Newport Beach turns 120 in September, and the Balboa Island Museum is spending the anniversary year pulling the city's history out of storage and putting it on display.

The museum's "Visit Newport Beach: 120 Years of Welcome" exhibit opened Thursday, May 22 and runs daily through Thursday, October 1. The show features an immersive touchscreen Tourism Archive, a "Voices of Newport Beach" living storytelling component, and a newspaper mural of historical articles spanning 120 years of local coverage, according to Visit Newport Beach.

Alongside the exhibit, the museum runs a weekly feature called "A Look Back," sharing archival photographs tied to the city's coastal heritage. The Monday, July 6 installment featured a 1938 photograph of Stan Schulte paddleboarding around Balboa, Balboa Island, and Corona del Mar, accompanied by another family member. The image comes from the Sievers Family Collection. A week earlier, the June 30 entry showed members of the Schulte family aboard their boat off the Balboa Peninsula, also from August 1938.

The back-to-back images offer a glimpse of recreational life on local waters nearly nine decades ago.

Newport Beach was incorporated in 1906. Mayor Lauren Kleiman identified the 120th anniversary as a theme for 2026, and the Newport Beach Historical Society confirmed the city's official birthday falls in September.

The Balboa Island Museum and its store are located at 210 B Marine Ave. on Balboa Island. Hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., per the museum's website. Admission is free. Two-hour parking is available on Marine Avenue. The museum operates entirely on private donations. For more information, call 949-675-3952 or visit balboaislandmuseum.org.

Upcoming community events in Newport Beach

  • Tuesday, July 14: Nautical Fabric Wreath crafting class at the Balboa Island Museum, 1 p.m. Cost: $30 members, $35 non-members.
  • Tuesday, July 21: Sailboat art class led by artist Erna Van Dyk at the museum, 1 p.m. Cost: $30 members, $35 non-members.
  • July 26 (deadline): Newport Beach Historical Society's "Then & Now" photo contest submissions due by 5 p.m. Participants recreate historic Newport Beach photographs at present-day locations. Prizes include NBHS merchandise worth over $100 for first place.
  • August 9–15: Newport Beach Art Week, concluding with the 59th Annual Newport Beach Art Exhibition at the Civic Center on Saturday, August 15.