Top 5 Unique Cultural Day Trips Near OC
Orange County is nestled in an area that is not far from many cultural achievements worthy of a day trip. Architecture, gardens, artwork, music and theater swirl and meld together in Southern California. Diversity is everywhere, from the people to the places they reside in. Here are some of the places one can visit for a cultural day trip near Orange County. Because culture is meant to be spread and shared, none of these places are expensive to visit. Some will only cost the price of bus fare or gas.
Cabot's Pueblo Museum
67616 E. Desert View Ave.
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
(760) 329-7610
www.cabotsmuseum.org
Cabot's Pueblo Museum novel museum is itself a work of art. Located in Desert Hot Springs, near Palm Springs, itt is a cultural achievement that inspired four-stories, 5,000 square feet and includes 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors. Cabot Yerxa, who began construction on the home/museum in 1941, chose to build it in honor of the Hopi people, whom he had great admiration for. The museum exhibits artwork culturally significant to Native Americans. A permanent fixture is Waokiye, a giant wooden statue of a Native American man's head.
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 880-6875
www.visitlittletokyo.com
The culture of Japan is thriving in Los Angeles and there's no better place to experience it than in Little Tokyo. For those planning to take a train to Little Tokyo, it is only half a mile from Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. There are a variety of cultural and historical sites to choose from when visiting the district. There are the Kyoto Gardens, the Go For Broke Monument commemorating Japanese American soldiers who served in WWII, Buddhist Temples and much more. Plenty of opportunities for shopping and eating also await in the district.
The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-7300
www.getty.edu/visit/center/
Seated atop a hill, the Getty Center is like its own kingdom of artwork and beautiful gardens in the Santa Monica Mountains. Parking is only available below the hill, so you'll have to take a tram up to the actual site which is fun in of in itself. There are a multitude of exquisite paintings, sculptures (including outdoor), photographs, and more to take in, or behold the natural beauty of the grounds of the Getty Center with their lush gardens, and views of Los Angeles. Admission to the Getty Center is free but parking is not. For those with limited funds, public transportation can get you to the center for only the price of bus fare.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 850-2000
www.laphil.com/philpedia/about-walt-disney-concert-hall
The unique and interesting design of the Walt Disney Concert Hall is just as culturally important as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other musical groups that play inside of it. Conceived by renowned starchitect Frank Gehry, the outside walls look like the sails of a ship billowing in the wind and you'd be hard pressed not to want to stop your car to either get out and look around, or take a ton of photos of this beautiful building. The area, which spans 3.6 acres, offers one of the best places in Los Angeles to take in classical concerts
The Old Globe
1363 Old Globe Way
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 231-1941
www.theoldglobe.org/index.aspx
Located in San Diego, The Old Globe has three theaters that focus and feature different productions and performances throughout the year. The name is an allusion to the famous outdoor theater, Globe Theater, which originally featured the plays of William Shakespeare centuries ago. Of course, because Globe Theater was outdoors, The Old Globe also has an outdoor theater. While a variety of plays are shown in the other theaters, the outdoor theater operates during the summer months for The Old Globe's Shakespeare Festival.
