California Legacies: Missions and Ranchos

California Legacies: Missions and Ranchos (1768-1848) features displays of California and Orange County history that are must-sees for California students and residents alike.

California Legacies: Missions and Ranchos (1768-1848) features objects related to the settlement of Alta California through Spanish land grants, life at the California Missions and the wealth and lifestyles of the first families who flourished under Mexico`s rule of California known as the Rancho period. The collection originating from Orange County`s missions and ranchos includes the first brandy still to be brought to California, a statue of St. Anthony that originally stood in the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano,a dispatch pouch used by Native Americans to deliver messages between missions, and fine clothing, paintings and daily use objects. A must-see for California students and residents alike.


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Exhibitions and events

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Permanent exhibition

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Permanent exhibition

Curated by authorities of Chinese history and culture from the Shanghai Museum, this incredible collection portrays the evolution of Chinese art and culture. Journey back through 5000 years of...

California: The Golden Years

Permanent exhibition

Classic California: Recently Conserved Paintings from the Permanent Collection features 22 paintings by California’s most celebrated artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that have been...

First Californians

Permanent exhibition

This installation showcases the Bowers` extensive permanent collection of Native American art and artifacts in stone, shell, plant fiber (through spectacular basketry) and feathers. This...

Pre-Columbian Exhibits

Permanent exhibition

Arts from the sophisticated Pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central America are highlighted in a series of galleries. Pre-Columbian art from Mexico and Central America displayed in a series of...

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