Bowers Museum

I really enjoy the bowers museum normally except there cherry blossom festival was a bit depressing.

I literally thought there would be cherry blossom trees but it was more in celebration of it.

And super market box mochi  as samples or for purchase a little depressing.

I love seeing the other new exhibits on the first Sunday of the month since it is free for Santa Ana residents. Get there earlier for parking though it runs out fast.

We came here for the Guadalupe exhibit over the weekend. We attended on the last day of the exhibit was so packed it was really hard to move around & see everything that I wanted to see. I cannot believe that they let people bring baby strollers in here. Come on, it's a tight space already and it's crammed with people, add a baby stroller to the mix and it's ridiculous. Please, adopt a "no stroller" policy.

The Bowers grounds are beautiful and relaxing. Parking can be a nightmare. We were extremely lucky to find a spot in the adjacent lot. Somebody had just pulled out and we were at the right place at the right time. Before that we searched for street parking and face it, this is not the best neighborhood to leave your car out on the street. The next time we come here I plan to arrive when they open so that we can easily snag a parking spot.

Fabulous museum! The most impactful exhibition is the New Guinea collection. Traditions, workmanship, beliefs all revealed through their craft. Rooms full of artifacts depicting life through unbelievably beautiful pieces. What an honor to have such a collection and educational tool available to the public.
Current traveling exhibit is the photographic account of the unbelievable expedition for the Antarctic, led by Explorer, Ernest Shackleton, in the early 20th century. Trapped by encroaching ice, the men were marooned for over a year after their ship was completely devoured by the ice. What a testament to the drive of these men to survive. This is a very moving exhibition.
We were very lucky to be there when a tour was available by volunteer, Patricia Cole. What knowledge! She made our visit so much more educational. We really enjoyed picking her brain, she knew so much about so many objects. A true gem for this museum.
There is so much more, just see for yourself.
Love this museum!

Not for the museum but as a wedding photo shoot place we used their jardín.  Gorgeous!

The Bowers Museum is a real gem. The museum is a mixture of old style Mexican mission architecture and an ultra modern new wing. They have a very nice permanent exhibit featuring california and american artists, native american arts and crafts, gemstones, and art of pacific peoples. Layered upon this are frequent exhibits from china and other countries. The museum has a special relationship with China (PRC) and is often the first stop in the U.S. for traveling exhibits like the terra cotta warriors. Overall, this is a must see attraction and is a great place for a family outing. Two pokemon-go stops are found inside the museum courtyard and a gym is at the gates. You can sit inside the courtyard and reach all three while enjoying a nice lunch at Tangata.

My friend had his wedding here and it was quite beautiful. Although it was outdoor and chilly, we were provided heat lamps and fleece blankets. The reception was held inside. The appetizers were pretty good but the speed of the staff bringing out the food was slow and they ran out before getting through to all of the guests (about 170).

The food was served buffet style and the staff were keen to make sure any dishes that were low were immediately refilled. They served chicken, beef, and grilled vegetables. The bread was so-so. We were able to watch a slideshow with a projector and two screens. The only downside was lack of space for an adequate dance floor but there was a small space.

We definitely like this place caused it wasn't as big as National Historic Museum. It was very clean and people there were treating u kindly n answers questions u might have in the gallery. They even offers student, seniors n military discounts as well. Make sure if u go there on the weekend especially on rainy day. There weren't as many people there n u can enjoy everything there without any waiting time. Thanks Everyone n Mahalo

I've been coming to Bowers for the past 2 years. I normally just come on the 1st Sunday of the month. Admission is sponsored by Target. Every month they present music and crafts from different cultures.

I saw the Terra Cotta warriors, and I was really impressed a couple of years ago. My favorite section is the local history and the artifacts of Pio Pico, the last Mexican Governor of CA. Some of the streets or city are still named for these frontiers such as Yorba Linda.

There is also a collection of art and artifacts from many of the Pacific Islands. Tooth necklace and shrunken heads are to be found in this section.

Small museum with some interesting exhibits, but nothing truly special to go out of your way for.

Went to the museum the other day and it was full of interesting stuff inside. While there isn't any of the usual artwork that people normally would think or famously recognize when talking about art such as Greek scuplture, Renaissance artwork, etc., there was plenty of artwork from the West Pacific, New Mexico, Asian (mostly Chinese), and California Impressionist/Plein Air style.

I personally focused on the California Impressionist artwork and while some of the artwork came from artists that aren't very recognized or have much details about them, the museum guides were kind enough to provide some information about the artwork and the artists in general.

Also, there's a nice little history exhibit going on at the moment about the 1960s which featured famous events and people such as Martin Luther King and Vietnam War which makes it another worthwhile thing to check out.