of Knights Armour. Very well displayed, lighting was perfect, synopsis of the items was great and they had a lot of interesting objects that were in amazing shape. Having had the opportunity of seeing like items in London, Rome and Verona the Bowers Museum staff did an equal, if not better job then the mentioned cities. Keep on putting on some amazing exhibits and the Italian Cinema Experience. Thank you.

Kathy Hebert

My Aunt is a Docent at the Bowers Museum and let my hubby & I know about the new exhibits there. One is about the first expedition to make it to the Antarctic led by Sir Ernest Shackleton back in 1914. The exhibit is very well done, and my attention was held rapt listening to our Docent and seeing all that transpired. There's another beautiful exhibit that features China's Empress Dowager CIXI, with actual items of clothing, pieces of art and gifts she received during her reign. This was extremely informative as well, and being able to look at the pieces in person was a once in a lifetime experience. I'm looking forward to our next visit, which will include a new exhibit for John F Kennedy.

Marisa Garcia

Residents of Santa Ana get in free on Sundays! We try to go once a month. My 2 year old son loves going. We love when they have Catholic related exhibits. They are very educational for our family and don't mind paying extra to see them. The recent exhibit of Our Lady of Guadalupe was small but great. The video and paintings had an impact on us.

Dave Moloney

A wedding was setting up in the courtyard. Liked the New Guinea exhibition - good mix of artistic, creepy & cool objects. Huge Thanka paintings from Nepal are impressive.

D Lyerla

I had a great time at the Bob Gurr event. The staff and host were very friendly. The atmosphere was awesome.

YJ W

One of my best friends just had a wedding here a few weeks ago, and I must say it was a spectacular venue. The ceremony was outside with great trees lit up in the background, and the bride walked down a spiral staircase for everyone to see. Not to mention you get to have your actual reception inside the museum with the weird masks and artwork--so cool. My only complaint was the cocktail hour appetizers were not very delicious, and not that plentiful either. And the dinner portions were kind of small. Other than that, great service, beautiful venue, and gorgeous couple and wedding overall. I'd recommend anyone to check out the Bowers Museum as a potential venue if they're looking.

skip morris

Just an excellent regional museum with interesting programs and good permanent collections. Our annual membership was always well rewarded. I really do wish that they would return the Bell Rock in their courtyard to its original site in Bell Canyon, where years ago it was an object of cultural significance to local Native Americans.

Anwar Zaman

An excellent Museum to revisit and gather knowledge & wisdom about Cultural heritage of Different part of world.Interior is quite specious. A small entry fee is applicable. Parking lot is also available. Staff are friendly & supportive. Food item price in food Court is reasonable.

Meme Nisimo

We've watched this museum grow over the years to become a premier venue in So Cal. They bring in fantastic special exhibits on top of their wonderful standing exhibits. Parking can be an issue; not happy to pay to park in OC (land of free parking). Docents are well trained and dedicated.

Erin T.

The museum movies free visit on Sundays to people from Santa Ana and I really enjoy that because for a broke student like me it's really beneficial. And also had a good variety paintings, sculptures, history, and culture that you could explore. There's always staff walking around asking if you need assistance or simply providing more knowledge about what you're looking at. She was telling my friend about the statue's meaning towards the culture they came from and what the symbols carved into the sculpture meant.

James P

Very nice museum with lots of curious artifacts. I was surprised how busy it was, but can see why as they have interactive expos that allow you to get up close to what is being displayed. Price wise it is fair, and I highly recommend for families

Zee Pea

Hubby and I attended a wedding here. The setting is very romantic. The dinning room accommodates up to 300 people. There's a courtyard where one can serve cocktails and pose for pictures. Service is pretty attentive although the servers failed to serve the wedding cake to all the guests. And the cake was huge. Unfortunately the food was just so so. They served roasted beef & fish. The fish was fine although very small piece. The beef, also a very small piece was tough and blah in taste. Thus the 4 stars.

Julius Tan

Lots to see at the standard exhibits. They also have special exhibits that rotate about every three or four months. They offer student discounts so be sure to bring your ID of you have it. Overall the entire museum, including the special exhibit, took about an hour and a half to go through.

Jake B

Bowers is particularly good for it's traveling exhibits, but the permanent collection is nice too, and well presented. It isn't an enormous museum, but it's bigger than it looks from the outside. It's a very nice place to spend an afternoon, at its least. At best it can be a fascinating and educational experience.

changrain

Kind and warm staffs. Kids friendly. Thank you

Jackman Tse

Beautiful museum. Asian section temporarily closed but great artwork and local art history. The museum building is Spanish California architecture.

Daniel Rodrigues

Unbelievable! Love this place. Always something totally surprising to find. Also store is amazing, I got a beautiful singing bowl to gift to someone and the wrapping job was so much above and beyond, I was so impressed. The lady in the store actually makes the paper flower on the bag, talent everywhere in this place!

Gertrude George

Great, smaller museum known for its early California and Missions permanent collection. Bowers often has wonderful traveling exhibits. Most recently I visited when they were featuring an exhibit about Medieval knights. We've also seen African cultural exhibits, mummies, and a fascinating look at Madeline Albright's jeweled pins that she collected from around the world during her long diplomatic career. Easy to navigate. You pay extra for parking.

Matt Collins

This large museum occupies a landmark mission-style building with a bell tower and an open courtyard along with two large additions completed in 1992 and 2007. Extensive permanent and changing exhibits reflect cultural arts from all over the world. The museum restaurant is called Tangata and has great food! Adult admission is $15. Parking is $6. There is also limited parking on neighborhood streets nearby.

Monique Natosi

What a wonderful discovery this museum is! Very reasonable entry fee, great parking and fascinating displays. Plus an irresistible gift shop.... my grandmother and I had a lovely day here and plan to return.

Kristan Heyman

This was the first time visiting the Bowers Museum. My father in law wanted to see the Shackleton exhibit. We watched the movie about Shackleton's journey. We should have arrived to the museum much earlier. We ended running out of time and didn't get to see all of the exhibits. Our 9 year old and 13 year old kids enjoyed all of the exhibits, especially Island Pacificer area and Chinese area.

Aaron Hill

A fine museum, but with nothing special. The permanent exhibits are fairly lack luster, nothing special. The traveling exhibits that come through here can be good, but I've disappointed by a lack of actual historical material - only information and videos. The gift shop is some what overpriced, but has a wide selection.

alice colantonio

The museum, artifacts and displays are worth every moment your there... Great people... easy close parking ... and SURPISE!! Amazing meals from restaurant.

laura arraujo

First went in 1961 I believe.as a child we lived in Santa Ana.and i remember it to be an exciting place with the history in the museum even back then.i hope to see it again as an adult.

June M

I went with a group to the Bowers Museum for the Disney Archives. It was very interesting. I was exactly a year old when Disney officially stated the archives, June 22, 1970. :)

j spain Greene

Free days on Sundays for residents only. Special exhibits are about $25, regular is $15. There's also a Kidseum. Children under 12 are free. Street parking is pretty easy and they have a pay lot across the street. Nice restaurant on premises and the museum store is worthwhile. This is such a pretty space - Spanish-style architecture with a gorgeous courtyard. They have special dining events here, like a Father's Day brunch...fitting for such a lovely area. The museum itself, the exhibition spaces are quite nice. Some rooms are oddly laid out in places. I visited for the Frida Kahlo Photography exhibit. It was very nice.

Anthony Lopez

Beautiful art and sculptures, really enjoyed all the classic Disney memorabilia, the jade and gold exhibit, and art of the Pacific. Highly recommend

Julia Cassen

I love this local museum, I don't think Orange County residents take advantage of what amazing opportunities Bowers offers. The gift shop is full of super unique & creative finds and while the restaurant menu is somewhat limited, the options are extremely flavorful and one-of-a-kind.

Franklin Young

Would recommend the Empress Dowager Cixi exhibit especially if you are going to visit the Summer Palace in Beijing (or have already been there). The exhibit makes it clear that the Summer Palace was her home and the artifacts presented tell her story well. She viewed herself as the most powerful woman on earth ahead of Queen Victoria who was her contemporary. You can cover the exhibit in about one hour as it is just one large room. It closes unfortunately on March 11, 2018.

Benny Mor

Phenomenal place for after hours event.. the present of art around contributing to feel the ambiance.....the audio system need to be replaced....and it will be perfect,

Jezabel De Roun

Very nice location for a weekend outing. Not to big or crowded. Plenty of choices to which exhibit you would like to visit. A hidden gem.

Vicky Derieg

Fantastic display of supper high end designer clothes. Unbelievable embroidery work with silver and gold threads. Of course you have to be a size OO, and five feet right or taller and NEVER plan on sitting down. The lucite platform shoes then made you 4 to 6 inches taller, and you had to walk carefully. Well worth the time and money. The docent gave us a lot of background information on each series of designs Lunch in the restaurant was delightful.

Doug Cox

Signed up as a member on my first visit many years ago, and I've been a proud member ever since. Presentation of the exhibits is both subtle and precise without intruding on the observer's experience. Watch out for the gift shop, though. It's almost impossible to leave without something amazing.

Sharon Sprouse

Great little museum devoted to the culture of many different countries. I highly recommend this place. Interesting exhibit now. Guo Pei a famous Chinese designer. Accepted to the prestigious Haute coutre in France. Some of out of this world designs. If you are interested in design it be worth a look. Other permanent exhibits are wonderful.

diane

This is a great small museum. The temporary shows are always worth a look. We've been going since my college-age nephew was 5 or 6 when we went to see Egyptian mummies. Good times.

R Andres

Cool museum with interesting exhibits. It can be a bit pricey, but they offer many free days and discounts for students. Be prepared to pay $10 for parking, street parking is pretty difficult in the area.

Jenna Davis

First time going. My 10 year old son ❤ it and wants to go back. We were there for the July 4th celebration.

Michael Alcala

Great small museum in walking distance from my house. The current Tamayo exhibit is excellent. Pretty amazing that I can see works of art from around the world come to my neighborhood!

Mike Bakoss

First rate museum with a wide wide variety of incredible artifacts and artwork. Definitely recomend the guided tour.

Nick Renner

Great place to spend a day!

Randy Kline

Beautiful museum with varied artifacts from different areas. Much local history from San Juan Capistrano to California paintings.

H

A fun little museum. Bigger than expected. The Indonesian section & ancient section was cool - but the other half of the museum - including the disney portion was a bit underwhelming.

Jordan Larrea

Really cool museum. I was surprised at how much it had to offer. Exhibits were interesting. Looking forward to returning soon.

TwoSided

It was a really great experience, I enjoyed the amount of content and rooms of just different topics there were such as, sculptures from Western Mexico in 200.

Ramona Lisa

Welcomed by the attractive structure & wonderful scents of roses & jasmine. The guide for the JFK exhibit was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, Ellen. Also enjoyed the history of the Native Americans. Great old building.

Theresa Lindsey

Very nice patio and charcuterie snacks

Brianna Knowlton

Absolutely loved the exhibits here. The disney one is a must see and the gold and jade exhibit. Beautiful pieces and nostalgia.

Randa D'Aoust

Beautiful small museum with interesting permanent exhibits & rotating special exhibits. The restaurant (Tangata) is worth the visit & the gallery store has a great selection of art books, cards & other items.

Jun T

Love this museum. Always has great exhibits but it is a little pricey. It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and the exhibitions are hit and miss but overall very interesting.

Austin Coulson

I've been to this museum a few times and I have always been happy. We have seen the Terra Cotta Warriors and mummies that are thousands of years old. We live in Riverside and it's surprising how quick we can actually get there and back. My 6 year old has a great time while learning. Theres nothing better than that!

Chris Pounds

California history as told through art, this beautiful setting hosts Orange County classics like portraits and still lifes from the 1880-1930s. A room with items from the mission period might do with some modernized language. 'Indians helped build the missions' might not match 21st Century historical perspectives. Native artifacts are kept in a different room with an archeological approach. Exhibitions change regularly and look to link to either local collectors or regional work. Restaurant on site was hopping!

Aaron Alvarez

Great venue for weddings and quinceañeras. My recommendation is to get the permit for 1 hour of photography inside which is way better than outside for some beautiful pictures with a professional photographer.

Barbara Bearden

A lovely small museum, they have wonderful exhibits about California history as well as most interesting traveling ones as well. Not to be missed! And, they have a children's museum just a bit down the street.

Miriam Prell

I love every visit to the Bowers and have since 1971 when I first visited as a third-grader on a field trip. This past visit (July 2017) was for a program about George Gershwin for which I bought two tickets. The excellent presentation was a combo lecture + historical photos and videos format. Engaging! The Bowers then emailed to me a survey a few days after attending, and I filled it out promptly to receive a free ticket for another program of my choice from its current offerings.

K Sifuentes

For being a smaller museum they have been fortunate to obtain funding and donations from many which have allowed them to brings such fascinating exhibits like; The terra cotta warriors Egypts mummys And many others. This place is worth every penny. It has made our family experience enjoyable. A very clean and well maintained museum that offers additional programs for children and adults alike.

Jorn Henderson Google Ambassador

1 of best exhibits & experiences from any museum in 🌎 (been 2 a few lol). Better time than if went 2 actual Disneyland Park (been 2 those 2 lol). Words don't exist 2 describe the joy & depth, scope, & history detailed in THE Disney Archives... def #happiestplaceonearth HIGHLY RECOMMEND G1 LvL10

Victoria Levin

The jade and gold exhibit is outstanding! It closes today. They are open until 4. A real must see!

Martha Jensen

Excellent museum. Was therefor a presentation. Comfortable seats in Kershaw auditorium. Wonderful speaker. Gift shop small. Full of multicultural books, cards, artifacts, clothing, jewelry. Quality and variety of exhibits excellent. Staff helpful and curteous.

Terry O Donovan

This wonderful museum offers a variety of exhibits. All are beautifully displayed and well presented. The food and service at the museum restaurant is all good and reasonably priced. I will definitely be back.

Robert P

Great museum with history on the missions. The collection changes every so often. People often get married or take photos in the courtyard. They have events held there too.

Sal Maya

Had a party here and they were excellent

Janice Chung

California history arts & culture, compact and intimate, not crowded and reasonable senior admission and parking on a weekday. Docents availability. Nice grounds and restaurant, gift shop.

Maryssa Kane

The Disney exhibit was beautiful. Totally worth it.

BlurryFace Nobody (Savvy)

Very nice and intriguing exhibits! I wish there were more things on the menu and possibly a soft drinks section on there so I dont have to have the waiter/waitress tell me all the drinks

Paul Reid

The Japanese Hanami Festival was crowded and not that organized. But the cultural events (fan and lantern painting, candy making, dances, etc.) were interesting and well done. We also enjoyed Guo Pei's fashions in the special show. Bowers is a good small museum with a lot of art from all over the world and a lot from California if you haven't visited. We have passes and like the special shows that come through.

Susannah Kelemen

Unbelievable place to have an event! Very nice and clean. Staff goes above and beyond.

Sandra Cardin

Took my grandchildren and they really enjoyed learning so much on their visit. Jade exhibit was a huge hit.

Amy Eff

I only visited the exhibition "Ancient Arts of China". Nicely put together. Lighting was good for 99% of displays. Would have been 5 stars if display information cards had more details about objects on display, information was very generalized.

Julie Strickler

Visited the Bowers Museum to purchase a years membership for myself and family. The employees were very friendly and helpful. Cant wait to visit !

Douglas Fong

We were pleased with our visit while vacationing in Southern California. It had an interesting Asian display that we enjoyed seeing. Not bad for a smaller museum.

Cheryl Moore

Wonderful place nice staff and docents are very friendly. Enjoyed the Emperor's exhibit .very clean restrooms parking was easy . would recommend an outing to the Bower.loved it!

Randall Thais (Dr. R Ralph Thais)

Great museum and very knowledgeable staff. A bit overpriced for the exhibits though. $25 each to go walking around a couple rooms just didn't feel worth it to see the Khalo exhibit.

Susan M

Exceptional art from California & around the world. The Spanish style architecture of the building, the property is elegant and inviting.

Adonna Bustamante

Paid $13.00 To see Lucy that was it. Cost too much. $6.00 for parking. Was there only 40 minutes. Cost should have included all exhibits. Won't recommend this to anyone. Saw bones. Saw artist model. These things wrre on the web site. Way over rated, saw. More in National Geographic magazine.

Nate Tinner-Williams

Great wedding venue! Also, the art that I got to take a look at during breaks was very unique and interesting. My friend said the two lightpost out front on the corner is a marker for El Camino Real, the historic road connecting the 21 Spanish missions in California.

David Mobley

Not that large, but interesting, and the special Knights in Armor exhibit was lovely, better even than suits of armor I've seen at much larger museums. Definiyely worthwhile.

Rodney S

I spent hours at the Bowers. Today was free admission because Target sponsors Free Admission Sundays on the first Sunday of every month. This month, New Year's was on the first Sunday, so Free Admission was pushed back a week. My main interest was checking out the Warriors, Tombs & Temples Terracotta Warriors. The Warriors, Tombs & Temples temporary exhibit was fairly large w/many sculptures. I accidentally took a pic w/flash and alarm bells sounded. I felt like there was a jail break or prison riot. One of the staff just told everyone "No flash photography", not knowing I was the one who did it. Wheew! I still had my anonymity. I noticed that as I was browsing other sections of the Terracotta Warrior exhibit, the alarm went off quite a few more times. Thankfully, it wasn't me. There was also a large sculpture of the Medicine Buddha, which I have posted, which I really enjoyed. I was fascinated by the Scrimshaw Whaling exhibit. The bones and teeth of sperm whales, porpoises and seals were used to make a myriad of household items and artwork. Some items included spoons/forks, clothespins, pie crimpers & salt/pepper shakers. The artwork on whale bone was simply beautiful. The Spirit & Headhunters exhibit was interesting, too. Masks, weapons & statues were on display. I didn't notice the human teeth necklace, or if I did see it, I wasn't aware the necklace was made from human teeth. Some of the weapons were pretty bad-ass! The Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit was my second favorite exhibit, behind the Warriors, Tombs & Temples. The skill & dexterity showcased on the intricately carved elephant tusks is truly remarkable. Seems like artistry on that level has been lost to antiquity. There were sculptures of horses & camels that were quite lifelike. There is also an exquisite chess set, too. The permanent exhibits were nice to check out, such as Pio Pico's carriage. However, I didn't spend as much time there as I did in the featured exhibits. Funny note-there is a guy dressed as a Terracotta warrior that takes pictures with people by the entrance & he periodically walks around the museum. As the Terracotta warrior walked toward a corner, a teenage woman was also turning the corner on the opposite side & she jumped as he walked by. Classic! I enjoyed my time at the Bowers Museum. However, I think the cost of admission is a little too pricy. My recommendation - Check it out during Free Admission First Sunday!

Tustin CA Viewer Guy

Wonderful Museum. The Empress exhibit is very interesting because it is the first time I learned that China did have a woman leader. Well worth the time and review of amazing art.

Richard L

One of the few museum that focus in Asian culture. Most other museum in Socal is mostly just about European. However, this one is exception. It focus in Asian in general, they large collection of pacific island art is impressive. The best part is street parking is general free and is free admission first sunday of the monday.

Lorena Garibay

The Disney archive was a amazing experience...inhopw they bring something like this back to there location again and they also had cute archive merchandise too

Artsy Feline

Had a long, leisurely lunch there. Food was well prepared and nicely presented. Our waiter was gracious and accomodating allowing us plenty of time for conversation. Would certainly go again.

A Parker

Ok had good brunch, enjoyed the fashion exhibit was a good day for me and my husband I bought 3 necklaces my daughter paid one for advanced Birthday gift the gift shop is awesome they have good stuff

Joyce Endo

Went to drive by pick up for an Art Craft kit ordered online and the staff and process were excellent. Thank you for offering this service.

Ana Ramirez

My uncle's wedding happened here. It's such a cute place.

Anita Perez

Very nice place clean easy parking lots of information

Dave Keys

Excellent educational and cultural venue that surpasses expectations for the local area. It actually competes at the level of LACMA or the Natural History Museum in LA and surpasses them routinely by offering unique well acquired exhibitions offered nowhere else. I still remember the Terra Cotta army event several years ago, as well as Egyptian mummy events that were absolutely priceless. Local teachers: You should write grants specifically for this venue. Your students can benefit just as much as from a trip to LA and at a much lower cost.

Gary Standke

What a surprise adventure into the craft of indigenous people throughout the world. Great staff to direct, easy parking, wonderful layout.

Jeff Brown

Spacious facilities with well curated collections & rotating special exhibits. Friendly stsff.

M. D.

This museum is very famous in Santa ana and orange county lots of weddings taking pictures and quencera and there's always something new inside to see and some time they have foods Restaurant inside.

John C Wang

Was there for their outdoor free jazz event. Very good.

Eva Yu Cheung

Enough to see and read for a few hours. Today's lunar new years celebration was well done - interactive fun for kids and enough differences from the usual faire to keep adults entertained.

monica ybarra

I've been visiting this museum since childhood. These days I enjoy art classes every few weeks here

Andrew Stewart MacKenzie Smith

Very large museum and price of admission is reasonable. They seem to switch out the exhibits quite a bit so there is always something new to see.

Melody Cerra

It's a small museum so very doable in a couple of hours. It specializes in art of the Pacific - West coast, islands, Asia etc. Love their collection of California Plein Air art. It also has a lovely restaurant, Tangata.

Timothy Jang

Came here for a wedding. The venue is really nice. There is lots of space for seating and parking is a breeze. Didn't see many exhibits, but as a venue it's great

Debra Ekas

A gem of culture in Santa Ana. The collection on Chinese culture was fascinating and we'll curated. The California history exhibition was very interesting. And we loved the Frida Kahalo photography exhibition.

Maxwell Monroe

I was pleasantly surprised at the exhibitions on display and I will be headed back to get a good look at all of the pieces I missed! The only thing I had a problem with were the visible spiderwebs hanging from the walls to some of their pieces.

Maria Robledo

Great exhibit

Susan Belson

Much nicer than expected! Small museum with the highest attention to detail in presenting the various exhibits. Diverse, compact, beautiful. Had a lovely lunch in the restaurant.

Patricia Maillard

Exquisite experience at the Bowers always. Long way from home but always worth it. They do a great job of presentation, hospitality and all else to ensure a good experience.

Tiffany Dasha

Very nice museum in Orange County. It's not big, but it's definitely worth a visit. The staff is also very friendly.

Ian Beavis

This is a wonderful small museum.Its permanent collection is excellent but it regularly has wonderful temporary exhibits.The museum store is not to be missed either. It has some of the best ethnic jewellry around at very reasonable orices

Sami Delgado

My prom was held here and it was absolutely gorgeous. The courtyards are lovely and the exhibits that were visible were very intriguing.

Stephanie Dailey

A very cool museum! As a local to Orange County, I wish I had taken the time to visit sooner. I’ll recommend to all guests to stop in and check it out.

Colette Abraham

Been years since I visited Bowers. A lot has changed, lots of updated exhibits. Really enjoyed the New Guinea Hunter Gather exhibit!

Jonathan Beard

We visited this museum to see the “ENDURANCE: THE ANTARCTIC LEGACY OF SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON AND FRANK HURLEY” exhibit and it was well worth it. The “SPIRITS AND HEADHUNTERS: ART OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS” was also worth seeing.

Susan Sanchez

Bowers museum is fun,educational, very informed docents, wonderful, interesting exhibits, planning on going to see the current exhibit of empress cixi, have been to 2 exhibits this year, the virgen of Guadalupe & the pictures of Frida Khalo, always something interesting at the Bowers museum, you'll enjoy it

Natalie Roberts

Great place for the whole family. Parking couldn’t have been easier, we enjoyed the exhibit, lunch was wonderful.

Valerie (Bakamermaid)

Beautiful art works and exhibits. I especially enjoyed the Spirits and Headhunter's exhibit. Not expensive and a very fun and educational time.

Richard Brown

World-class museum right here in Santa Anna. Impressive permanent exhibitions (Asian, Pacific, and California history) and a *great* visiting exhibition of African ceremonial photos .

Laura LeDoux

Always a great time. Lovely exhibits, easy parking and reasonable price. Great atmosphere in the restaurant!

Ofelia Hernandez

It was the best time I had lots of stuff to see

Annette Blaney

Bowers is the quitzenachal gem which offers the cultural depths of a large city museum within the confines of a small town setting. Docents are knowledgeable and well versed on the exhibits offered. The current exhibit features a Chinese designer Pei's haute clothing line. There inhouse restaurants is 5 star quality.

César Mejía

Such a hidden gem ... they always have the best and most unique exhibits, and the restaurant is pretty good too.

Debbie Andrews

Great fun. Kids had a scavenger hunt that kept them busy so we could look at all the amazing things. Great place fir everyone.

Dominique Tran

Very nice museum. I had the opportunity to see the Japanese Bamboo Art Collection and it was displayed beautifully. The front desk people were very helpful as well.

Eric Tygenhof

Wonderful visiting exhibits. Much of the permanent exhibitions are fascinating material that isn't seen in any other museum I've been to.

S. Chastity Bowman

Beautiful museum! Friendly staff! Came for the Disney Archives Exhibit and had a great time!!!

Eva Eriksen

The Bowers is a great museum. Always good exhibits and a.wonderful diverse gift shop. If you're a member you get a discount as well.

Bob Lee

It's a small but beautiful museum best known for its China, Pacific Islands, and California exhibits. The Thirsty Thursdays events are different and enjoyable.

Luz Abrego

Great place, takes about 1 or 2 hours minimum to see everything. There is a reserved parking spot, I believe it's $6 per vehicle. Recommend!

Gordon Collier

I always enjoy this museum. My family painted wooden fans and then toured the display of outrageous dresses from China. Excellent afternoon!

Brian Peppard

Small museum that isn't very elaborate but has several interesting exhibits, including ones on the Pacific Islands and ancient China.

Nuno Sardinha

Really cool exhibition. Great museum.

Tammy BarnesMartin

Great little museum. Really wonderful mix of traveling exhibits come here. Always a delight to visit here.

David Cheung

Bowers Museum exhibit Inside the Disney Archives was fantastic! Lots of history and it even includes some Fox properties now!

Carlos Hernandez

Great museum go for a visit

Stephanie Jackson

Not a huge place but well worth at least a single visit. Their special events and exhibits seem great.

Jeannine N Christian

I attended the D23 event on 12/17, beautiful experience and museum. Thank you

Cameron Mummery

Great place to go for a couple hours. Especially when they have an interesting special exhibit

FURNARI MCCARTNEY

This museum is fairly small but it's got some cool exhibits to see. I came for the mummies of the world exhibit and had a wonderful time.

Simon Wang

The museum is definitely worthy a visit! Great art pieces!

Brian Lansangan

Great exhibits and nice location. Had a great time.

Barbie Witham

A wonderful local museum with lots of interesting exhibits. FREE on Sundays for local residents. Nice cafe and gift shop too.

Arlem Vargas

Small Museum, always with great exhibition, Museum Anual pass members get first look on private exhibits, Botero Art Exhibition was amazing, Terra-cotta Warriors, Egyptian Mummies also one of my favorites

Stan F

An ever changing series of fabulous exhibits. restaurant is great if you can get seated - very busy.

Ana Gallardo

I liked the bowers museum regardless of the event that i was at an event the place was neatly cleaned workers were attentive and helplfull also there was plenty of parking which i didnt know there i thought there was only one place of parking i defenetly recommend the bowers museum

Yvette Morris

Lovely small museum w/interesting rotating exhibits. They have a wonderful restaurant where I had an amazing heirloom tomato soup!

Stephen Wong

Beautiful museum located in what seems to be an old mission. Great exhibits showcasing the history of Orange County

Christine Bierdrager

Some interesting exhibits. Nice garden. Good for a quick escape from daily life.

Daniel Eidsness

Bowers museum was fascinating, we went because of the mummies exhibit, it was amazing and a great experience. My whole group loved it.

Abby Amador

Good exhibits and nice grounds too, they have a restaurant. If you are a student you pay a bit less.

herman monster

OK, too much money for the exhibit and parking. This limits lower income families from attending.

Julie Cosgrove

Museum is small and manageable. Restaurant has an unbelievably limited menu. Eat before you get there.

Michelle J Rojas

I take my residents here, its a perfect size for people that don't want to walk to much, yet want to see alot. Great set up.

Am Pom

The exhibit of Our Lady of Guadalupe was beautiful. There were so many images to look through.

Jonathan Littman

Great muesem but they charge for parking , which would be ok but the entrance fee is a little high because they also charge more to see the special exhibit.

michael walsh

My fav museum in OC. The exhibits are beautiful.with.amazibg artifacts

I Am

Love these Museum. Every time I go I see something different!

Megs F

I love this place. I think it well curated, and enjoy both the permanent and visiting exhibits. Very affordable to

Karen Morley

Great exhibits, lovely historic building, and wonderful staff. Also an excellent gift shop

Nancy Mcilroy

Very impressed with the Disney displays and impressed with the people who worked in the Cafe and gift shop.

jaclyn schmitt

This museum has been my go to for 30years... And I'm 37! They even get exhibits like the Terra Cotta Soldiers!!

Darci Bodin

Great museum with a variety of exhibits. Wonderful gift shop as well. Docents are knowledgeable.

Brian Sitz

I've only experienced the outside, but even still, it's a good idea.

J. T.

Just really cool stuff to look at Sea history art and a nice restaurant to eat lunch or dinner. And the people are nice very nice there.

Grammy Callahan

What a treat to see the museum and exhibitions. Well worth the price of admission. Loved it!

Suraya Arslan

Frida Khalo photo exhibit was beautifully intimate. The first Americans gallery was another must see.

Karen Devine

Small community museum with special exhibits that are always fun, beautiful, and educational. Great for all ages.

Edward Broomfield

Great museum in Orange County currently there's a good gold and Jade exhibition.

Minh Huynh

Nothing special. They do have monthly events good for kids. Would not travel far to go too but if you are in the neighborhood then sure

Rosa Zorrilla

Had a very nice time. We also saw the Frida Kalo exhibit which was interesting, couldn't take pics of that exhibit.

Jennifer Lynne

This museum seriously has some really beautiful Hispanic art work and carvings unbelievable corbels just so detailed and beautiful

Bismarck Garcia

Interesting exhibits. But there isn't that much to do or see. It's a relatively small museum when you compare it to others.

Jan Thuney

Fabulous exhibit on Shackelford and Antarctica and JFK. My 14 year old grandson enjoyed the visit, too.

Pol Steel

The people running this Museum know what they're doing and it's unfortunate I overheard someone talk about that someone ran away with a lot of the money that was donated.

Lincoln Garcia

I use to drive limos and drove to the musem for wedding photos sweet 15 photos parking was pretty easy for me to park in front of the musem then I had to wait a while photos were taken and I would browse the musem to kill time it was nice

Ramiro Cardenas

Small but great. Visit its worth the time. Not doing anything stop by Bowers Museum.

Judith Perry

Really good museum. Nice displays

Jason Mott

Visited the small restaurant inside for the first time. Was impressed by its quality, service, and upscale feel. Our waiter was very friendly and courteous.

Andrew Castillo

A great local museum. Always has really interesting exhibits. A good place to go and learn a thing or two about a thing or two

Jacob Baker

A stellar museum for the reasonable price and some great art rotations.

Daryn Cazin-Desrosiers

An amazing community resource full of great local history. An absolute must see and the gift shop is amazing!

Gabi Picard

A wonderful little museum with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Easy to see everything in a couple hours.

Dexter Wang

Very nice eclectic museum in Santa Ana. Easy to spend 3+ hours there. Very nice restaurant for lunch.

Paula Manegdeg

We love first Sundays!!! Wish there were more discounts for the museum for Orange residents

paul/heidi schiffer

Beautiful, well managed museum! The restaurant was amazing, small menu but delicious food !

Angely Andrade

Beautiful architecture . Nice green space to have a picnic. Deep immersion into California's history

David Love

The Disney exhibit brought back so many wonderful memories 💖. …

Cheril

Very interesting things to see. Areas are well designed to display the art etc. Gift shop is too expensive and somewhat boring.

Jeremy

very nice museum. really enjoyed the event they had on.

Jeanmarie Arman

Always have the most amazing exhibits. One of the best museums in SoCal.

Kirea Rose Fulkerson

I enjoyed the vist to this museum very much great staff and so clean. Parking is close to.

Leo Yao

Give yourself a peace, quite, quality time by enjoy the exhibitions in the museum.

Dee Rodgers

As always the place rocked. Been coming to view for over 40 years and would recommend to all. Magic and history all in one.

Kate

less than I expected. One staff was not friendly. Why was she so rude to us? 🤨 more kindness please …

Virginia Fitzpatrick

Helpful staff. Large variety of displays covering 3 centuries of California history. Learned what was so unique about the state.

Kevin Judd

Not too crowded reasonable price keep an eye out for special exhibits like the Endurance exhibit

Brenda Walters

Lovely museum! I especially enjoyed the Knights in Armor exhibit, and Carved Gemstones.

Susan Liao

Nice art. Not too many people. You can enjoy all art pieces.

Mary Mintie

Went to check out membership, I had a good experience obtaining info from the staff and marvelled at the tapestries and wooden sculptures. I'll be going back.

Robyn Hawk

I love this little museum - all the quaint of a small town museum with collections that will rival some of the finest big city locations.

Emily Blaum

I like the building and they bring interesting exhibits. Good for families

Silvia Reed

Very nice museum, I enjoy all the exhibitions!

David Vaught

Great exhibits. Polite staff. They have haute couture dresses from paris right now.

Maria Rivera

A fantastic array of curated exhibits that are not just enticing to the eye but very informative for all ages.

Helen Pines

I go twice a month. I am a docent. Enjoy all the exhibits

Janet Penney

Very elegant museum. Really cool stuff to look at Sea history.

Liane Courtright

This was fun, inexpensive and educational. Kept my daughter entertained for 2 hours with a photo scavenger hunt.

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