Best Museum

1. Bowers Museum

2002 North Main St., Santa Ana; 714-567-3600; bowers.org

A sense of prestige marks the recently opened Bowers exhibition “Artistic Legacy” (running through Dec. 19), which contains paintings and drawings from the collection of actress/watercolor artist Ann Macomber Cullen and her TV game show host husband Bill Cullen. Another current watercolor exhibit, “The Gift of Los Angeles,” runs through Nov. 14.

Opened in 1936, the Bowers is a star in its own right, serving as the largest museum in Orange County. Permanent collections, displayed across multiple galleries, spotlight the diverse demographics of Southern California by emphasizing fine arts of indigenous peoples of the Americas and the Pacific. There are approximately 90,000 artifacts and works of art on view.

The facility also presents music performances, films, lectures, workshops and family programs. Visitors can browse the gallery

LEONARD ORTIZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Spirits and Headhunters exhibit at Bowers Museum. Permanent collections spotlight the diverse demographics of Southern California.

store and dine at Tangata Restaurant.

Dr. Peter C. Keller, Bowers Museum president and CEO, says the museum’s primary mission is to acquire great collections of the world. Some are part of national or international tours; many exhibits are unique to the museum. “There’s a standard of excellence we strive to uphold in all we do,” he said. In-person festivals resumed this month with the free Autumn Moon Festival including artmaking, live music and food. Keller says regular patrons can look forward to a “blockbuster opening” in December.

— George A. Paul

2. Richard Nixon Presidential Library

18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda; 714-983-9120; nixonlibrary.gov

The Nixon presidency was one of the most documented in U.S. history. As a result, the Nixon Library and Museum, opened in 1990, is a treasure trove of information. The Presidential Materials Collection contains 3,700 hours of recorded presidential conversations (“White House tapes”), millions of documents, thousands of audio and broadcast video recordings, 300,000 still photographs and more than 35,000 gifts.

Joe Lopez, Richard Nixon Foundation vice president of marketing and communications, says the library “continues to provide new special exhibits and a fascinating year-round lineup of programs. Regardless of one’s political views, (visitors) are guaranteed to learn something new” about Nixon’s life.

The facility has the rare distinction of being the only presidential library that contains the president’s birthplace, presidential papers and burial site in one location.

3. Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center

241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim; 714-765-6450; muzeo.org

Muzeo focuses on diverse, underrepresented narratives within the Orange County arts scene. Executive Director and CEO Katie Adams Farrell says that approach, as well as being centrally located downtown inside both a “gorgeous historic building” (1908 Carnegie Library) and newly redeveloped building (2007 Main Gallery) are what makes Muzeo special.

The former features free exhibitions of local art; the latter encompasses a 5,000-square-foot multipurpose traveling exhibition space shared with Anaheim Heritage Center.

The museum, which opened in 2006, produces various free and lowcost programs, including literary events, art workshops, cultural festivals, and more.

This fall, the “fun and whimsical” annual holiday model train show will bisect the gallery while the front half of the main gallery opens with a show about “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (Through Oct. 31).