Former names | Exploratory Learning Center Discovery Museum of Orange County |
---|---|
Established | 1981 |
Location | 3101 W Harvard St, Santa Ana, CA 92704 |
Coordinates | 33°43′15″N117°54′38″W / 33.7207°N 117.9106°W |
Type | Historical museum |
Visitors | 40,000 |
Founder | Dr. Mary Nolan |
Executive director | Candace Chromy [1] |
President | Patricia Shepherd [1] |
Website | heritagemuseumoc |
The Heritage Museum of Orange County, formerly the Exploratory Learning Center and the Discovery Museum of Orange County, is a historical museum in Santa Ana, California. In addition to being a museum, it also functions as an events center and educational program host. The museum's grounds, about 12 acres (4.9 ha) in total, contain historic buildings and receive 40,000 visitors annually. [1]
The museum has its roots in the early 1980s, with Dr. Mary Nolan, who worked in the Santa Ana Unified School District. She wanted to allow students to go on more field trips, but there were not enough funds to cover the fees to enter or the ones for the buses. Nolan's plan was to buy a historic house and relocate it to government-owned property for use in education. [2] The Kellogg family donated their house and it was renovated and moved onto the property in 1979, eventually opening to visitors in 1985, although the official founding of the museum, then the Exploratory Learning Center, was in 1981. The Maag House was moved to the site in 1981. [3] The museum was later renamed to the Discovery Museum of Orange County in 1985. From 1987 to 2001, the operators of the museum and the Discovery Cube Orange County (then the Discovery Science Center) merged, although they split and the Science Center was renamed in 2001. Also in 1987, the citrus grove and rose gardens were first planted. [4]
The museum's blacksmith shop opened on February 16, 1994. It burned down from neighborhood fireworks on July 4, 2019, [5] [6] but was rebuilt through community donations and reopened on April 4, 2022. [1] A mural honoring local figures was unveiled at the complex in June 2019. [7]
The H. Clay Kellogg House was built in 1898, and uses the Queen Anne architecture style. It is a popular site for school field trips. The 6,000 sq ft (560 m2) John Maag Farmhouse, utilizing the Colonial Revival architecture style, was built in 1899. It houses a gift shop and offices. Other notable buildings include an operating blacksmith shop hosting the Orange County Blacksmith Guild, an adobe house, citrus groves, and an urban farm. [1] [5] [8] [9]
Orange County is a county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, and more populous than 19 American states and Washington, D.C. Although largely suburban, it is the second-most-densely-populated county in the state behind San Francisco County. The county's three most-populous cities are Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine, each of which has a population exceeding 300,000. Santa Ana is also the county seat. Six cities in Orange County are on the Pacific coast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.
Santa Ana is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As of 2023, Santa Ana is the third most populous city in Orange County, the 14th-most populous city in California, and the 65th most populous city in the United States. Santa Ana is a major regional economic and cultural hub for the Orange Coast.
Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, with the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County at its center, and Orange County to the southeast. The Los Angeles–Anaheim–Riverside combined statistical area (CSA) covers 33,954 square miles (87,940 km2), making it the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area. The contiguous urban area is 2,281 square miles (5,910 km2), whereas the remainder mostly consists of mountain and desert areas. With an estimated population of over 18.3 million, it is the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, behind New York, as well as one of the largest megacities in the world.
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617.
Orange is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. It is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many other cities in the region demolished such houses in the 1960s, Orange decided to preserve them. The small city of Villa Park is surrounded by the city of Orange. The population of Orange was 139,911 as of 2020.
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 census.
The Orange County Fair, abbreviated as the OC Fair, is a 23-day annual fair that is held every summer at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. The 2024 OC Fair was held from July 19 to August 18, and the theme was “Always a Good Time!”
The OC Fair & Event Center (OCFEC) is a 150-acre (0.61 km2) event venue in Costa Mesa, California. The site hosts over 150 events attracting 4.3 million visitors annually, and is home to the Orange County Fair, Centennial Farm, Costa Mesa Speedway, and Pacific Amphitheatre.
The Discovery Cube Orange County, formerly known as the Discovery Science Center and the Taco Bell Discovery Science Center, is a science museum in Santa Ana, California, with more than 100 hands-on science exhibits designed to spark children's natural curiosity. Designed by the architect firm Arquitectonica with structural engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen, it has become a visual landmark due to its ten-story solar array cube that stands over Interstate 5.
The Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center is a passenger rail station and transportation center in Santa Ana, California. It is used by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink's Orange County Line and Inland Empire–Orange County Line trains. It is also a Greyhound station and a hub for the Orange County Transportation Authority bus system as well as a terminal for international bus services to Mexico.
The Orange Transportation Center is an intermodal transport hub in Orange, California. It serves Metrolink trains as well as Orange County Transportation Authority buses. The station is located at the site of two former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway combination depots. The present depot structure was dedicated on May 1, 1938, and was closed with the Santa Fe's discontinuation of passenger service in 1971. The building was granted historic landmark status by the City on November 15, 1990.
Emigdio Vasquez (1939–2014) was a Chicano-American artist, social realist muralist and educator, known as the "Godfather of Hispanic artists". Most of his murals depict Chicano and Latin American history and feature a photorealistic style.
Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), also called Downtown Orange County, is the city center of Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County, California. It is the institutional center for the city of Santa Ana as well as Orange County, a retail and business hub.
The Yorba Hacienda was a domestic dwelling constructed by Bernardo Yorba on the Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana Mexican land grant, and located in the present city of Yorba Linda, California. It was notable as the seat of the wealthiest member of the Yorba family and as the largest adobe hacienda in Alta California.
Kona Lanes was a bowling center in Costa Mesa, California, that operated from 1958 to 2003. Known for its futuristic design, it featured 40 wood-floor bowling lanes, a game room, a lounge, and a coffee shop that eventually became a Mexican diner. Built during the advent of Googie architecture, its Polynesian-inspired Tiki styling extended from the large roadside sign to the building's neon lights and exaggerated rooflines.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Santa Ana, California, USA.
The OC Streetcar is a modern streetcar line currently under construction in Orange County, California, running through the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. The electric-powered streetcar will be operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), and will serve ten stops in each direction along its 4.15-mile (6.68 km) route.
The Corona Founders Monument is a monument built in 1936 to the founding fathers of the City of Corona in the Riverside County, California. The monument was designated a California Historic Landmark (No.738) on June 6, 1960. The monument is in the Corona City Park in the 100 block of 6th Street of Corona, California. The founding fathers at first called the city South Riverside after the company they started the South Riverside Land and Water Company.
Old World Village is a German enclave in Huntington Beach, California. It features shops, restaurants, a chapel, and a hotel. Many of the proprietors of its businesses live above their establishments. This live-work arrangement is unusual for Orange County.
Kimberly "Shmi" Duran is a Chicana muralist based in Santa Ana, California.