Located in Santa Ana, the Bowers Museum is a cultural institution offering art and history exhibitions drawn from a range of global traditions and civilizations. The museum presents both ongoing collections and rotating exhibitions, along with educational programs designed for visitors of various ages. It serves the broader Southern California community, including residents from La Mirada and surrounding areas, as a destination for exploring world cultures through art, artifacts, and interpretive displays. The museum also offers ticketed events and community programming tied to its collections and special exhibitions.
Our Address
2002 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92706, USALocated in Santa Ana at 2002 N Main St, the Bowers Museum is a Southern California arts and culture institution serving visitors interested in fine art, world cultures, and historical collections. The museum presents rotating exhibitions drawn from its permanent collections as well as traveling shows, covering subjects that range from American quilts and California watercolor painting to acquisitions that reflect diverse global traditions. It also hosts public programs and events, including sound immersions and other experiential offerings.
For La Mirada residents, the Bowers Museum is a practical destination within the broader Orange County region, accessible for day visits and suitable for a range of ages and interests. The museum serves individuals, families, school groups through its education programs, and those interested in supporting the arts through membership or donation. Facility rental is also available for private events.
Currently celebrating its 90th year, the museum maintains a gallery store, a collections blog available in both English and Chinese, and an active events calendar. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the museum’s website, which is useful for popular or sold-out programs. The museum’s scope — spanning art history, cultural heritage, and community programming — makes it a resource for residents looking to engage with arts and culture beyond what is typically available closer to home.
Very nice facility and museum. Secure parking, gorgeous antique mission style building. Wonderful grounds for school events and functions. Smaller museum, but plenty to fill an entire afternoon. Rotating exhibits and some permanent works. Fine art american paintings to chinese miniatures and tapestries and presently, an African artifact exhibit. We enjoyed it with 4 generations of family. Highly recommended.
Recently went to see the Terracotta Warriors exhibit. Well curated and not too crowded. We went on a day where there was a separate festival in the courtyard. The permanent exhibits are also enjoyable. Parking can be tricky, especially on weekends where there are other activities going on; however, there were other additional overflow lots and street parking. Street parking may be free or metered and may be less than the on-site parking fees. Ate at the Tabata restaurant and the food was good. The hostess did a great job accommodating our large party as a walk-in request.
An excellent museum with both permanent and local conditions, focusing on cultures. Highlights include the Chinese, local Californian, and Polynesian permanent collections, with a mix of cultural artifacts and visual art, as well as a rotating set of collections that are often in collaboration with other museums. These exhibits tend to last a few months, and need separate tickets. The special exhibits are a bit cut off from the permanent collection physically, but the overall flow of the museum is nice. There are a variety of events hosted here, from the free cultural and family events during the main cultural holidays (including Chinese New Year), to specialized events for the exhibits themselves, such as board game nights. Sometimes, guest lecturers can provide greater insight into an exhibit with special lectures. Parking is available but does need to be paid for.
Small and clean museum that offers monthly free services for residents. I have been eager to try their singing bowls but something always comes up. We went for the Japanese cherry blossom festival this month of April and they has lots of performances and some tasty treats. Seating was limited but overall had a great time.
The newest exhibit, "Global Threads, India's Textile Revolution" at the Bower's Museum is fantastic! I have always loved sewing and fabrics, and this exhibit taught me so much about how Chintz fabric was traded, the political side of it, along with the international economies. They are true artists, and I highly recommend everyone to go check it out.