Location: Irvine
Top Things to do in Irvine
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The 10 Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Irvine, California (CA)
Irvine (/ˈɜːrvaɪn/ UR-vyn) is a master-planned city in Orange County, California, United States. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971. The 66-square-mile (170 km) city had a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census; in 2016 the city's population was 258,386.
Restaurants in Irvine
1. Irvine Barclay Theater
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By Discover59498981529 - Huntington Beach, United States
We attended the Ray Charles tribute. Even though we've been residents of Orange County for decades we've never been to an event at this theater. It was a wonderful experience. Great acoustics for music, an intimate setting and easy access.
2. EscapeX Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 14 reviews
Great for couples, groups, and coworkers. This is not your typical night out! Escape rooms join the fun of scavenger hunts with the mystery of puzzles and riddles. Participants are put in a room and have to use their skills of deduction and observation in order to get out! Escape rooms, interactive group activity, adventure/challenge games, team building activity, Escape games, family fun
Reviewed By LaTinoco - California, United States
I've done all three of EscapeX's rooms now and will join the masses in insisting that this place sets the bar in terms of both production and great puzzles. Curse of the Black Knight is still my favorite of all time and I've done over 20 rooms now, including Stash House and Red Giant in LA. It's the one I recommend to anyone new to the escape room scene. The puzzles in the rooms are not frustrating or pointlessly misleading (which I've experienced elsewhere). They're intuitive, plentiful and enjoyable, giving you plenty of AHA! moments to keep you going. The production is top notch. If had to rank the games, Curse of the Black Sword would be at the top with The Attic a close second, followed by Mafia Heist. The Curse of the Black Sword is a multi-room, multi-level castle that feels utterly medieval with its macabre props and set and walls. We were talking about this for days after doing it. I absolutely loved the immersion of this room and the physicality of it. It's been real tough to find such a satisfying game since. It's meant for 3-4 people. Too many is a crowd. The Attic is a close runner up. Great production, plentiful gruesome clues. Super disturbing and creepy, but no real jump scares. We went with a group of four - each of us having a few games under our belt at the time. There is lots to do in The Attic! You will be busy! I was worried we would need more but we did fine. I prefer fewer participants. Less of a cluster F that way and everyone gets to contribute. This is also a multi-room room. Starts out really scary. Mafia Heist was my third and for my taste it fell a bit short of the other two in terms of the overall adventure. It was done on a smaller scale and your job is to also find all the hidden jewels, money and gold which aren't pertinent to you escaping. A couple times we had to be nudged to do things we were already doing because we were having difficulty triggering the puzzle, so I don't count those as proper clues. Staff has been helpful each time, but my favorite guy is the creator. He's delightfully nerdy and passionate and we got a chance to talk to him after one of the rooms. Mission Escape Games and Cross Roads are also known for their quality rooms, but Mission's rooms, while fun, are not up to the production of EscapeX, and Crossroads, while top notch production, still falls short in terms of group adventure. Your entire group is more likely to thoroughly enjoy an EscapeX game, where as only some of you may love the Hex Room, for example.
3. Puzzle Workshop Escape Room
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 35 reviews
An escape room presents a unique challenge: escape from the room within 60 minutes! To succeed, you will need to use your intelligence, imagination, and creativity.
Reviewed By fairgirl59 - Imperial Beach, United States
This is the nicest escape room I've done. Their website is so intuitive and easy to book reservations. All the themed (four) rooms show up for the day with the available times. There is a very clean restroom in the lobby that you can use just before your hour challenge! The staff is friendly and enthusiastic. You can receive hints w/o subtracting time. We did CSI - Hollywood. There were definitely some challenging puzzles, however, we made it through with seconds to spare. We were a group of three.
4. Spaces
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Immerse yourself in unique virtual reality adventures where your interaction with the physical and digital world is amazingly blended with 4D effects and 3D face scanning. Suit up with up your friends today and adventure together! Book your tickets at www.SPACES.com
5. The Escape Game Irvine
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
The Escape Game is a live 60-minute adventure. You and your team will select a challenge and will have one hour to complete your mission and escape. We offer several unique experiences, all happening in a completely immersive environment. You may be in prison planning an escape, on the hunt for gold or in a museum stealing back a piece of art.
Reviewed By leavinchitown - Chicago, United States
We played 2 of their escape rooms during our Spring Break vacation to the area and it was our teenagers’ favorite activity. We did Prison Break and Playground and both rooms were awesome! They are challenging, but so much fun! We will definitely be back to try the other rooms.
6. The Irvine Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 77 reviews
With the acquisition of The Irvine Museum Collection in 2016 and the addition of The Buck Collection in 2017, the University of California, Irvine has become home to a significant collection of California art ranging from 19th-century California Impressionism and plein air to Post-War Contemporary. To take full advantage of these assets and bridge the campus and regional community, the university founded the UCI Institute and Museum of California Art (IMCA) in 2018, with plans to construct a new museum on campus within the next few years.
Reviewed By citronjimmerz - Irvine, United States
What I learned from the speakers at tonight’s opening of their new exhibit. That during the earliest exploration of the American West, artists were included to record scenes of the discoveries. No cameras existed at the time. Even later with photography, artists were still included to record color, only black and white film or plates then. Without their contributions people could easily say that these places did not exist. With the donation of all the Irvine Museum’s works of art to UCI, the new name is now The Institute and Museum of California Art. UCI IMCA for all future references. As members we are invited to several of the openings each year. We run into old friends, make new ones, meet and chat with artists who attend, and at times meet owners of paintings on loan from Private Collections. People watching is great here, the art is spectacular, and the food is truly delicious bites of tuna, lamb, chicken sausage, with desserts of chocolate, strawberry cheesecake and several others. Sparkling wine, white wine and sparking water were served as well. The paintings in this show are mostly landscapes and colorful seascapes, from the Irvine Museum and Buck Collections.
7. Pretend City Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Pretend City Children's Museum builds better brains by providing a rich learning environment for young children. The Museum features a child-sized, interconnected city designed to stimulate purposeful play, hands-on learning experiences, role playing, and educational programming. Through 17 interactive exhibits and activities guided by a highly trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills, while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organization, teamwork, self-confidence and socialization. The museum is a unique community resource offering free developmental screenings and tools for families, educators and community agencies working to ensure that each child gains the experiences needed to discover their potential and build toward a productive and fulfilling future.
Reviewed By MaryannPack - Irvine, United States
I took my 2 year old grandson here and it was amazing. He love the grocery store and the music exhibit. This I a great play for little kids to play, imagine and to have fun. Really great play and organization!
