Exploring The Best Museums of California

Whether visiting California for leisure or business, you can’t deny the abundance of history that this culturally rich state has. With a deep-rooted frontier-style, California’s varied landscapes and air of adventure makes it a must-visit for everyone with an interest in history. With Hollywood’s media empire and San Diego’s Mexican spirit, it’s no surprise that the south of California is home to many museums and cultural institutions. Let’s not forget the north either, with its mountainous terrain and groundbreaking wine country in Sonoma, California has many sides to its personality and stories to match. Furthermore, you can visit many of these areas without breaking the bank thanks to the Good Nite Inn promotion code adding great value to your vacation.

So, where to start if embarking on a cultural exploration of California? With hotels like the Good Nite Inn Calabasas nestled at the edges of some of the most culture-rich cities in the world, the museums and galleries in California’s towns and counties are a great place to start.

The Getty Center

One of two campuses, the Brentwood Los Angeles Getty Center is an iconic work of architecture, providing incredible views over LA from its surrounding landscaped gardens. Not only this, but the center itself has amassed a terrific collection of decorative arts, sculptures, and photographs as well as pre-20th century European painting and manuscripts. This extensive collection of international art makes the Getty Center a must for art enthusiasts and architecture aficionados alike.

USS Midway

The longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, the USS Midway is one of the most unique museums in the state. For guests at the nearby hotels in California San Diego, this bayside museum hosts a huge collection of aircraft that were built in the same area of California, as well as reconstructions of the ship’s interior, which over the course of its 47-year service was inhabited by 200,000 sailors.

Hess Collection Winery and Art Museum

Adjacent to Sacramento is Napa Valley, one of the most famous spots in the state for wine growing. One of the most famous wineries is the Hess Family collection, which also hosts an art gallery. This collection of artworks has been growing since the mid-sixties and nowadays, although the housed collection is only a quarter of the full collection, it can be enjoyed adjacent to the visitor’s centre and wine tours. Why not mix and match both, drinking in the art as much as the Hess Family’s famous Cabernets.

Griffith Observatory

Located in Los Feliz in Los Angeles, this Greek revival and art deco observatory is not only used for stargazing, but for museum and educational displays too. With the observatory itself dating back to 1935, this iconic LA building has hosted displays including some of the first Tesla Coils, a planetarium and even its own informational cinema.

Computer History Museum

Opened back in 1996, the Computer History Museum in Palo Alto is one of the most extensive explorations of the Information Age. here you’ll find exhibits charting the discoveries that have led to our current digital revolution. Easy to navigate and based very close to Silicon Valley, the Computer History Museum will provide a deep dive into digital decoding.