Things To Do In Orange County California

 We often spend a bit of time in Orange County California, it helps when family live there. We also like to make sure we give our kids new experiences each time we return.

We often spend time  exploring other parts of Los Angeles like Santa Monica and Venice Beach as we also have other family living around these areas.

Orange County in Southern California stretches down the Pacific Coast from Seal Beach in the north to San Clemente in the south.

It’s also part of the famous Pacific coast highway route. One of the popular routes from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

We have been lucky enough to spend time in many different areas of Orange County including Huntington, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Anaheim and even Catalina Island.

We managed to pack in quite a few activities and drip trips with the kids too.

Now, everyone has a list of different events/activities and day trips they like to do. No doubt our list will grow longer and change with the more places we visit but for now here is a summary of our 5 favourite places to go or activities to do. 

Please note that we haven’t included Disneyland in this list, yep we have been there a few times and it’s the kids favourite place however we wanted this piece to be about the other top places and attractions in Orange County CA.

 

5 Things Not To Miss

 

1. Medieval Times

A night of feasting and entertainment. Knights battling with swords, jousting and competing in a range of events until one remains standing. What more could we want for an evening?

Medieval Times is located in Buena Park, Orange County California. Quick tip, make sure you get there early as seating is based on first come first served.

After we arrived and received our team (knights) colour. We had a family photo with the King and then were seated in the blue area.

There are 6 different coloured areas each representing a knight whom you support and cheer for in each event.

As the knights battle it out in a series of challenges including swords, weapon fights and the very impressive jousting.

Over the evening you receive a four-course meal, there was even a vegetarian option and a wide range of beverages.

At the end of each event, a knight would be eliminated, sadly for us, the blue knight was knocked out after the first round.

Never mind plenty of good food to eat and other knights to cheer for. Forget the knives and forks, here you just use your fingers.

There are plenty napkins to use though. Even drinks are serviced in a tankard, a type of medieval mug.

As the evening draws to a close and the winning knight has been crowned to enormous raptures of the crowd. You are invited to have your photo taking with your knight. An everlasting memento of an enjoyable night.

Tickets:
Adults $61.95 
Children 12 & under $36.95

(There are also ticket packages and promotions and savings on their website too)

2. Orange Country Fair

Dates: Friday Jul 17, 2020 –  Sunday Aug 16, 2020

I remember as a kid heading to our AMP fairs in New Zealand and when I lived in the UK visiting a few county fairs.

But nothing compares to the Orange Country Fair. It runs for around 26 days and exceeds 1.3 million visitors.

We arrived early evening and couldn’t believe the size of the place. There were so many events either to see or do.

Basically, there is something here to excite everyone. From monster trucks, derbies to live bands. From exhibits to the carnival and all this while you enjoy endless options of food.

In fact, while you’re eating, why not stop by one of the five free entertainment stages.  These range from Karaoke to acrobats. Again there’s something for everyone.

With our kids, they choose the carnival area. Here you can get your adrenaline fix with some pretty scary rides (you know the ones that spin and toss you about… not for me) or relax on the more fun-loving and gentle rides.

There is also plenty of carnival games to participate in and win prizes. We managed to win a few things, stuffed toys etc.

However, towards the end of the night I somehow, to the shock of those around me, managed to shot a basketball into a tiny hoop. Walked away with a massive Scooby Doo toy.

One thing you need to remember, rides and games are an additional cost. You have to purchase tickets from the booths set up all around the place.

These can add up especially if you get caught up in all the excitement.

The live bands are in The Hanger and The Pacific Amphitheatre and you do have to book. As well as the Action Sports Arena, this shows Monster Trucks to Rodeos.

Check up the website OC Fair things to do as there are different shows/events/bands on different nights.

Otherwise, it’s a great time wandering around soaking up the atmosphere and every now and then participate in a game or scare yourself silly on a wild ride.

Ohh and as for that massive Scooby Doo stuffed animal, we left it with friends, it would have needed its own air ticket!

Tickets
Wednesday-Friday: General (13-59) $12 Youth (6-12) $7 Senior (60+) $7 Children 5 and under are free
Saturday-Sunday: General (13-59) $14 Youth (6-12) $7 Senior (60+) $7 Children 5 and under are free
Monday-Tuesday: Closed

3. Discovery Cube

This is a great place to bring kids for a few hours or most of the day. There are 3 Discovery Cubes and we visited the one in Santa Ana.

It’s hands-on, science-based learning at its best. Set over 2 stories Lukas loved every moment, running from exhibit to exhibit. Especially the Science of Hockey where he suited up as a goalkeeper and tried to save pucks being fired at the goal.

Even we joined in and had a go, good laugh! He also enjoyed having the chance to shoot the puck at a virtual goalkeeper.

Other exhibitions we checked out were
– Mission Control
– Helicopter
– Boeing Rocket Lab
– Water Gallery
– Eco-Challenge

As well as a range of interactive exhibits.

There is also the Petersonville Healthy Kitchen exhibit where you spend 45 mins preparing healthy food, then eating it as well. This is an additional cost though.

New exhibits appear over the year, we spent a couple of hours outside on a dinosaur treasure hunt. We each received a map and an interactive wand.

Every time you locate something you pointed your wand and it either made a noise or gave you information about what to find. There was a range of different treasure hunts to choose from.

There is a cafe inside where you can get salads, pizzas, sandwiches and a range of drinks (hot and cold) Almost everything is under $10.

Overall it was a well worth visit and great value for money.

Of Note: The Discovery Cube Ocean quest in Newport beach is based on the science of sailing, you can even go whale watching. We might check this out when we return.

Ticket prices (Orange County)
Adults $19.95
Children 3-14 $14.95
Children (2 and under) FREE

 

4. Knott’s Berry Farm

If you are looking for your fair share of thrill rides mixed with family fun and entertainment, then Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County California has it all. It’s hard to believe this all started from Walter Knott and his dream to grow Boysenberries, in fact, you could say he lived the ‘American Dream’ from failure to success.

One thing we found out straight away was that the queues weren’t as long as the Disney Parks, some queues were no more than 10 mins.

We spend most of the day at Camp Snoopy, this area is designed solely for the kids. A few of the rides we rode were Sierra Sidewinder, Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer, River Rapid Run and Timberline Twister.

There are certainly plenty of thrill rides for those adults that love to scream. Now I’m usually ok on roller roasters and yep Xcelerator (pretty full on), Pony Express and Montezooma’s Revenge made my heart race.

However, Supreme Scream got me, watching it looks fine, not very high. But this all changed when I hopped on. I swear I saw the Eastern sea coast we were that high up.

Then once you reach the top it’s quickly followed by the drop. My heart was in my mouth. This is the first time in my life I have ever hopped of a ride and checked my pants.

Much to my relief, I was dry and safe from pure embarrassment.

You can buy a Fastpass starting from $70, just allows you to skip the mainline and use the fast lane.

If you need a bit of time to relax, unwind or just want a break from the rides then check out the live entertainment. Click here for the daily performances.

There are plenty of places to grab a bite but you have to check out Mrs Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. The restaurant serves a variety of food to meet everyone’s palette.

But you can still get Cordelia Knott’s famous fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits and her boysenberry pie.

We actually brought a Boysenberry pie at the Farm Bakery for a bit of late-night pudding at home as the kids were half asleep.

Knott’s Berry Farm also has an app that you can download. It offers; ride wait times, an interactive guide map, Funpix photos, a list of shows and events including times and you can even purchase your park tickets.

Now you can also explore Knott’s Soak City, its open from mid-May through to early-September.

There are 23 rides to keep you busy and it also has a Tidal Wave pool. There is plenty of water guns, sprayers and nozzles to keep kids and families entertained.

Soak City Ticket
Guests aged 12-61 $46
Guests aged 3-11 and 62+ $40
Ride and Slide ticket( access to both Knotts’s parks)
All ages 3+ $75

Knotts Berry Farm Ticket
Guests aged 12-61 $82
Guests aged 3-11 and 62+ $52
(However, there are specials depending on the time of the year)

Android – Knotts Berry Farm App

Apple – Knotts Berry Farm App

5. Laguna Beach

Now not everything has to be a theme park or cost a lot of money. Orange County California has lots of beautiful beaches and coastline. There is the famous Huntington Beach, Newport beach just to name a couple but our favourite is Laguna beach.

We arrived mid-morning on a perfect sunny day and made our way along the walkway on the main beach.

This spot is pretty popular with locals and tourists alike. One thing you will notice is the number of homeless people living around this area. Our kids pointed this out of course.

The beach itself is awesome, plenty of space to place your towels and for the kids to dig and play.

At the back, there are beach volley nets for those who are keen as well as basketball courts and grass areas.

There are also lifeguards for your safety when in the water.

After a couple of hours, we headed past the main beach towards Heisler Park. Just stick to the walkways.

There are trails to follow once you get there, these take you around beautifully manicured gardens. There are sculptures and local artists showing off their talents, a pretty cool little art walk.

You can even head down to the tide pools where you can search for marine life, this is a real hidden gem and great fun for the whole family. 

The views up and down the coastline are spectacular, make sure to have your camera ready. 

While there are a few cafes and restaurants around the one that caught our eye was Urth Caffe. The food here was some of the best in America, well that is my opinion.

This is a chain and there are a few of these over Orange County Surthern California, so whether you check out the one in Laguna Beach or somewhere else you can’t go wrong.

They serve beautiful organic coffee, a range of sandwiches, pizzas, salad and baked goods (I can recommend the Urth Tiramisú) during their lunchtime menu. They offer a breakfast menu too.

To finish our day the kids played in the children’ playground near the lifeguard tower. It’s a pretty cool playground with plenty of challenges and new friends to make.

Honourable mentions:

 

The following places are great for a day trip too if you have time.

Huntington Beach – a beautiful spot for beach time, swimming and catching some waves. Catch stunning sunsets along Huntington Pier.

Newport Beach – where old and new California meet. Great spot to just watch or ride some waves. With the beach or one side and the harbour on the other and a 10-mile loop trail to explore. Towards the end of Newport Beach is Balboa Peninsula.

Balboa Peninsula – this is where Discovery Cube’s Ocean Quest is located along with the famous Balboa Island ferry. Balboa Fun Zone is one of the oldest in Southern California and offers waterfront rides, a Ferris wheel and arcade games.

Orange County Great Park – one of the best parks in Orange County. There is plenty here for the family including the Great Park balloon, carousel, farmers market, and multiple kids playgrounds and more.

Mission San Juan Capistrano – this mission was built back in 1775 and is worth a visit. They offer tours, including audio.

Laguna Coast Wilderness Park – Great if you are keen on exploring the outdoors and located within the coastal canyons and a range of trails to explore. Guided tours are available too.

Check out a game – Orange County is home to the Anaheim Ducks (ice hockey) and the Angels (baseball team). Our kids love watching going to watch these games, especially with all the entertainment going on. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

There are a lot of cool places to visit and activities to do in Orange County California, whether you are on a budget or not. Located south of Los Angeles it really makes for a great family destination as Disneyland is located here too.

From Orange County is only another hour until you reach San Diego and as we know there are plenty of things to do in San Diego including the world famous San Diego Zoo.

We look forward to returning and doing these again as well as exploring and looking to new places and activities to add to our growing list.

 

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