Costa Mesa: Art, History, and Unique Experiences

Costa Mesa combines local history, art, performing arts, special events, and culinary discoveries. For planning your trip, it is therefore worth deciding first what you would like to focus on: Would you like to explore historic places with your family, see public art, take a miniature train ride, or discover the culinary side of the city? A vacation rental in Costa Mesa can serve as a starting point for a variety of day plans, without requiring you to commit to just one type of trip.

Costa Mesa History at the Museum and Adobe

The museum and headquarters of the Costa Mesa Historical Society presents artifacts from 5,000 years of Costa Mesa history. Its permanent “Costa Mesa Timeline” exhibition spans findings from early Native American, Mission, and Rancho periods beginning in 2500 BC through the 1870s. The history of the Diego Sepulveda Adobe is also part of the exhibition. Anyone interested in the development of the area can gain a broad perspective across many periods here.

The museum and library of the Costa Mesa Historical Society are open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; additional times may be available by appointment. You can take these fixed visiting hours into account when planning your day. The Diego Sepulveda Adobe itself encompasses nearly 200 years of Costa Mesa history, is located in Estancia Park, and overlooks the Santa Ana River riverbed. It is a restoration of the original adobe building erected at this location in 1820.

Public Art and Art at the Museum

Costa Mesa offers several different ways to experience art. California Scenario, also called Noguchi Garden, is a 1.6-acre sculpture garden by Isamu Noguchi. The Art Walk is a self-guided tour of public art installations in parks, plazas, and other locations throughout the city. This allows you to discover art not only indoors but also throughout the urban landscape.

The Orange County Museum of Art presents innovative exhibitions and programs free of charge. Heroes Hall is a year-round tribute to veterans of Orange County and other people who have served the nation. It features rotating and permanent exhibitions as well as special educational programs. Heroes Hall is located in a preserved two-story barracks building of the former SAAAB. For families who enjoy connecting historical topics with specific places and exhibitions, this creates several opportunities for a varied cultural day.

Miniature Trains, Performing Arts, and Major Events

At Fairview Park, the Orange County Model Engineers operate a 7.5-inch narrow-gauge railway called the Mackerel Flats and Goathill Junction Railroad. A ride on the miniature trains follows a route that is nearly one mile long. This experience offers a clear contrast to the museums and art attractions and may be especially appealing if you want to accommodate different interests within your family when planning your trip.

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts is home to the Gillespie School of Dance of American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Symphony, and the Philharmonic Society. During the day, visitors can take a free behind-the-scenes tour that also goes onto the stage. The OC Fair & Event Center hosts more than 150 events per year and is also the venue for the summer OC Fair. The 2025 OC Fair recorded 1,162,872 visitors. This figure applies to the 2025 edition and does not automatically describe a future program.

Flavors and City Life

Costa Mesa also has its own culinary focus. The Costa Mesa Beer Trail offers craft beers from the city for tasting. Costa Mesa also has two Michelin-starred restaurants and five additional Michelin-recognized restaurants. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore consider whether cultural activities, events, and culinary discoveries should be the focus of your trip.

For travel orientation, Highways 55, 405, and 73 run through or near Costa Mesa. The best way to choose the right vacation rental is according to your personal itinerary: museums and history, public art, miniature trains, performing arts, events, or culinary experiences each create a different focus. This allows Costa Mesa to remain a versatile, easy-to-plan destination even when you have several interests.

More Destinations to Choose From

If you would also like to compare other places, you can find Laguna Hills, Stanton, Yorba Linda, Laguna Woods, Dana Point, Seal Beach, Irvine, and Brea here.

For the broader travel overview: Orange.