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Museums and Educational Attractions in Orange County, CA
Explore›Orange County, CA›Museums and Educational Attractions

A day out that teaches something.

Museums and Educational Attractions in Orange County, CA

Looking for museums and educational attractions in Orange County? Here are 8 of them, with the details parents check first: price, opening hours and the right age range. Admission runs $7 to $23, based on the 4 here that publish a price.

8 museums and educational attractions in the Orange County area

Find a museum in Orange County

8 museums and educational attractions in the Orange County area.

Sorted by distance from Santa Ana, nearest first. Straight-line miles, so every drive is longer.

8 places

Bowers Museum

Bowers Museum

Museums · Ages 6–16
Closed today · Admission $15
Accepts NARM
1.2 mi View place
Discovery Cube Orange County

Discovery Cube Orange County

Museums · Ages 3–12
Today 10am–5pm · Admission $23
Accepts ASTC Passport Program

Discovery Cube Orange County, located at 2500 N Main St in Santa Ana, CA, is a hands-on science center designed for children, educators, and families. Kids can…

1.7 mi View place
Orange County Museum of Art

Orange County Museum of Art

Museums
Closed today · Free admission
Accepts NARM

The museum is open and located on the campus of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa

3.8 mi View place
Martin Aviation

Martin Aviation

Museums
No hours listed · No price listed
4.9 mi View place
Lyon Air Museum

Lyon Air Museum

Museums
No hours listed · No price listed
5 mi View place
MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center

MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center

Museums · Ages 1–12
Closed today · Admission $7
Accepts NARM

A museum and cultural center in Anaheim housed in a restored 1906 Carnegie Library building alongside a contemporary gallery space. Families can explore rotating…

6.6 mi View place
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton

Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton

Museums
Today 9am–4pm · No price listed
Accepts NARM

Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton is a 26 acre botanic garden on the campus of California State University. The garden hosts two museums…

9.9 mi View place
Laguna Art Museum

Laguna Art Museum

Museums
Closed today · Admission from $10
Accepts NARM

Laguna Art Museum is the museum of California art. It collects, cares for, and exhibits works of art that were created by California artists or represent the life…

14.7 mi View place
Nothing here matches that combination. Clear a filter, or browse everything in Orange County.

5 of 8 museums and educational attractions

Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.

Before you go

Quick answers for busy parents.

Look for a free day or eveningMany museums run one. It is the busiest time, but it is free.
Ask for the children’s trailMost have a backpack, a trail sheet or a hunt, and most keep them behind the desk rather than advertising them.
Check which galleries suit your childA museum can be brilliant for a nine-year-old and a long hour for a three-year-old. The website usually says which rooms are hands-on.
Bags and coatsLarger museums require a cloakroom for anything big, which is worth knowing before you carry it round.
Other things to do in Orange County
Amusement Parks Arcades Bowling Alleys Family Entertainment Centers Ice Skating Rinks Indoor Playgrounds Trampoline Parks Zoos and Aquariums
Museums and Educational Attractions in nearby cities
Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA Phoenix, AZ San Jose, CA East Bay, CA San Francisco, CA Sacramento, CA Denver, CO

Common questions about museums and educational attractions in Orange County

How many museums and educational attractions are there in Orange County?

We list 8 museums and educational attractions within 24 miles of Orange County, CA. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.

Which museums and educational attractions in Orange County publish their prices?

5 of the 8 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.

Are any museums and educational attractions in Orange County free?

Yes. One place gets you in free: Orange County Museum of Art.

Which museums and educational attractions in Orange County suit a toddler?

One of them lists an age range starting at two or under. Check the age line on each card, because a place that suits a six-year-old does not always suit a two-year-old.

How did Mini Navigators choose these museums and educational attractions?

We list every one we have within 24 miles of the center of Orange County. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.

Do adults have to pay?

It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. 5 of the 8 on this page publish a price at all, so call ahead about the adult rate before you rely on it.

Do I need to book ahead?

Free museums often still ask you to reserve a slot, and special exhibitions almost always do. Where a venue publishes a booking page, the listing links straight to it.

What should I bring?

Water and a snack for outside. Many museums do not allow food in the galleries. Whatever else you need is in the notes beside the listings above.

What else is there to do with kids in Orange County?

Orange County has 9 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The Orange County hub lists all of them.

Listings last checked October 5, 2026.

Explore related activities in Orange County

Amusement Parks 13 places Arcades 6 places Bowling Alleys 8 places

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