The Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum

4/5 since it was a mostly positive mix! Our tour went longer than we planned (we dropped out around the 90min mark, looked like 2hrs total) and was focused on clothing and the building history more than the medical side - which was a bummer since this is the only permanent medical museum in southern California we could find. But overall everyone was very kind, they even set out tea and cookies for the end of the tour, and were dressed lovely. Would go again, but with a very different set of expectations and goals. Victorian historians looking for a low key tour will really enjoy it, doctors with tight schedules might instead make plans to leave southern California for a more serious medicine museum.

Very hard to find place. The streets are very confusing around there but it is quite an experience to drive around since there are so many interesting historical homes.

Great tour if you're into history.

Amazing to see a historic home so well maintained. The authentic furnishings, which are all donated, make for an interesting tour when you realize you are viewing and touching items which are over 100 years old. Dr Waffle's medical equipment was educational. Best part of our tour with Tina was learning about the fundraising events throughout the year. What fun and all for a good cause. Preserving history~

Awesome treat for the whole family!!! Will definitely make this a Christmas tradition. I have always driven by this place, but it has never been open to go in. I took my spouse and two boys. We were merrily greeted by the society volunteers dressed as nutcrackers!!! It was so eloquently decorated. The food served looked fake it was so beautiful and precisely arranged. They also passed out a Christmas keepsake for our tree! So much history and scandal! My children loved the attic steps that of course they couldn't go up and the speak tube used by patients to speak to the Doctor through. Being a nurse, I really loved the medical aspect. We will be sure to make this a Christmas tradition and donate to it's future preservation fo generations to come.

Beautiful house, excellent open house tour by very knowledgeable and friendly volunteers. A fascinating history of the local area. AND they served cookies and tea after! You'll have to visit their website to find dates.

So interesting seeing the home where this courageous, trailblazing obstetrician lived. This December marked their first Christmas decorated tours that included decorating gingerbread men and making woven cloth star ornaments. Each room was decorated by a local community group like the Ebell Society of Santa Ana, the police department, Historic French Park, Wilshire Park, etc. What fun it was!!

I might be biased, as Dr. Howe-Waffle is my great-great-grandmother, but I find the Howe-Waffle House a treasure on so many levels. The doctor fought to get into the American Medical Association (AMA) at a time when women were not admitted. Her medical office on display is particularly fascinating (be grateful for modern obstetric tools, ladies!). She also divorced her first husband and remarried, hyphenating her name when that was rarely done. She was a naturopath and baby doctor who delivered many area citizens, including my grandmother and great aunt. She rode all over muddy rural Orange County visiting patients in a horse-drawn carriage with a pearl-handled revolver under her seat. The house showcases Victorian architectural details you rarely see today. I love the ornate carved wood staircase and trims, period furniture and wallpapers, stained glass windows, period clothing and accessories. I’ll be there for the 130th anniversary of the Howe-Waffle House Sat., July 20, 2019. Join us!

Paranormal Investigation Review Our group was lucky enough to do a Paranormal investigation of Dr Howe-Waffle House. We had complete access to both floors of the house, but not the attic, and the coach house. We were given three hours to do our investigation, and we had a blast. Noah and Jessica, the house docents, were awesome and answered all of our questions. PROS: * FREE Parking. Gated and safe. 14 spaces available with plenty of metered street parking. * Complete access to both floors of the house, except the attic, and both levels of the Coach house for your investigation * The House Docents, Noah and Jessica, were available before, during, and after our investigation. Helped out with questions and guidance to paranormal hotspots *There is a nice and clean bathroom on the bottom floor for our use. * We were able to use all our paranormal investigative tools during the investigation. * This Dr. Howe-Waffle House is Haunted.... Cons: * Very pricy for a 3-hour investigation. There were 10 of us at $75 a pop. * The more people you go with, the more noise pollution you will have. You constantly have to be aware of where your team is and communicate with them. Inside and outside noise travels well in the house. * Being on the corner of W. Civic Center Drive and S. Syucamore St., there is a lot of outside noise pollution from vehicular and pedestrian traffic outside. The night we investigated, it was raining, it was cool, but you definitely picked up the wet traffic outside * The upper level of the Coach house is a little cluttered, so be careful if you investigate in the dark up there We picked up multiple EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) from a little girl and a woman, Orbs, and a light anomaly in one of the bedrooms. What an awesome experience The Dr. Howe-Waffle House is Haunted, no doubt about it, and the ghosts there do have a story to tell if you listen closely enough

A neat little piece of preserved history in santa ana near the court house and 4th street. We went for the christmas experience which was self guided instead of lead by a docent like the time we wandered in in november during their halloween event. I just think the price is a little high for the experience, since we've visited places in LA and OC with more worth-it value. I know the proceeds go into the restoration and preservation of the history but there are places in LA and OC with historical building that you can learn more about the beauty and history of the home. I won't plug them since it's for those who are interested in the experience to find. Like a little treasure hunt of sorts so GL to those who wish to seek out pieces of history!

Beautiful historic Victorian house with an interesting history. The tour is all volunteer given and the women are very nice and knowledgeable. They even had a little tea party with cupcakes at in the dinning room after our tour, which was a really good touch.

Great lil historical site. The guided tours were informative and it's great to see history preserved.

The Howe-Waffle House is a fascinating place to learn about Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle, one of the first female physicians of California. If you are in the Santa Ana area and it is open, definitely check it out! We went to the Howe-Waffle house today because it was listed as one of the free museums for Free Museum Day. I had never been to this place before. We were not really sure what to expect. We ended up getting a guided tour of the house by a very nice young lady. The house is not very big so the whole tour lasted maybe 15 min at the most. After the tour, you are free to walk about the house. Most of the items are not originally from the house but rather from that time period. I wanted to try lying on the fainting couch but didn't have the nerve. As far as parking, we ended up parking at a 3 hour maximum meter and walked. All in all, we spent about an hour in there because they had a miniature replica of the house on display. Otherwise, we probably would have stayed 30 min.

This this is sadly not a waffle house, as the name suggests. Howe-Waffle is the doctor's last name. Still a cool Santa Ana landmark, just without delicious waffles.

Definitely worth a tour. Beautiful early 20th century home, and OC Historical Society guides explain the significance of the home and its owner in the formation of the city of Santa Ana and Orange County. This tour is as interesting and important as the Nixon home in Yorba Linda. A somewhat hidden gem!