The Coach House entertainment venue is located in a very odd place. By day, the buildings operate as offices, but during the evening, the establishment turns into a prime Orange County venue for live entertainment acts. It attracts an audience as diverse as the act who is appearing that evening: a jazz crowd for Eric Lindell and the Blue Note Project, a punk audience for Paul Thorn and the Missiles Crowd, or an older romantic crowd to hear the soft-rock love songs of Michael McDonald. The venue seats about 500 concertgoers, and tickets are needed for all shows, but the house reserves the bulk of these seats for people who are purchasing concert tickets and dinner theater tickets. A small food menu is served to diners pre-concert, and these guests naturally get the prime seats. Others may order from the bar menu for snacks such as potato skins, nachos and chips. Either way it's a great space to see your favorite performers in a smaller, more intimate space. For more information, call the concert hotline at 949-496-7935.
Blas Aguilar Adobe is a historical site operated by the Blas Aguilar Adobe Foundation that dates back to 1794, when the Mission San Juan Capistrano built a number of adobes to house soldiers and the local Native Americans who worked at the mission. The museum holds numerous artifacts and also offers educational programs.
The Ceramics Studio is a unique paint-your-own-pottery studio that also offers opportunities to drop-in and play with clay. An assortment of classes are offered for individuals of all ages along with a private party room just for events. Classes for kids and adults offer instruction on hand building methods, glazing, wheel throwing, firing and more. All clay, glazes and tools are provided.
The private party room is available for up to 12 kids or adults. Up to 50 people can fit in the main studio. Clients can book their special events, such as birthdays, fundraisers, reunions, holiday parties, company team building events, and bridal and baby showers. Parties include decorations, balloons, catering, and all tools needed for pottery decorating or making.
The Zoomars Petting Zoo is located in the Los Ramos Street Historic District. The appearance of the ranch farm with its gathering of farm animals adds to the history and charm of the town's oldest street. It is a popular destination for local kids to host birthday parties. Carolyn, the owner, has arranged several different options and prices for the parties on the web page. There are pony and horse rides as well as the gathering of sheep, birds, chickens, roosters, goats and donkeys for the kids to pet. There are even llamas from Peru and colorful tropical parrots from Brazil. A small train ride that encircles the property is available for children wishing to keep a safe distance from the animals. Zoomars is adjacent to the Los Ramos Park and Ito Nursery.
The O'Neill Museum is located in the Los Ramos Street Historical district, where many of the first buildings were created in 1880s for the new town San Juan Capistrano. In 1976, the Cornwell Family, then the owners of the building and the nearby El Adobe restaurant donated the structure to the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society. The building became known as the O'Neill Museum after the O'Neill family donated a large sum of money to the society for the refurbishment of the structure. It now holds the archives of photos, books, documents, maps, genealogical records and oral histories for the historical society. Visitors today are allowed to view the house, which is furnished in the style of that period, and view all of the collected photos and archives of the town.
The Regency Theater is located in the Franciscan Shopping Plaza and is across the street from the train station. The building may look and feel as though it has been there forever, but it's actually a new, state-of-the-art cinema palace that is a part of the Regency Theater chain. Regency has the first in-theater dining experience in the area. The four-auditorium theater has a 50-seat VIP auditorium on the top floor called Rick's Café. It follows the Casablanca theme with archways, a mirrored bar and indoor and outdoor seating. Food ordered from Rick's Café is served in the comfort of your posh leather seat while you watch the movie. The menu was created by Chef Bernard Frehner and some of the top picks are: shrimp bisque or clam chowder soup, a Kobe beef burger, buffalo chicken fritters, crispy halibut and quesadilla. There is a full wait staff and a wine and beer menu.
The Montanez Adobe on Los Rios is located on the picture perfect postcard section of San Juan Capistrano. It is the oldest and the first street ever built in the town and it is best toured on foot. Parking is available on the other side of the train tracks near the station, or on the west side at the Los Rios Park. The home was built around 1850 by Polonia Gutierrez, one of the town's original residents and the area's midwife. The home is now a national historical site and is run by the City of San Juan Capistrano.
The Center for Creative Photography is conducted under the tutelage of master photographer Robert A. Hansen. It is home to photography exhibits by recognized photographers such as, Bruce Barnbaum, Jeff Francis, and Ray McSavaney. Hansen, and team, also conduct photography classes for beginners all the way to advanced artists. The Center is located in the Mission Hacienda Plaza, adjacent to the Capistrano train depot.