Santa Ana: the artistic heart of Orange County

The Bowers Museum displays rich collections of pre-Columbian, African and Asian art among the most complete and admired in Southern California.

A few minutes away, the Discovery Cube Orange County, an interactive science museum much beloved by children, offers practical workshops designed specifically for families and school groups visiting.

Continuing towards the historic centre, you visit the vibrant Artists Village neighbourhood, with numerous contemporary art galleries housed in well-restored early twentieth-century buildings.

Towards evening, the downtown neighbourhood comes alive with authentic traditional Mexican restaurants, reflecting the city's large and deeply rooted Latino community.

Santa Ana, with one of California's highest percentages of Hispanic population, maintains a distinct and authentic cultural identity distinct from the nearby tourist-oriented coastal towns of Orange County.

The Bowers Museum, founded as far back as 1936 by private collectors, also hosts traveling international exhibitions from major museum institutions around the world.