What to See in Newport Beach - Top Sights and Attractions

Botanical garden in Newport Beach, California. The Sherman Library and Gardens are botanical gardens in Corona del Mar, California. The gardens are open to the public every day, except major holidays. An admission fee is charged on most days. Today's garden began in 1955 when Arnold D. Haskell bought the Norman's Nursery property. Haskell named the Library and Gardens after his mentor and benefactor, M. H. Sherman.

The gardens include patios and conservatories, seasonal flower beds, and fountains. Collections range from desert plants to tropical vegetation. The Cactus and Succulent Garden includes a California pepper tree. A tropical conservatory at the site features orchids, heliconias, and gingers. The Rose Garden has roses, the Fern Grotto exhibits mature staghorn ferns, the Japanese Garden includes a bo tree, and the Herb Garden shows a variety of herbs, including chocolate and orange-mint, tri-color and society garlic.^[3]

Temple in Newport Beach, California. The Newport Beach California Temple is the 122nd temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple was announced on April 21, 2001 and dedicated by Gordon B. Hinckley on August 28, 2005. At the time of its dedication, it was the sixth operating temple in California. Prior to the dedication, 175,000 people attended an open house to tour the building. The open house was disrupted by a small group of protesters who carried signs reading "Mormon Lies Found Here" and "Jesus Warned Against False Prophets" and urged people not to enter. The temple was built to serve the 50,000 Latter-day Saints in Orange County at the time.

Similar to the Redlands California Temple, it uses interior and exterior architectural themes consistent with what was used in the Spanish missions of the early Western US and Mexico. The interior includes murals of the California coast.

In response to opposition from residents of the surrounding community, the LDS Church made several modifications to the original design. The exterior was changed from white marble or granite to a more pink granite, considered more appropriate for Orange County. The steeple was lowered from 124 feet (38 m) to 90 feet (27 m), and the exterior lighting is turned off each night at 11 o'clock (unlike most temples, which are lit throughout the night).

The temple is topped by a cupola holding the traditional statue of the angel Moroni. As with many contemporary LDS temples, the Newport Beach California Temple is built on the grounds of an existing stake center and shares parking with it. The temple has a total of 17,800 square feet (1,650 m2), two ordinance rooms, and three sealing rooms. It is located on an 8.8-acre campus.

The temple is located in eastern Newport Beach, on Bonita Canyon Road, at Prairie Drive, near California State Route 73.^[5]

Fishing pier in Orange County, California. The Balboa Pier is one of two piers located in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is located in a part of Newport Beach called the Balboa Peninsula.

The Balboa Pier was constructed in 1906 as a sister project of the Balboa Pavilion. The Newport Bay investment Company wanted to attract lot buyers to an undeveloped spit of sandy land now called the Balboa Peninsula. In order to do so, they built both the Balboa Pavilion and the Balboa Pier. These two structures were built to coincide with the opening of the southern terminus of the Pacific Electric Railway Red Car line from Long Beach to the Balboa Peninsula. The plan worked; multitudes of beachgoers flocked to Balboa, and many purchased lots.

The pier is a popular fishing spot. The fish caught from the pier consist mostly of mackerel and flounder. Additionally, the pilings are home to a large population of starfish that feed on the large colonies of mussels growing there, and are easily spotted at low tide. Fishermen catching starfish by mistake are a relatively common sight.

In the 1980s, the first of Orange County's famous Ruby's Diner restaurants opened on the pier. The 1940s nostalgia-themed restaurant has since become a famous Orange County landmark.

The pier was heavily damaged in the severe El Niño storms of 1998, which also destroyed the famous diamond-shaped Aliso Pier in Laguna Beach. One of the pillars was damaged, causing a partial collapse of one corner. The wooden posts have since been reinforced with steel sheathing and braces to prevent further damage.^[8]