A nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured or ill marine mammals, this center northeast of town has a small staff and many volunteers who help nurse Orange County's rescued pinnipeds – mostly sea lions and seals – before releasing them back into the wild. Visitors can view outdoor pools and holding pens – but remember, this is a rescue center, not SeaWorld. Still, it’s educational and heartwarming. Admission is free, but donations and gift-shop purchases (say, a stuffed animal) help.
Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Laguna Beach
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.09 MILES
What started as a simple berry farm is now a sprawling 160-acre operation with rides, live shows and lovable Peanuts characters roaming the grounds. Knott…
7.57 MILES
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14.42 MILES
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15.16 MILES
Follow the giant 10-story cube – balanced on one of its points – to the county's best educational kiddie attraction. About 100 hands-on displays await,…
18.55 MILES
After checking in at the Grizzly Peak Airfield, fasten your seat belt and take off (as if hang gliding) before a giant, 80ft projection screen that really…
18.64 MILES
Formerly known as Space Mountain, Tomorrowland’s signature attraction (and one of the USA’s best roller coasters), has been given a Star Wars–themed…
18.36 MILES
Paradise Pier's state-of-the-art roller coaster resembles an old wooden coaster, but it’s got a smooth-as-silk steel track: it feels like you’re being…
18.32 MILES
This race-car ride bumps and jumps around a track painstakingly decked out like the Great American West. FastPass accepted.
Nearby Laguna Beach attractions
2.56 MILES
Near downtown’s village, Main Beach has volleyball and basketball courts, a playground and restrooms. It's the first beach you see as you come down Laguna…
2.57 MILES
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2.65 MILES
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2.73 MILES
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4.4 MILES
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4.68 MILES
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4.78 MILES
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5.3 MILES
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