Anaheim

Located between Los Angeles and San Diego and at the core of Orange County, Anaheim is famous for its theme parks, but has much more to offer travelers than that.

Founded in 1857 by German farmers, Anaheim flourished as a center for citrus production. In 1954, movie producer Walt Disney bought 160 acres of citrus groves and built a theme park unlike any other and today, Anaheim is synonymous with Disneyland. The original theme park, however, now forms part of a much larger entity - Disney Resort - encompassing Disneyland California Adventure, Downtown Disney and three large hotels. Together they form the core of the Anaheim Resort district, which also includes the Anaheim Convention Center and multiple entertainment and sports venues.

Downtown Anaheim has recently been revitalized and now boasts new shops, exciting restaurants and award-winning craft breweries. It also hosts farmers markets, art crawls and festivals. The Anaheim Packing District is a community gathering place with refurbished buildings, restaurants and live music. It also hosts live music weekly.

East of the city, the Anaheim Hills offer bucolic escapes, while the city merges into neighboring cities that together offer a panoply of eclectic and exciting diversions: from art galleries and museums to the contemporary magnificence of the Crystal Cathedral. Interstate 5, which links Los Angeles and San Diego, runs north-south through the heart of Anaheim, and the Metrolink rail system connects Anaheim Resort to downtown Los Angeles. Anaheim, the second largest city in Orange County after Santa Ana, has a polyglot population. While it has pockets of industry, the region thrives on tourism first and foremost.