Visitor Information: Local Theaters and Museums

Soka University's 1,000-seat Soka Performing Arts Center features acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, acoustic designer of noted performance venues, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Fantastic musical acts from around the world are available to you right on campus! Take advantage of this wonderful venue.

Orange County's first performing art center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts offers national and international productions of music, dance and theater.

The mission statement of the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach: To enrich lives through the magic of live theatre, to provide educational opportunities for children and adults, and to create experiences that stimulate cultural and social interaction and inspire our community.

The Irvine Barclay Theater which is a collaboration between the City of Irvine, the University of California, Irvine, and the private sector was created to provide a facility for local and regional arts groups, and to enhance the programs generated by its School of the Arts of UCI.

South Coast Repertory Theater was born out of the "resident theater movement" of the 1960s. A couple graduates of San Francisco State College, David Emmes and Martin Benson, came back to Orange County, created a local company and went through a few venues before settling into their present theater in Costa Mesa.

The East West Players are located in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, but it is worth the drive to see theater written, produced and acted by Asians. They have presented award-winning productions blending Eastern and Western movement, costumes, language, and music since 1965. They have premiered over 100 plays and musicals about the Asian Pacific American experience and have held over 1,000 readings and workshops. East West players offer an array of educational programs, have a writer’s institute and a career development program.

Bowers Museum is Orange county's largest fine art museum. It's stated vision is "Celebrate world cultures through their arts." which makes it a perfect destination to dip into the creative realm for Soka students. They also offer lectures, films and workshops that expand on their exhibitions. If you are interested in primary education, check out the Kidsuem, that offers art experiences to the children of Orange County.

The Getty Center is a favorite field trip for Art History classes at Soka. The collection includes European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. The museum has an active educational and research component. The grounds include a beautiful garden and a delightful cafe. Admission is free, parking is $15.

The Irvine Museum, located in the business district of Irvine, specializes in the early art of California. The men and women that formed the artist's colony in Laguna Beach at the beginning of the 20th Century are featured here. The Irvine Museum offers a variety of tours of its exhibitions and admission is free the 2nd Wednesday of every month.

Laguna Art Museum continues the tradition of the Laguna Beach Art Association, founded in 1918 by the early California artists who founded Laguna Beach. Laguna Art Museum collects California art across all periods and styles, nineteenth-century to present-day. It offers guided tours and special educational events.

Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda presents an archive available to scholars as well as a museum that houses a reproduction of President Nixon's office, as well as the east wing of the White House during his tenure. The archive holds papers, photos and tapes from his presidency. The site offers an online museum collection, and a virtual library.

Orange County Museum of Art is a fine art museum in Fashion Island in Newport Beach. They offer guided tours, lectures, and panel discussions to explore the themes explored by the artists. No admission fees on Fridays.