Here are some Orange County, California and vicinity resources that we’ve found over the years. Information on this page may be outdated so always contact the location prior to planning a visit. If you have a resource you’d like to see added here, email admin@charlottemasoneducation.org.
Shakespeare by the Sea – timeless tales, ticketless admission all summer long. Free Shakespeare plays at 26 outdoor park locations throughout OC and LA up to Palos Verdes. Donate if you love what they do to keep it going!
Tessman Planetarium – These guys love astronomy and love sharing it with the kids! They’ll stay and talk for hours and answer all the kids’ questions. Perfect sized planetarium for a small group. $6 – $7 per person admission.
Natural History Museum Homeschool Days – this is in LA, but well worth the trip. Hundreds of dinosaur bones, taxonomy, geology and gems galore and an interesting nature lab.
Autry Museum of the American West
Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Hall Student Tickets – Join Student Rewards, Pacific Symphony’s e-club for students, where they can get tickets for individual concerts for just $10 and non-student friends and family can get tickets for only $20. A great way to attend the symphony with your kids affordably. They also have Community Concerts which are free events in Mission Viejo and Irvine.
Soka University Educational Outreach – free concert opportunities at Soka University in Aliso Viejo, CA
South Coast Repertory Ticket Discounts and Special Offers. They also have a My Stage program for 15-25 year olds for $10 tickets to shows.
Segerstrom On Stage at the Center. Discounted student tickets for local shows.
Griffith Observatory – this is in LA, but well worth the trip. Planetarium, theatre, Zeiss telescope, pendulum, and more, all in an architecturally beautiful building with an amazing view of LA.
Astronomy Night at Caspers Wilderness Park – Free, $5 parking. Held only on evenings with clear skies. Usually on Saturdays closest to the New Moon. Call park at (949) 923-2210 for weather-sky updates or additional information.Come for a grand tour of the universe! Join Allan White and other amateur astronomers and have a look in the telescopes to see Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Take a guided tour of the constellations and learn the myths and facts about the cosmos. Observe the wonders of the night sky including nebulas, galaxies, star clusters and double stars.
The Getty – Jean Paul Getty’s gift to the world, an unbelievable collection of art including paintings, manuscripts, sculptures, a garden. It begins on a tram ride up the hill to architecturally beautiful buildings housing the collections. Free admission, $10 parking. Also the Getty Villa
Riley’s Farm Living History in Oak Glen, CA – schedule any of their living history field trips, go apple picking, or just visit their store where they sell bonnets and civil war paraphernalia. Oak Glen Preserve is just down the road with a great hike. Snowline is also down the street with hot donuts for sale.
Orange County Museum of Art – free admission if scheduled 2 weeks in advance. Fridays are free admission.
Prehistoric Pets – Fountain Valley, CA. All kinds of interesting reptiles.
Inland Pacific Ballet Educational Outreach Nutcracker Performance, $8 per person
Ice Palace Homeschool Skate – $8 includes ice time and rental skates. (This may no longer be available.)
Long Beach Aquarium Homeschool Days
Sea & Sage Audubon Society @ San Joaquin
“The Bay” Alamitos bay in Long Beach
Tall Ship Festival – Dana Point
Local Field Guides
UCI Natural History of Orange County