Museums are one of the most important institutions in any country. They don’t just show us our past, they contextualize it—allowing visitors to better understand cultures and ourselves. Good museum displays lead to reflection, generate ideas, and create a sense of appreciation for who has come before. In many towns and cities, museums are jewels of the public, and often rank highly for tourist visits. Stacker compiled a list of the museums in California on Tripadvisor.
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#30. Charles M. Schulz Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (1,128 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 2301 Hardies Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2668
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#29. The Tech Interactive
– Rating: 4.0 / 5 (964 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums, Science Museums
– Address: 201 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113-2008
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#28. Lyon Air Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (185 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 19300 Ike Jones Rd 19300 Ike Jones Road, 92707, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana, CA 92707-5229
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#27. Museum of Making Music
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (360 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 5790 Armada Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008-4608
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#26. Folsom Prison Museum
– Rating: 4.0 / 5 (208 reviews)
– Type of activity: History Museums
– Address: Between Folsom and Folsom Dam at Folsom Prison, Folsom, CA 95671-3001
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#25. Mission San Juan Capistrano
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (1,595 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-2601
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#24. Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (553 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 2800 Buck Owens Blvd, Bakersfield, CA 93308-6314
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#23. Bowers Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (396 reviews)
– Type of activity: Art Museums, Children’s Museums
– Address: 2002 N. Main St. at 20th St., Santa Ana, CA 92706
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#22. Children’s Discovery Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (454 reviews)
– Type of activity: Science Museums, Children’s Museums
– Address: 180 Woz Way, San Jose, CA 95110-2780
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#21. Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture Garden
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (392 reviews)
– Type of activity: Wineries & Vineyards, Art Museums
– Address: 5015 Linne Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446-9413
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#20. Craftsmanship Museum
– Rating: 5.0 / 5 (197 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 3190 Lionshead Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92010-4701
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#19. Mission Inn Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (331 reviews)
– Type of activity: Architectural Buildings, History Museums
– Address: 3696 Main St Main Street Pedestrian Mall & Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501-2839
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#18. Corona Heritage Park and Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (24 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 510 W Foothill Pkwy, Corona, CA 92882-6305
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#17. Intel Corp and Museum
– Rating: 4.0 / 5 (259 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 2200 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054-1537
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#16. Computer History Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (769 reviews)
– Type of activity: History Museums
– Address: 1401 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043-1311
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#15. Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (601 reviews)
– Type of activity: State Parks, History Museums
– Address: 12593 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161-3858
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#14. March Field Air Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (384 reviews)
– Type of activity: Military Museums
– Address: 22550 Van Buren Blvd March Air Reserve Base, Riverside, CA 92518-2400
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#13. Oakland Museum of California
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (748 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 1000 Oak St, Oakland, CA 94607-4820
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#12. Original McDonald’s Site and Museum
– Rating: 4.0 / 5 (292 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 1398 N E St, San Bernardino, CA 92405-4529
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#11. Petersen Automotive Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (2,361 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036-3605
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#10. Tallac Historic Site
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (578 reviews)
– Type of activity: Historic Sites, History Museums
– Address: 1 Heritage Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#9. Mission San Luis Rey
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (621 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 4050 Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057-6402
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#8. Norton Simon Museum
– Rating: 5.0 / 5 (1,245 reviews)
– Type of activity: Art Museums
– Address: 411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105-1825
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#7. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (916 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums, History Museums
– Address: 1660 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126-2126
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#6. Griffith Observatory
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (20,298 reviews)
– Type of activity: Observatories & Planetariums
– Address: 2800 E. Observatory Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90027-1299
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#5. The Getty Villa
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (2,499 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy Pacific Palisades, Malibu, CA 90265-5708
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#4. California State Railroad Museum
– Rating: 5.0 / 5 (2,768 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 125 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814-2204
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#3. Hess Persson Estates
– Rating: 4.5 / 5 (1,006 reviews)
– Type of activity: Wineries & Vineyards, Art Museums
– Address: 4411 Redwood Rd, Napa, CA 94558-9708
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#2. USS Midway Museum
– Rating: 5.0 / 5 (24,984 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101-5811
– Read more on Tripadvisor
#1. The Getty Center
– Rating: 5.0 / 5 (14,529 reviews)
– Type of activity: Speciality Museums
– Address: 1200 Getty Center Dr N Sepulveda Blvd & Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1657
– Read more on Tripadvisor
Wherever you are in the Golden State, odds are you are close to one of these highly-rated museums.
