Segerstrom Center for the Arts

With four performance halls and an outdoor arts plaza spread out over 14 acres/5.7 hectares, this outstanding complex in Costa Mesa is like a one-stop shop for everything artistic and musical. Hear symphonies in the glass-faced Cesar Pelli-designed Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, and see plays at the home-base stage of the Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory. 

Also on tap throughout the year are concerts, movies, and dance performances in the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, a modern town square that opened in 2017 and was designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture. The 56,100-square-foot space features a café, outdoor picnic spaces, and two permanent stages that showcase free events on more than 30 weekends a year.

Make it a night with dinner at Mastro’s Steakhouse, or dress up for a night out at Leatherby’s Café Rouge. To find out more about the impressive complex, join a free, docent-led tour for behind-the-scenes peeks backstage and plenty of historical insights (offered Wednesdays and Saturdays). 

Segerstrom also serves as an educational and civic resource for the Orange County community, with its performing arts classes at the Centre for Dance and Innovation (CDI) and Centre Without Boundaries initiatives, which include partnerships with organizations such as Alzheimer’s OC, Talk about Curing Autism, Canine Companions, and United Cerebral Palsy.

Insider tip: Recharge in California Scenario (aka Noguchi Garden), sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s tranquil sculpture garden, with installations inspired by the state’s landscapes.