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What to See in Costa Mesa - Top Sights and Attractions

Discover 9 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Costa Mesa (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Diego Sepulveda Adobe, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and Pacific Amphitheatre. Also, be sure to include South Coast Repertory in your itinerary.

Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Costa Mesa (California).

Diego Sepulveda Adobe

Museum in Costa Mesa, California
wikipedia / pelle68 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Museum in Costa Mesa, California. The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe is an adobe structure in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California.[1]

Address: 1900 Adams Ave, 92626-4718 Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Theater in Costa Mesa, California
wikipedia / Buchanan-Hermit / CC BY-SA 3.0

Theater in Costa Mesa, California. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a performing arts complex located in Costa Mesa, California, United States, which opened in 1986. The Center's Segerstrom Hall and Judy Morr Theater were designed by Charles Lawrence and opened in 1986. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Samueli Theater, and the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center opened in 2006, and were designed by Cesar Pelli, an architect who has received numerous awards and other honors for his work including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1995.

It is the artistic home to three resident companies: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and Pacific Chorale.[2]

Address: Costa Mesa, 600 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1916

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Pacific Amphitheatre

Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California
facebook / pacificamphitheatre / CC BY-SA 3.0

Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. The Pacific Amphitheatre is an amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California. The amphitheatre is located on the grounds of the OC Fair & Event Center. It opened in July 1983 on the site of the model railroad building of the fairgrounds, with Barry Manilow as the first performer.

On June 30, 1984, a performance at the venue by the Jefferson Starship was broadcast live nationwide by the ABC Rock Radio Network.

The fairgrounds are surrounded by dense residential developments, and the amphitheatre was the focus of numerous noise complaints from local residents, prior to being closed in the early 1990s.

After almost a decade, it was reopened in 2003, in conjunction with the annual Orange County Fair. As part of an agreement with local residents, concerts are only held concurrently with the fair.

Since its reopening, the venue rarely uses the "lawn" area, effectively reducing seating capacity from approximately 18,765 to 8,500. After further construction and improvements in 2015, the seating was reduced to 8,000.

In addition to concerts, the location is the site of commencement for nearby Orange Coast College.

The venue hosted the final concert of Marvin Gaye before his untimely death.[3]

Address: Costa Mesa, 100 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-6523

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South Coast Repertory

South Coast Repertory
facebook / SouthCoastRepertory / CC BY-SA 3.0

Concerts and shows, Theater

Address: 655 Town Center Dr, 92626-1918 Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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ROCKHARBOR

ROCKHARBOR
facebook / RHCAF / CC BY-SA 3.0

Dinner, Restaurant, Eat and drink, Lunch, Church

Address: 345 Fischer Ave, 92626-4522 Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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The Triangle

The Triangle
facebook / Go2Triangle / CC BY-SA 3.0

Shopping, Shopping centre, Entertainment, Restaurant, Cinema

Address: 1870 Harbor Blvd, 92627 Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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Vanguard University

Private university in Costa Mesa, California
facebook / VanguardLibrary / CC BY-SA 3.0

Private university in Costa Mesa, California. Vanguard University of Southern California is a private Christian university in Costa Mesa, California. It was the first four-year college in Orange County. The university offers over 39 undergraduate degrees and emphases in 15 different departments. The university also offers adult-learning programs in its professional studies department and features six graduate degrees. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.[4]

Address: 55 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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Orange Coast College

Community college in Costa Mesa, California
wikipedia / TFNorman / Public Domain

Community college in Costa Mesa, California. Orange Coast College is a public community college in Costa Mesa in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges and universities. The school enrolls approximately 24,000 undergraduate students. In terms of population size, Orange Coast College is the third-largest college in Orange County.[5]

Address: 2701 Fairview Rd, Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa)

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Whittier Law School

Law school in Costa Mesa, California
wikipedia / Curtster3 / Public Domain

Law school in Costa Mesa, California. Whittier Law School was a law school in Costa Mesa, California founded in 1966. The law school was part of Whittier College, a private institution. After several years being ranked among the poorest-performing law schools in the United States based on bar passage rate and job placement, Whittier Law School announced in April 2017 that it would no longer be admitting students and would discontinue its legal program, becoming the first law school with full accreditation by the American Bar Association to shut down in at least 30 years.[6]

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