The Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum first opened its doors in 1936 as a city-run museum devoted primarily to the history of Orange County. In October of 1992, a renovated and much larger Bowers Museum opened its doors. Since this highly successful reopening, the museum has presented more than thirty special exhibitions focusing on art and culture around the world, opened six permanent galleries, and has been accredited by the American Association of Museums. The permanent installations include galleries for Native California art, the art of shamanism in the pre-Columbian Americas, and the history of Orange County. Recent temporary exhibitions have addressed the art of the Himalayas and Ancient Egypt.
The museum holds approximately 32,000 African, Oceanic, pre-Columbian, and Native American objects, most received through donation. Only a small percentage are on display. The objects in storage are mainly used for traveling exhibitions but can be accessed by qualified researchers by appointment.