The Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical 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.

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.

Great tour if you're into history.

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.

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.

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!!

Very interesting, lovely and extensive collection. Very knowledgeable volunteers that obviously love what they do. It was a very large group so may have flowed easier and faster if split into 2 groups like upstairs/downstairs.

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!