Museums/cultural sites in the Southern California area? Advice requested.

[Disneyfriend]

Hi all,

We're planning a trip to So. California this fall, and are hitting Disneyland and some of the other theme parks in the LA/San Diego area.

We'll also have a couple days during which I would like to do a few more educational/cultural things. After looking through guide books, I have many different places in Southern California that sound wonderful. Unfortunately, our time is limited, and I'll have to make some tough choices. So, can you help me narrow down our choices and pick the "best of the best"?

I'm considering:

~The Queen Mary (to tour and/or stay the night)

~La Brea Tar Pits

~Getty Museum

~Los Angeles County Museum of Art

~Norton Simon Museum of Art

~UCLA Hammer Museum

~Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (we have seen the Museum of Natural History in New York City fairly recently)

~California Science Center

~Los Angeles Maritime Museum

~Mission San Juan Capistrano (or another Spanish museum - I'm open to suggestions)

~Medieval Times (mostly for fun)

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. We have 2 daughters, ages 11 and 13. They've never been to So. Ca. before, other than to Disneyland, nor has my husband.

As for art (since I've picked several museums in the above list), we especially like impressionism/post-impressionism and Egyptian art.

Thanks in advance!!

Disneyfriend

 

[cotomom]

I can at least help a little bit....

La Brea is FAST! You can be in and out of there in an hour or less. It is very interesting and worthwhile and located very close to Beverly Hills.... It's also RIGHT next door to the LA County Museum of Art though I haven't been there...

The Getty is a FABULOUS museum and worth a look!

The Museum of Natural History is "OK" in my opinion. I'm not sure if I'd wholeheartedly recommend it or not. It's proximity to a couple of other museums is good though... Close to CA Science Center I think? (Which is also a fairly fast see if I'm remembering teh correct place!)

Medievel times is fun and definitely entertaining. It's in Buena Park, right down the street for Ripleys Believe it or Not and Knott's Berry Farm.

The Mission is a fast see, and could easily tie in with your drive down to or up from San Diego. It's right next to the Amtrak station and has some quaint Mexican restaraunts in the area....

That's really all I can speak for from your list. I'm in Orange County, 1/2 way between LA and SD so lmk if I can assist further!

 

[Tink33]

I have visited all of those places over the years.

For an art museum, I choose The Getty. The museum is incredible. Please remember that you must reserve a parking spot ahead of time.

For a science museum, I am adding Reuben H Fleet Science Center in San Diego. There are great exhibits, an Imax theater and a ride simulator. Balboa Park is beautiful, plan to spend some extra time walking around.

We love The Queen Mary because my Mom and Grandmother travelled to the United States on her in 1948. I would suggest the Ghosts and Legends Tour. Last time we went, we watched the movie Titanic so that the kids would understand more about the ship.

For a historic view of California, I would pick either Mission San Juan Capistrano or Old Town State Historic Park in San Diego.


If you want more specific information, please send me a pm.

 

[mobetsy]

The Getty is fabulous, no doubt about it, and if you are there on a clear day it is a marvelous view as well. Take your own picnic (I think you can do this there) and you will save $$! Every kind of art there. I don't believe the Getty requires parking reservations at its new site (old one definitely did); you pay $5 to park and take a free tram up the mountainside. Check on the website.

I love the Norton Simon, but then it is only 10 minutes from my house, so I may be partial I think it is an excellent art museum for kids because it isn't overwhelming in size and they may actually have seen reproductions of some of the art before (Remington and Degas, especially). You can't take food in there, but there is a Ralph's grocery store almost across the street, as well as plenty of nearby places to eat. If you are Rose Parade fans, this is a fun stop, because it is on the route and generally what you see in the background in the TV coverage.

The La Brea Tar Pits is a quickie, but fun; what you really need to do there is go into the adjoining Page Museum to learn about it. If your kids like bones, wooly mammoths, and the like, they'll love this! If you go there, wear older shoes, because tar is all over the place and it is easy to track it around.

If you've done NYC's Natural History Museum, I'd skip ours; it is good, but with limited time I wouldn't duplicate.

Medieval Times is fun; have you looked at their website? If you go there, check it out in advance, because it is interesting to read about the knights' training!

If you chose the Norton Simon, you might want to visit the San Gabriel Mission; it is only about 15 minutes between the two, vs the drive down to San Juan Capistrano. With kids the ages of yours, I wouldn't put a mission high on the "to do" list, quite honestly.

 

[Disneyfriend]

A huge thank you to the three people who have responded thus far! I truly appreciate your input.

Thanks for taking the time to post . . .

Disneyfriend