Welcome to Orange County!

Located in the heart of sunny Southern California is Anaheim and Orange County, a unique region with a dynamic metropolitan vibe, a population of more than 3 million people, a creative spirit and diversity of activities that make it one of the nation’s most popular destinations. OC is world-famous for its theme parks, distinguished shopping centers, dynamic meeting venues and trendy beach towns.

The hub of the entertainment core in Orange County is centered in the city of Anaheim. History was made here in 1955 when Walt Disney built his dream theme park Disneyland, thus creating a new tourism industry that has continued to evolve ever since that time.

Today, Anaheim is recognized as a leading vacation and business destination. It is home to The Disneyland Resort®, the Anaheim Convention Center- the largest convention center on the West Coast, Major League Baseball’s Angels and National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks.

Fun Facts

The Date Shack – An original roadside stand, where milkshakes made from dates are still a local treat off Pacific Coast Highway. Mission San Juan Capistrano – one of California’s 21 picturesque Spanish missions calls thousands of swallows back every March 19. All Star Sports – Anaheim is the home field to two professional teams with ‘wings’…. Angels and Ducks.

One-of-kind OC tastes and sights include: Balboa Bar, a vanilla ice cream bar dipped in warm chocolate and rolled in nuts or candy can be found on Balboa Island. Local Guitar Heroes Leo Fender (inventor of the electric guitar) and surf guitar legend Dick Dale both came from Orange County and started their iconic music careers here. OC = Orange County.

The popular TV show “The OC” successfully gave this region a new trendy ‘nick’ name “OC” and overnight international celebrity appeal. The name Anaheim is a blending of its Spanish and German settlers; “Ana” is Spanish for the nearby Santa Ana River and “heim” is the German word for home, so Anaheim literally means “Ana’s home.”

Pageant of the Masters – A Laguna Beach summertime evening ‘must see’ presentation of “living pictures” of classical and contemporary art works, come to life with real people posing as living masterpieces.

Endless Summer – the inspiration for the 1960’s classic surfing poster came from Orange County’s ideal beach views.

The original Disney theme park –Disneyland opened its doors in Anaheim in July of 1955, and the rest is history. Knott’s Berry Farm’s founder created the tasty fruit the Boysenberry. Knott’s is popular for its homemade all-American fried chicken dinners, and its world famous mascot Snoopy.

Mickey Mouse Ears You – Disneyland’s traditional black Mickey Mouse Ears hat is an old-school classic, but today’s versions come in an assortment of themes, from a swash-buckling pirate mouse to bejeweled ears for that special princess.