Page 33 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

Monterey Bay Aquarium is regarded as the first major public аquarium in
the world with permanent exhibits devoted to the region's marine life,
right; The California Science Center in Los Angeles, with a T-38 Talon, one
of the last remaining on display, below; the walk-through rainforest in the
California Academy of Sciences, opposite.
artists amid a serene sculpture garden. In
nearby San Marino, The Huntington fea-
tures an impressive library, art collections
and 130 acres of themed botanical gardens.
San Francisco’s Legion of Honor, in
Lincoln Park, holds an extraordinary per-
manent collection and hosts top-notch
exhibitions from around the world. In
nearby Golden Gate Park, the de Young
showcases the arts of Africa, Oceania and
the New World. The San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) spans
seven dazzling floors of galleries and
45,000 square feet of free public art space.
Across the Bay, the Oakland Museum of
California (OMCA) is a museum, garden,
and gathering place dedicated to California
art, history and natural sciences.
Down the coast, the Santa Barbara
Museum of Art deserves a nod for its ambi-
tious and imaginative exhibitions. San
Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art
features a variety of exhibits in the historic
Jacobs Building downtown. Its oceanfront
La Jolla property has quadrupled the
gallery space, making room for its
4,700-piece collection of contemporary art.
For photography buffs, there’s the excellent
Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa
Park, as well as Pier 24 Photography
Museum in San Francisco.
Science
The California Science Center in Los
Angeles’ Exposition Park presents exhibits
for all ages on invention, space travel and
life sciences—many of them interactive, all
of them free! Ice Age enthusiasts and
fossil-philes will love the popular La Brea
Tar Pits and Museum, an active geological
site in midtown. San Francisco’s California
Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park,
features the impressive Steinhart
Aquarium, the walk-through Osher Rain-
forest with free-flying birds and butterflies,
the Morrison Planetarium which boasts
one of the world's largest all-digital domes,
and a “Living Roof” which was planted
with 1.7 million native California plants. At
Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero, the
legendary Exploratorium houses more
than 600 interactive exhibits—including
an amazing “Tinkerer’s Clock” and the
crawl-through Tactile Dome.
Designed for explorers under ten,
Sausalito’s Bay Area Discovery Museum is
a pint-sized wonderland dedicated to
promoting creative thinking. And, while
not a museum per se, the Monterey Bay
Aquarium deserves to be included among
the Wonders of the World for its aston-
ishing displays of sea otters and jellies,
mesmerizing three-story kelp forest and a
staggering million-gallon “Open Sea” tank.
Culture
California is a rare and enduring alloy of
more than 50 immigrant cultures. Its
museums reflect the racial diversity and
cultural history of this melting pot in
microcosm. What follows is but a sample;
there are many, many more to choose from.
San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish
Museum and Museum of the African Dias-
pora (MoAD) provide fascinating insights
into two of California’s most creative ethnic
traditions. A visit to the Asian Art Museum
in Civic Center is the next best thing to a
trip along the ancient Silk Road.
In Long Beach, the Museum of Latin
American Art (MoLAA) features contem-
porary works of the New World. San Diego’s
New Americans Museum honors the cul-
tural diversity of immigrants through
art and storytelling in Liberty Station.
The Women’s Museum of California is
dedicated to women’s history and to
celebrating women's diverse contributions
to society.
2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 31