Record heat doesn’t mean you have to suffer record boredom just to stay in the cool indoors.

Several Orange County cities, especially those inland, could see temperatures over 100 degrees on Friday and the thermometer isn’t expected to dip much over the weekend. Don’t sweat it!

There are a ton of cool things to do today and even more this weekend around OC other than sitting in your recliner with the AC and football on at full blast. (Although, come to think of it, that’s not such a bad option, either.)

For anyone who is less football-inclined — or looking for something fun and active to do before coming home to watch USC play Utah State at 8 p.m. on Saturday — then, we at The Orange County Register have some refreshing ideas for you.

Orange County Museum of Art

At OCMA, even the building is art. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne, the Costa Mesa museum stuns with a signature atrium and grand staircase around which are ample gallery spaces.

OCMA’s collection includes more than 4,500 works of art. Its permanent collection focuses on 20th and 21st-century artists with ties to California. Current exhibitions include “Half the air in a given space,” an immersive work by multimedia artist Martin Creed that’s made up of hundreds of yellow balloons containing half of the air present in the gallery.

Where: 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa

Admission: General admission tickets are free

Hours: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday

An idea nearby: Want even more art? Maybe looking for an option al fresco when the weather cools down? Check out the Costa Mesa Art Walk, a self-guided tour around more than 20 pieces of free public art to view in the city, including a bronze sculpture by Spanish surrealist Joan Miró.

OCC Planetarium

Weather on your mind? Learn more about how Earth’s weather systems work, or simply let your mind escape to another planet.

The Orange Coast College planetarium offers activities, shows and exhibits throughout the week that explore physics and space. Check out the Foucault pendulum, a fascinating device that demonstrates the Earth’s rotation. And, see the NOAA Science on a Sphere display — a room-sized exhibit that projects visualizations of weather systems onto a six-foot diameter sphere to help illustrate earth science to people of all ages.

Upcoming shows in the planetarium’s theater include “Mesmerica,” a “visually-hypnotic” immersive music journey featuring 3D animated art and designed to “relax, soothe and stimulate your mind and senses.” Saturday shows include explorations of dark matter, the sky and a family friendly intro to the constellations with Sesame Street’s Big Bird.

Where: 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

Admission: Check online at orangecoastcollege.edu/community/planetarium, for show tickets

Hours: See schedule for lobby hours and special showings.

An idea nearby: The Dennis Kelly Public Aquarium at Orange Coast College is now open to the public on Saturdays. The student-run aquarium features sharks, jellyfish, corals and more. Call ahead for hours: 714-432-5072.

Marconi Auto Museum

There’s no Formula 1 race this weekend, but fear not. The Marconi Automotive Museum can fill your fix for fast cars — although it’s best to go on the weekdays as the museum often closes for special events on Saturdays and doesn’t offer Sunday hours.

The Marconi is home to a collection of more than 100 vehicles worth $60 million, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, muscle cars, race cars, motorcycles and more. In 1994, Dick and John Marconi donated the building and their entire collection to form the Marconi Foundation for Kids, a nonprofit. A portion of net proceeds from museum events and visitor fees is donated each year to local charities supporting youth.

Where: 1302 Industrial Drive, Tustin

Admission: $10-$20 per person

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; check online at marconimuseum.org to avoid special event closures (including one this Saturday).

An idea nearby: Browse a variety of dining and shopping options along El Camino Real in Old Town Tustin.

Visitors beat the heat while looking at the show “Latest and Greatest: New Work at Laguna Art Museum” at the museum in Laguna Beach, CA on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Laguna Art Museum

With roots dating back more than 100 years and a collection spanning more than 3,600 works from the 19th century to the present day, the Laguna Art Museum aims to engage visitors with art that “embodies and preserves the California experience.”

For a special experience, don’t miss Trivia Night at the Museum at 6 p.m. this Saturday. The trivia master will challenge you with questions across a wide range of arts and culture categories — and even the Olympics. Tickets to this event are sold separately from general museum admission and include pizza and a beer flight from the Laguna Beer Company.

Where: 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach

General Admission: $10-$15 per person. See online at lagunaartmuseum.org.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays

An idea nearby: Keep heading south on Pacific Coast Highway to get to Salt Creek Beach Park in Dana Point. A beautiful grassy bluff offers ideal picnicking and sunset-viewing conditions overlooking the ocean (with easy access to the sandy beach). The coast is expected to be in the high 80s, low 90s Friday and this weekend.

The Frida Cinema, a non-profit art house theater in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 is a great place to hang out during the current heatwave. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Frida Cinema

Check out the Frida Cinema, Orange County’s only nonprofit art house theater. The theater on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana plays an array of films from classic movie nights to surrealist animations and even is offering a free community viewing of the presidential debate on Tuesday night. Or, you can beat the heat at a matinee.

Where: 305 E. 4th Street Suite 100, Santa Ana

Admission: Purchase tickets online at thefridacinema.org.

Hours: See online for showtimes.

An idea nearby: The Downtown Santa Ana Art Walk happens from 5 to 10 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. The free event features live art and live music, outdoor vendors and dancing. More than 20 galleries and studios are represented with rotating exhibitions. Check out an event map at dtsaartwalk.org/map.

Paddlers travel up the Back Bay from Newport Dunes to the Newport Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, CA, on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Newport Aquatic Center

Chill on the water while staying active during the heat wave. At the Newport Aquatic Center, you can rent kayaks and paddle boards starting at $20 an hour. On Saturdays, the Newport Bay Conservancy offers two-hour guided kayak tours through the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve with a naturalist.

Where: 1 White Cliffs Dr., Newport Beach

Rentals: Daily starting at 7 a.m. See hours at newportaquaticcenter.com.

Guided kayak tour: 10 a.m. on Saturdays, get tickets at newportbay.org.

An idea nearby: Summer weather calls for summer art. The Langson Institute and Museum of California Art at UCI’s “Picturing Summer” exhibition runs through Sept. 14. The exhibit features 35 paintings of natural landscapes around California from the 19th century onward, showcasing renditions of some of Southern California’s iconic sun-drenched shorelines and beaches. Admission to the museum is always free. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Learn more at imca.uci.edu/visit.

Related Articles