The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University was established thanks to the generosity of Mark and Janet Hilbert, whose superlative collection focuses on the “California Scene” painting movement of roughly the 1920s through the 1970s and beyond. The Hilbert Collection — which includes oils, watercolors, sketches and lithographs of rural and urban scenes, coastal towns, farms, ranches, freeways and landscapes of everyday life in the Golden State — is a significant repository of 20th century representational art by California artists.

The Museum’s Expansion 

On February 23, 2024, the Hilbert Museum’s spacious new home officially opened to the public, capping an ambitious three year project to expand the facility from 7,500 to 22,000 square feet. This expansion is on the same site the museum has occupied since opening in 2016.

The reinvented Hilbert Museum features a striking two-building ensemble offering 26 galleries for rotating displays of more than 5,000 pieces in the growing Hilbert Collection. It  also includes a cafe; a community room for lectures, classes and events; a research library; and, an outdoor courtyard with native gardens. 

Uniting the two galleries is a floating open air structure: "Pleasures Along the Beach”, a 40’ x 16’ signature 1969 glass tile mosaic by the acclaimed artist Millard Sheets, that serves as the ultimate preview of the California art inside the Hilbert Museum.

Location 

The Hilbert is located at  the Chapman University campus. It sits directly in front of the Amtrak Station in the city of Orange, CA. It is within walking distance to the charm of the city's central plaza, ”The Orange Circle”. Here you will find  vintage  shops, antiques  and  one of a kind restaurants.