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News / What’s New in California in 2023
From luxury hotels to riveting theme park rides, here’s a look at the most anticipated openings of the year Photo: Courtesy Knott's Berry Farm
In a state driven by innovation, the one constant is change. That will ring true across the Golden State in 2023, with the new year bringing an exciting slate of theme park attractions, museums, hotels, and restaurants helmed by Michelin-starred chefs. With so many openings on the horizon, this won’t be an exhaustive list—but from north to south, here are some of the most hotly awaited happenings to add to your California bucket list next year.
Attractions and Family Fun
Black bears and coyotes will soon have a new home at the Eureka zoo, where the animals will cohabitate in an exhibit that includes a 15,000-gallon pond and a 400-foot elevated viewing platform.
Visitors can soar over the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country with the opening of a new zip line trail this spring. In addition to the mile of aerial cables stretching over the Santa Ynez Valley, the Buellton park will offer a ropes course and a low-key flower tour.
When the reimagined Fiesta Village opens over the summer in Buena Park, guests will enjoy brand-new eateries, elements inspired by Los Angeles' Olvera Street, and the return of a historic coaster. MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress, will feature a randomized launch sequence tied to a new treasure hunt storyline.
The Walt Disney Company has a whole year of festivities planned in honor of a major milestone. At Disneyland Resortin Anaheim, the Disney100 anniversary celebration will welcome two new shows in January, World of Color - One (at Disney California Adventure Park) and Wondrous Journeys (at Disneyland) fireworks, plus the Feb. 24 return of the Magic Happens parade. There’s more: The new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride debuts in late January and the fully renovated Mickey’s Toontown opens in March.
LEGOLAND California
This spring, the Carlsbad theme park will unveil the world's first LEGO City recreation of San Diego in its MINILAND USA. Coming later in the year, a new haunted house–themed attraction will feature a spooky storyline—and an upside-down spinning room.
The West Coast's longest and fastest straddle coaster, Arctic Rescue, will launch in spring 2023 in San Diego. Riding aboard a snowmobile, guests will reach top speeds of up to 40 miles per hour while racing to save animals in distress.
Courtesy Pendry Hotels
New Hotels and Resorts
Appellation, Healdsburg
Cofounded by restaurateur Charlie Palmer and former Four Seasons executive Charlie Hunsberger, the new hotel brand focused on creating food-centric experiences is debuting in the heart of Sonoma County wine country. Dinners in the orchard, rooms with vineyard views, a rooftop bar, and a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant are among the food-focused offerings guests can enjoy when the hotel opens its doors.
The Georgian, Santa Monica
Known as Santa Monica's First Lady, the storied beachfront hotel that once welcomed Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable has completed a long-awaited restoration inside its turquoise walls. When it reopens in January, guests will enjoy a new art program, gym, private dining rooms, and a shared social library in an art deco–styled space inspired by the building's history.
Opening in 2023 in the luxury enclave of Newport Beach, the newest Pendry hotel will feature a spa, three eateries, and close to 300 guest rooms offering views of the harbor and bay. Guests will also have easy access to open-air shopping at Fashion Island, which is located just across the street.
Nestled in the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter, the historic St. James Hotel is getting a second life with its transformation into the nautically appointed Palihotel. San Diego's first skyscraper, circa 1885, will now have a rooftop bar along with 122 guest rooms and a chic restaurant inspired by the high energy of roadside food halls in France.
Courtesy of Charlie's
New Restaurants and Nightlife
Charlie’s, Napa Valley
Elliot Bell, former executive sous chef at The French Laundry, is opening his own restaurant in Napa Valley in 2023. Named after his son, Charlie’s in St. Helena will offer a casual restaurant experience featuring Bell’s favorite family recipes and a seasonal menu prepared using locally sourced ingredients.
Vulcania, Mammoth Lakes
Before the end of ski season, Food Network stars Bryan and Michael Voltaggio will be opening a new modern Italian-American restaurant at The Village at Mammoth in Mammoth Lakes. For their first joint culinary venture in the Golden State, the brothers plan to put a playful spin on Italian cuisine, like the kid-friendly VoltaggiOs, as well as offer classics like pizza and handmade pastas like rigatoni arrabbiata.
The Ice House, Pasadena
Since purchasing the legendary Pasadena comedy club, Los Angeles Lakers’ co-owner Johnny Buss has planned a slate of renovations and upgrades that will be unveiled in winter 2023. Upon reopening, the club will feature new food and drink menus, two showrooms and a 30-seat VIP lounge with its own self-serve bar.
Café Boulud, Beverly Hills
Award-winning chef Daniel Boulud is making his debut on the West Coast in 2023 at the Mandarin Oriental Residences in Beverly Hills. The ground-floor restaurant will be an indoor-outdoor oasis open to the public, serving up dishes that balance his Michelin-rated French cuisine with the fresh, produce-driven flavors of California.
Museums and Exhibits
The Marin County artists’ colony will welcome a new addition in early 2023 with the opening of a waterfront facility highlighting all forms of creative expression, from visual arts to spoken word. In addition to exhibits like The Photography, Art, and Fashion of Burning Man, the Sausalito museum will offer panel discussions, guest lectures, art demonstrations, and hands-on classes.
Ansel Adams in Our Time at the de Young Museum
At San Francisco's de Young Museum, this Ansel Adams photography exhibit will debut April 8. The environmental advocate, who was born in San Francisco, had his first exhibit at the fine arts museum in 1932. More than 100 of his pieces will be on display through July 23 along with works by other artists who share his passion for the environment.
Built in the 1930s, the blufftop estate in Santa Barbara will open to the public for the first time in 2023. Limited private tours will lift the veil on this Gilded Age landmark, which has been frozen in time since reclusive heiress Huguette Clark abandoned the mansion more than six decades ago.
The international contemporary art fair returns to the West Coast in a new location: the Santa Monica Airport. Organizers will welcome more than 120 galleries, activations, and restaurant pop-ups to Santa Monica. There’s also a new showcase of 20th-century artists at the star-studded event, which will take place Feb. 16–19.
A new 5.8-acre plaza in Palm Springs will celebrate the cultural history and traditions of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, giving visitors access to a spa situated on the sacred hot springs and an interpretative trail that recreates the beauty of the Indian Canyons. The complex, set to open in the spring, will also include a museum with exhibits telling the story of the tribe’s creation, migration, and ancestral lands.
