Bowers Museum
Bowers Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Take a trip around the globe at the Bowers Museum! Opened in 1936, the Bowers prides itself on showcasing world-class arts and cultures in a warm, inviting space located in the heart of Orange County. Bowers has been voted "Best Museum in Orange County" by OC Register for 26 years and has organized more than 50 special exhibitions in just the past 15 years in partnership with some of the greatest museums in the world. Recent highlights include blockbusters such as Terra Cotta Warriors, Mummies: Treasures from the British Museum, Guo Pei: Couture Beyond, and Inside the Walt Disney Archives. Over 100,000 square feet and surrounded by lush gardens, the Bowers campus includes a 296 seat auditorium, 12,000 square feet of event space, a Patina-owned Tangata Restaurant, a robust Gallery Store, 8 permanent exhibitions, and spectacular featured exhibits on rotation, to ensure a full day of engaging fun with every visit. Bowers Museum, bringing the world to you.
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- Rosemary WSeattle, Washington1,560 contributionsInteresting Cultural ExperienceI haven't been here in at least 30 years, and it has certainly changed over time. My recollection is that it was once all about California. There are still a California exhibits, but the scope has now expanded to include the world. When we were there, there was a special exhibit of African bead art. We also saw exhibits on Polynesia and China. There is more here than I can see in a single visit.Visited July 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten July 2, 2023
- Krishna T45 contributionsTreasure of a museumWas not expecting this lovely treasure after driving in from touristy Anaheim! The newest exhibit was the Ubuhle, glassbead weaving from South Africa. Lovely and informative exhibit. The permanent collections are so interesting, and I did absolutely love the Early Californians exhibit. Additionally, the architecture and grounds of the museum are so inspiring and beautiful.Visited July 2023Travelled with familyWritten July 15, 2023
- phvi2617Anaheim, California565 contributionsExploring local and global cultureThis is not a huge museum, but it features a number of interesting exhibits about local and global art and culture. The exhibits about Native Californians and the California Missions are a bit on the small and older side, but they still have some cool artifacts. The Pacific Islands and Ancient Chinese art exhibits were really well done and the California Gold Medal exhibition had a nice variety of current artworks. Overall, this is a fine museum and a hidden gem in Orange County. Well worth a visit!Visited July 2023Travelled soloWritten July 29, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
405 reviews
Excellent
263
Very good
120
Average
14
Poor
6
Terrible
2
Diane D
Westminster, CA759 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
We came to see the Mummies exhibit and it was beautifully and respectfully done but I was slightly bothered by seeing the fully clothed mummies of comparatively recent people. There were a few couples dressed in 18th-19th century clothing with their real life stories printed on the walls behind them. It might be just my own problem but seeing the Ancient mummies with little known facts was a lot easier to view without the heartbreak of seeing a family that died from tb. It was also hard to see the mummified bodies of very small children. We did enjoy both gift shops, the special exhibit shop and the regular gift shop.We also enjoyed the early California exhibit, the Chinese exhibit and the Islands exhibit. If you have a sensitivity to such things, be forwarned, but if the science of it all can tamp those feelings down, then this is a good opportunity to explore. The grounds are beautiful and photography is allowed except for the Mummies exhibit. The restaurant has excellent but expensive food, probably not in the palate range of most children. The food was beautifully prepared and plated. We came on a Thursday and it was not crowded at all. In fact, we were completely by ourselves several times during the day. Parking was $6, cash , paid in advance.
Written August 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda D
14 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
This marvelously put together exhibit is most intriguing and informational. There are interactive stations to help you better understand the content of the exhibit. The free audio device provided background information to better help you appreciate what you were viewing.
Written July 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bobblksna
Santa Ana, CA1 contribution
Jun 2016 • Family
A historical perception of the afterlife. I thought mummification was limited to ancient Egypt but now know that the practice was in several cultures.
Written July 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary C
Santa Ana, California4 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
Mummies are extraordinaire. The young children of school age will really have questions, no doubt. There is so much more history to see in this Museum; so be prepared to take your time. All the exhibits are outstanding! They have a gift shop with information and also great souvenirs.
You can get discount tickets from Groupon, however I think the price is reasonable for all that you will experience.
You can get discount tickets from Groupon, however I think the price is reasonable for all that you will experience.
Written July 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna S
155 contributions
Jul 2016
We came specifically to see the mummy exhibit. My 10 year old enjoyed the learning experience. How often do we get to see an Egyptian sarcophagus and shrunken heads? It was also intriguing to view the mummified Inca sacrifices. It is amazing what modern technology can discover about the mummies on display.
There are other exhibits also, Chinese art, a lot from the Ming Dynasty, California's Bounty and artifacts from Governor Pio Pico, and one on hunters from various locations of the Pacific Islands. The mummies by far was our favorite. You cannot take pictures in the mummy exhibit but you can everywhere else without a flash. There is a parking attendant-- cash only. We enjoyed several hours in the museum and had lunch at the El Pollo Loco across the street.
There are other exhibits also, Chinese art, a lot from the Ming Dynasty, California's Bounty and artifacts from Governor Pio Pico, and one on hunters from various locations of the Pacific Islands. The mummies by far was our favorite. You cannot take pictures in the mummy exhibit but you can everywhere else without a flash. There is a parking attendant-- cash only. We enjoyed several hours in the museum and had lunch at the El Pollo Loco across the street.
Written July 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael G
Orange, CA19 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
The exhibit was "dead." Lol it was a great time spent about 2-3 hours there and saw everything went in the morning not to many people. But still it was a great experience. Just go and hang out. Great
Written July 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scarp62
Menifee, CA38 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
The Terracotta Soldiers were very impressive!!! You could get right up close to them, unlike seeing them in China. The exhibit was mind blowing.
Written July 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
reesfamily2015
Uppsala, Sweden130 contributions
Jul 2016 • Family
This a must-see exhibition that is both educational and emotionally gripping. Never before have so many mummified objects been seen in one place. The exhibits are laid out in a series of linked rooms with different themes while educational interactive screens allow the visitor to learn, both about scientific techniques used in analysis of the mummies but also about the diseases that likely led to their deaths. From ancient civilizations to modern times where subjects have donated their bodies to science in order to understand the ancient techniques - all of this is there. This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and goes until early September. We have just one suggestion for another time and that is that the first interactive screen that is a sort of medical quiz can be dominated by individuals who take time to go through the program so that many others behind cannot access it except by lingering and thereby creating a bottleneck. Photographs of the exhibits are not allowed at all but there is an excellent book that includes all the images and details of the exhibition and more.
Written July 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TropiCAL2003
Joshua Tree, CA138 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
We visited to see the special exhibit and was in the museum from 10 AM until 3 PM - well worth the overnight stay to come see!
Written July 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chinadoll418
Orange County, CA90 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
I went here as part of a yelp event. The grounds are beautiful. Parking appears to be free (we were there after hours). The Mummies exhibit was quite different than I expected, meaning there was more than Egyptian mummies. The process of mummification was explained as was burial practices. Mummy parties were quite disturbing- go and find out what I'm talking about.
Written June 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RamonSalcido
Banning, CA159 contributions
We are thinking of visiting the first week of June. What days are the best? We are coming from Banning and would like to study the Pre-hispanic groups.
Tzipster
Laguna Woods, CA625 contributions
Sorry I did not see this question sooner. We have guests and have been very busy. Any day at the Bowers is a good day. It is a small and intimate museum.
RamonSalcido
Banning, CA159 contributions
Does the museum have artifacts from Pre-Hispanic Indiginous groups from Western Mexico?
Cathi D
Santa Ana, CA43 contributions
Hi, Ramon. Yes, the Bowers has more than 4,000 PreColumbian pieces in its permanent collection.
Mike G
Seal Beach, CA
I nt to become a member. How do I do it?
HBSnowFlower
Huntington Beach, CA845 contributions
Sorry for delay -- glad you asked! Go to Bowers org web site and click on membership tab. Trip Advisor won't allow me to poast the link. Great new exhibits opening this fall!
Mike G
Seal Beach, CA
How do I pay for membership?
iamgodot123
Irvine, CA13 contributions
In person. Cash. Credit card. Check.
Telephone. Credit card.
On line. Credit card.
U.S. Mail. Check. Maybe credit card.
Is the museum open on Mondays?
B P
Los Angeles, CA48 contributions
Not to my knowledge, many museums are historically closed on Mondays.
Hours should be posted on their website.
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