Attraction
The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art at 2002 Main Street is dedicated to promoting human understanding through art. This, the largest museum in Orange County, was one of the first in the nation to pioneer the now widely-accepted notion that the museum setting should be a place of dynamic experience that broadens visitors’ perspectives on more than just objects. The Bowers Kidseum at the same location is an 11,000 square foot children’s museum promoting hands-on learning about arts and cultures. Permanent exhibits in the Museum include “First Californians” about early tribal residents of the area that is now Orange County, an exhibit about the early pioneering families of Orange County, and an exhibit of the unrivaled collection of Pre-Columbian objects from throughout the Americas which has always been the heart of the Bowers collections. The interpretive components of the Pre-Columbian exhibit underscore the sophistication of early American cultures.
The Discovery Science Center at 2500 Main Street is the scientific compliment to the Bowers Museum, providing interactive, hands-on programming and exhibits about science.
The Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park is a delightfully eccentric jewel among the zoological gardens of the United States. Its founder, Joseph Prentice made “fifty monkeys at all times” a condition for the endowment legacy. At about twenty acres, the Santa Ana Zoo is not a large facility, but by focusing their collection on charismatic species of monkeys and birds, and making the collection of spectacular botanical specimens almost as vital to their mission as the breeding of rare animal species, the Santa Ana Zoo is truly a remarkable oasis in the midst of a surprisingly urban environment. The zoo includes a rain forest, a steam train, and a children’s zoo.