California Scenario – The Noguchi Museum

Neat place to check out if you’re into outdoor sculptures/​art and serenity. I thought that the desert garden would be bigger, but it’s pretty small. The area is picture worthy and with a water fountain flowing in the distance, you kind of lose track of time when you sit on the benches.
Park at South Coast, walk across the bridge, and it’s behind TGIF, in between two corporate buildings on Anton Street. If you climb anything or bring dogs, the security guard is going to come out and talk to you.

I think I’m the only one who’s giving this place less then 4 – 5 stars. I was really excited to come here after seeing all the amazing photos but it was kind of a disappointment. Partially my fault because I arrived when the sun was setting behind the buildings so it looked pretty overcast.
My first impression was that this place looked a lot smaller and less vibrant in real life. I know this place has a desert vibe but the plants looked a bit dead. The trees on the side looked actually a little scary. I think this is one of those places where you need to filter the shit out of your photo to make it look good. I think I would come back to relax on the bench but I think there are better places for pictures.

This spot is a hidden gem of wondrous sculptures and art. Not many people know about it, so when you go, there won’t be many people around. Twilight is a nice time to go and there’s a certain calm, zen like mood to this area.
Funny because it’s behind TGIF! Ha!

Not too many people know about this place. It’s actually in between high rise buildings across from South Coast Plaza. I didn’t know about this until I was walking around Segerstrom Center and saw it.
It’s not necessarily a museum more like a large art piece to get away from corporate worries. The place has a zen, calm feel to it. I enjoyed hanging around a bit and relaxing.
Park across the street at South Coast Plaza near Sears and walk across to avoid paying for parking.

If you can navigate your way to this landscape «museum» from the free parking lot, you deserve all the serenity and calm it offers. The fact that it’s nestled behind corporate buildings and chain eateries only adds to the charm of the Noguchi Garden’s unexpectedness. Air & water elements come together with granite and stainless steel to create several different sculptures. I imagine this slice of garden-​cum-​art was scooped up by the hands of giants from an enchanted forest in another world and dropped right here in Orange County.

I paid 6 $ for valet at tgi Fridays Bc I was too lazy to go anywhere else anyways…
GREAT PLACE FOR SHOOTING OCCASIONS or just Bc you need a new pic for social media I shot my friends prom here and the lighting was heavenly ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend

Nestled between several corporate buildings is this small, but tranquil little sculpture garden.
They have security posted nearby, so touch the sculptures at your own risk! Unilocal says the garden is open until 5pm but that’s not true. It’s an open garden, you can walk right in any time! Great photo ops!

Loved this place! Its definitely a hidden gem. Its between two office buildings and a parking garage, so you probably would’ve never expected it to be in such a random place. I remember seeing all the pictures and then going there and being like, this is it? But after the first reaction, its so beautiful & unique.
We were just there to take pictures for fun but there was also a wedding photoshoot going on. I have also seen prom pictures being taken here! It’s definitely a cool spot for those kinds of things. Also, with that being said, keep in mind that there may be a photoshoot going on while you go… so just be patient if you want to take pictures at a certain spot. Account for some time where the spots might be taken by others taking pictures.
Parking is in a garage and we had to pay around $ 10 for a few hours (it was a Saturday). I’m not sure if you can get it validated but I had no idea where to even go to get it validated since its an outdoor area. Just a heads up! To avoid that, maybe try parking around the area and just walking a little distance. We wish we would’ve known that!
Also note– you can’t actually climb the art (such as the triangle thing) or put your feet in the water lol. The security guard, who I think watches people through secret video cameras since he came out of nowhere, nicely told my friend and I that we can’t do those things. Oops.

Amazing for pictures, but not exactly a museum when you get there. If you have friends that really know how to work angles, you’ll look great, but the name is definitely misleading. The structures are really unique and honestly everyone’s been asking me where it was. I like how «exclusive» this «museum» is and I’d honestly like to keep it that way.
Hint for free parking: I parked across the street in the building parking, only because it was the weekend and there weren’t any people at the parking kiosks.

Hidden gem in the OC area!
I found out about this place through a friend and on IG and of course, I had to come here to see it myself. I was surprised that it’s close to South Coast Plaza (despite how many times I come here to go shopping LOL) Also, it’s still pretty lowkey… so hopefully we can keep it that way~
If you want to come here, I advise that you park at South Coast and take a 5 min talk to the Noguchi Garden. You can technically park at the structure nearby… but then you would have to spend $$$ on parking and that money could go into good use like food haha. Anyways once you have arrived, it’s a pretty relaxing are to take cute pictures and update your IG game. I was lucky enough to come around 3PM where there was still light but around 3:30PM the shade started to come in and through off people’s photos. Since I was there first, I pretty much hogged the whole pyramid area until the shade started to come in haha. Soon after I came, all the these people came out of nowhere and I was like wtf.
Definitely take the time to check this place out! If you are planning to make a trip to the OC, definitely have other things in mind to do… this garden should approximately take 20 – 30 min depending on how big your group is. The garden is pretty small tbh. Also, come before 3PM for the light. Lighting is key for those IG pics haha

Hidden treasure in the OC. Look for the tall Commercia Bank building. Speciality Café is on the bottom floor of the bank bldg with free parking infront. The Noguchi Garden is right behind Specialty Café.
Just love Noguchi – his sculptures, public art and mid century furniture designs.

First off, do not pay for parking to come here. Park at South Coast Plaza and make your trip here.
This is a hidden gem tucked away in between corporate high rise buildings and a location that makes pictures come out beautifully. I was fooled initially when I first arrived because the photos online looked like this place was ginormous but it’s actually a really small site. You’ll be done and out of here within minutes!
I enjoyed taking photos here and it’s such a nice, serene location to take a moment and stroll around. I would stop by if it’s convenient; primarily if you’re here for a mall visit, then definitely bookmark this place as a next stop! I wouldn’t just come all the way here just for this place so make sure you have other plans around the area!
Btw, as others have mentioned, you are not allowed to climb on top of the pyramid nor step on the rocks. Oops, sorry!

This place would prob be way more busier if it weren’t for the parking fee; its peaceful and quiet and it’s cool how as busy as South Coast can be there is space for respite

This little rock garden is sandwiched between some high rise office buildings behind the Maestro’s restaurant on Anton. It has a pleasant little stream running through it with a little pyramid and other rock art, grass, and trees.
This outdoor installation is rather hidden, but it offers a nice respite to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area, and it must be a nice place for local office workers to go for their lunch breaks.
As others have mentioned, if you park in the structure, try to get your ticket validated at the nearbyTGIF.
This outdoor museum is free, but remember that security guards are watching your through cameras and patrols.

Finding this place wasn’t too difficult. It’s located right behind Mastro’s and only a few blocks from South Coast Plaza. This hidden gem is the definition of serene. It’s a modest place to take hipster-​y pictures until your heart is content.
But beware! Don’t stand on the pyramid or any of the «art.» Turns out there’s security guards keeping an eye on the place through the security cams. (Hehe. Sorry for fooling around!)
Anyways, also try to avoid parking in the parking structure for this place. My BF and I made that mistake and had to pay $ 2 for only staying 30 minutes

This is a gem of a spot. Nestled in the middle of tall office buildings you’ll find this very peaceful space. There are unique photo opportunities here so come photo-​taking ready. I think the employees that have access to this space during their work week are truly lucky. I can imagine it’s a great place to chill out during lunch breaks. Mr. Noguchi did a fine job in designing this small sculpture and garden space, bravo!

Super rad hidden garden tucked in Costa Mesa. It’s super close by South Coast Plaza, in fact, we parked there and walked over. It’s only two blocks away. It’s really peaceful and nice to take some pictures and sit around. Can’t wait to be back for some Grad photos! :)

Cute little area with an artsy vibe.
Hung out around here waiting for my table at Mastros.
It was 8pm and it’s not a heavily lit area, but the little light it does have makes this place feel different than the pictures I saw during the day.

Really cool hidden spot in Costa Mesa, I never even knew this spot existed! So WHERE exactly is it? It’s close to South Coast Plaza, off the 405, right behind TGI Fridays. Park in the parking structure (grab a ticket, try and validate at TGI) across from 24 Hour Fitness.
There’s a couple of high rises surrounding this garden so I can only imagine how awesome coffee breaks and lunches must be around this area. Very relaxing, peaceful and minimalist environment. The Spirt of the Lima Bean, the center piece, is the sculpture composed of various granite rocks that fit so perfectly together.
There are some looooong wooden benches on the perimeter where you can take a seat and enjoy some quiet time. Glance at the installations (pyramid, big rock sculpture, and of course Noguchi garden) and the peacefulness of the water running through the oasis.
Overall, this is a neat spot to check out. I do understand how minimalist the theme is, but would be cool if there was a bit more greenery with flowers and plants, adding more life to the garden.

What a nicely hidden treasure within such a busy area, next to corporate buildings, South Coast Plaza, Segerstrom Center, the 405 freeway, and still being able to remain quiet and peaceful despite all that. I’m almost hesitant about reviewing this place to keep it hidden and less crowded… but it’s almost too good not to share.
This is a perfect place for some interesting photography opportunities and also great if you just need a quick getaway for some peace and quiet. I absolutely loved being able to sit at the «Forest Walk» bench because of the nice breeze and almost secluded area but still being able to see all the sculptures/​installations and hear the water flowing. This is truly a minimalist’s oasis :)