Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
Explore the best best museums & educational spots for kids options for kids and families in Newport Beach
ExplorOcean - Balboa Arcade
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Balboa Island Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center (main entrance)
Estuary exhibits & interactive displays. Spacious education center features estuary history exhibits & interactive displays, Tuesday-Sunday.
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Birding, biking & an interpretive center. Home to many bird species, this 135-acre park offers an interpretive center & hiking/biking trails.
Heroes Hall Museum
Veterans' museum with free entry. Free museum & education center with exhibits & programs celebrating Orange County veterans.
Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum
Longboards & other historic memorabilia. Museum dedicated to the aquatic sport offers a look at old longboards & other surf memorabilia.
Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute & Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA)
Center for CA-inspired Impressionist art. Museum of rotating exhibits dedicated to American Impressionist art depicting the CA landscape.
Orange County Museum of Art
Long-standing museum for modern artwork. Venerable museum features a collection of modern & contemporary artwork, tours & educational events.
MUSEUM of WOMAN
Visit this great place for kids and families!
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities
Indoor go-kart racing. Chain of indoor racing centers featuring electric go-karting for all skill levels, plus food.
Heritage Museum of Orange County
Restored buildings from the 1890s. Attraction featuring restored homes & buildings from the 1890s set amid extensive floral gardens.
Marconi Automotive Museum
Classic, exotic & historic car displays. This nonprofit museum exhibiting luxury, rare & historic cars donates admission fees to charity.
Laguna Art Museum
Waterfront gallery with contemporary art. Contemporary art museum with a permanent collection of over 3,500 works & a waterfront setting.
Bowers Kidseum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Old Town Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bowers Museum
Global art, lectures & a restaurant. Mission Revival-style museum for global art (permanent & temporary), lectures & an eatery, Tangata.
The Escape Game Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Irvine Spectrum Center Giant Wheel
Family-friendly ride with city views. Day or night attraction with 52,000 LED lights & panoramic city views from the top.
Pretend City Children's Museum
Imaginary town & exhibits for kids. Set up as a pretend city, this kids' museum has a post office, cafe, farm & other interactive areas.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Stanley Ranch Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Showcase of local 20th-century art. Watercolor & oil paintings by 1900s artists, depicting diverse Californian landscapes & city scenes.
Flightdeck + Rogue Racing
Interactive flying experience for groups. Flight simulator for ages 11 & up replicates the feeling of being in a cockpit & flying a plane.
Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center
Unique art exhibits for kids & adults. This contemporary museum hosts three inventive art exhibits a year & caters to all ages.
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens
Historic adobe ranch home & garden tours. Expansive property includes a historic adobe ranch home, gardens & horse barns, plus guided tours.
Children for Planet Earth
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Knott's Berry Farm Independence Hall
Replica of a famous historic building. Reproduction of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, including a copy of the Liberty Bell.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
Knights & jousting-themed dinner theater. Jousting, horsemanship & falconry plus a 4-course, utensil-free meal served in a castle-like space.
Camelot Golfland
Long-running choice for mini golf & more. Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
Long Beach Museum of Art
Exhibits & a cafe on a scenic bluff. Museum & a cafe on a bluff-top site featuring galleries with works by Southern California artists.
Ocean Institute
Maritime science & history exhibits. Coastal visitor center with marine wildlife, school programs & interactive exhibits on oceanography.
River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Spanish mission & historical museum. Landmark Spanish mission founded in 1776 with historic exhibits, cultural events & a gift shop.
Fullerton Museum Center
Rotating art, history & science exhibits. Educational space showcasing diverse exhibitions & programs in history, science, art & humanities.
Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
Modern spot for Latin American fine art. Contemporary Latin American art & educational programs featured at a museum with a sculpture garden.
Long Beach Firefighter's Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea-life exhibits in a waterfront space. Pacific Ocean dwellers on display at this large aquarium with touch tanks & behind-the-scenes tours.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
26-acre botanical garden. A sprawling, 26-acre greenspace featuring 4,000+ types of plants, walking trails & a museum.
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.
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