Blimp Hangars, a Spectrum Spectacle and Orange County’s Most Notorious Tradition
- Joel Beers
- 1 minute ago
- 12 min read
Tustin, Irvine and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink stations don’t have it all, but they have a lot to see and do in the surrounding areas.
This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink, discovering what makes each stop worth the stop.
Combining the Tustin and Irvine Metrolink stations in this installment of Culture OC’s exploration of the 11 Orange County stations on the Metrolink OC Line and their surrounding environs makes sense for several reasons:
Only seven minutes separate them.
Tustin’s opening in 2002 was in large part due to alleviating parking issues at the Irvine Station, which opened in 1990.
They are among the busiest Metrolink stations in the six-county, 69-station system, and trail only Fullerton in terms of OC Line ridership.
OK, case made. But why also include Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo, which is 10 miles south of Irvine and one of the least busy stations in Orange County?
Here’s why: They are the three least distinctive stations on the OC Line in terms of what to see or do immediately around them.
The other eight stations are either within short walks from bustling downtowns or historic neighborhoods (Fullerton, Orange, Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano), steps from major attractions (Anaheim and both San Clemente stations) or feature a unique retro design (Buena Park).
But not these three. Irvine’s is by far the largest and most comfortable, and its proximity to the Irvine Spectrum and the Great Park qualifies it as an embarkation point, none of which can be said for the stations to its north or south, both of which are basically “automated railway pit stops” as the Los Angeles Times described Tustin’s station on its 2002 opening.
But, Tustin has a great view of one of the most historic of O.C. structures, and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo’s station is the closest Metrolink station to one of the most notorious O.C. traditions.
So, away we go …
Tustin station
Irony in full view
The most noteworthy aspect of this station is that the most prominent sight in Tustin, the so-called City of Trees, is a 17-story, 1,000-foot-long wooden hangar that looms over the area like, as one online review puts it, “ the ribcage of some long-dead Colossus.” It’s the last standing remnant of a U.S. military base commissioned in 1942 as Naval Air Base Santa Ana. It originally housed blimps used to monitor the coast for enemy submarines during World War II and was subsequently used for helicopter training. Its name changed several times over the years, the last in 1979 to Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. It was decommissioned and officially closed in 1990, and while lots of plans were discussed, such as using it as a possible site for a new Angels stadium, today a big chunk of it is Tustin Legacy, a master-planned residential and retail community. But the hangar has survived, unlike its sister hangar to its north, which suffered a fire in 2023 and began demolition shortly after.
The two hangars were there when the Tustin Station opened in 2002, near the intersection of Edinger Avenue and Jamboree Road. But there was little of interest around the station then, and there isn’t much now, just housing developments and office and industrial parks. That is, unless you’re really into veterinary science: For whatever reason, a full suite of animal-related businesses are located to the immediate west and south of the station, offering everything from eye and dental care to neurology and advanced imaging.
A five-story parking structure accommodating 825 vehicles was built in 2011, increasing the station’s physical footprint, but the fairly nondescript station has remained just that, a place apparently designed to deter anyone from hanging around too long, as the lack of restrooms seems to indicate.
PHOTO 1: The remaining hangar at the former Tustin Marine base can be seen a few steps from the Tustin Metrolink Station. Photo courtesy of Unsplash/Sven Piper. PHOTO 2: The five story parking structure at the Tustin Station. PHOTO 3: The tracks at Tustin's Metrolink Station, which opened in 2002 and is the third busiest on the OC Line. PHOTO 4-6: The murals at the nearby Flight at Tustin. Photos by Joel Beers. Culture OC
Expensive cars and towering murals
Other than the aforementioned hangar, which is one of the largest freestanding wooden structures built in the country and one of Orange County’s most historic buildings, there’s not much.
About two miles north up Edinger, there’s the Marconi Auto Museum, a nonprofit built around a private collection of about 100 cars, motorcycles and related memorabilia purportedly worth around $60 million.
And about three miles, or an 18-minute bus ride southwest, is the most interesting development within the Tustin Legacy community: The Flight at Tustin Legacy, which bills itself as Orange County’s first purpose-built creative campus. Among its amenities are a chef-driven market food hall, an in-progress sculpture walk and five enormous murals, some as high as 60 feet, tied to themes of flight and local history by artists including Shag, John Park and Bonnie Reiss.
So close, yet so far
The one thing the Tustin Station can boast of is that it is the closest Metrolink station to some of Orange County’s key destinations, including all beaches west of Newport Beach. Although close is relative, as UC Irvine is about 5 miles away, South Coast Metro about 6 miles, John Wayne Airport 7 miles, and the Newport Pier 12 miles.
Interestingly, the station isn’t even the closest Metrolink station to its most historic neighborhood, Old Towne Tustin, which is slightly farther from the Tustin Station than it is from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center.
Irvine's Metrolink Station, opened in 1990, is the second busiest on the OC Line. Photos by Joel Beers, Culture OC
Irvine STATION
Big station, big plans
Irvine’s rail history stretches back to 1887, when the Santa Fe Railroad built a station on the Irvine Ranch, called Myford, to ship crops like lima beans. In 1938, the station, now called Irvine, began shuttling passengers along its San Diegan route. But that depot closed nine years later and no trains would stop for 43 years.
But as the Irvine Company began earnestly developing the city into the master-planned behemoth that it would become, a new train station fit in perfectly. In 1990, the city was in the early stages of a huge population explosion that would see it grow from 62,000 residents in 1980 to 212,000 in 2010 and eclipse 300,000 in 2020.
Its $13 million station was built to accommodate that growth. It sits on 10.5 acres, more ground than any other Orange County depot at the time (Anaheim’s ARCTIC Station has since surpassed it), has an ample interior waiting room with large windows, shaded outdoor seating areas along with covered passenger platforms, more parking spaces than any other O.C, station (over 1,600) and, along with Santa Ana, more trains stop there than any other station: 68 during the week (including 26 on the OC Line, 24 Amtrak Pacific Surfliners and 18 on the Inland Empire/Orange County line) and 36 on weekends.
Ambitious plans were voiced when it opened. Some, such as the Irvine Spectrum, which opened across the 5 freeway in 1995, came to fruition; others, like a proposed monorail connecting the station to John Wayne Airport and points south, didn’t; and others drastically changed, like a proposed, and highly contentious, international airport just north on the former El Toro base which is now the still-in-progress Great Park.
Immediate surroundings
The two major points of interest near the station are the aforementioned Irvine Spectrum and the Great Park (not to overlook Bass Pro Shops, which you pass while getting to the former, and Wild Rivers Water Park which is just south of the latter). Both feel farther than they should be. The Spectrum is only about two miles away, but from the station, you need to take Alton Parkway, which crosses over the 5 Freeway midway through its collision with the 405 to the south and the 133 to the north. There is no better argument for the taking of mass transit than seeing that molten ribbon of concrete and steel at rush hour.
The Great Park meanwhile, seems like it’s right across the train tracks, directly north and east. But while that area is related to the park, it’s mostly part of the residential quotient of the former Marine base, the Great Park Neighborhoods. No direct roads lead from the station to the actual public parkland. The circuitous route that does is a 5-mile trek, about 12 minutes via ride share, 22 minutes via bike, and a nearly two-hour bus ride or walk.
However, the station will eventually have something of its own to showcase: It’s going to be the first in the county (besides the occasional freight train idling at the Fullerton train station) where you’ll be able to see stationary train cars. Currently, all Metrolink trains are maintained and cleaned either at Los Angeles’ Union Station or in San Bernardino. But a $180 million Orange County Maintenance Facility, which will include train storage tracks, locomotive and car service platforms and a service building is planned for the station.
At the Irvine Spectrum: PHOTO 1: The 108-foot tall Big Wheel will close in January, and a new revitalized wheel will open in the summer. PHOTO 2: The Irvine Spectrum's antique replica carousel received a new paint job as part of the center's $200 million expansion in 2018. PHOTO 3: An outdoor ice skating rink is a seasonal addition to the Irvine Spectrum. PHOTO 4: Mastro's Ocean Club opened its Irvine Spectrum location in September. PHOTO 5: The Regal Cinema at Irvine Spectrum Center features 21 auditoriums, including large-format screens for IMAX, RPX and ScreenX, plus 4DX, all offering upgraded amenities like luxury recliners. PHOTO 6: Holey Moley, a 27-hole mini golf course with a cocktail bar, opened Dec. 12. Photos courtesy of Joel Beers, Culture OC
Spectacle at the Spectrum
The Irvine Spectrum took a fairly conventional concept – an outdoor mall – and combined it with a Las Vegas-like flair for themed design, a bit of carnival and some top-level entertainment venues to create one of Southern California’s signature commercial districts. Its design core borrows from Moorish and Spanish Revival design – stucco walls, keyhole arches, fountains and reflective pools, tiled courtyards and lantern-style lighting – stitched together like a series of small plazas linked by broad walkways, shaded seating areas and open-air restaurants, all of which encourage movement, lounging and people-watching.
A carousel, Big Wheel (which closes next month and will be replaced by a new generation wheel in the summer) and seasonal outdoor ice rink lend a participatory aspect. Its Regal Cinema is the biggest and most opulent in the county. And the Irvine Improv is a world-class comedy venue. There are also live music performances scattered throughout in the early evening. And, as a fitting testament to how the Spectrum is constantly adding new restaurants and attractions, two more entertainment venues just opened Dec. 12: the Hijinx Hotel and Holey Moley, the former a kind of group-challenge-room-meets-carnival funhouse that replicates a working hotel; the latter a themed 27-hole miniature golf course with its own cocktail bar.
There are more than 60 dining options, ranging from the gorgeously appointed Habana, a Cuban restaurant that seats 365; the flagship Mexican restaurant Javiers, which includes a 5,600-square-foot outside patio; the California-inspired Italian Cuchina enoteca; Asian offerings ranging from Capital Dim Sum and Little Sister to P.F. Changs and the soon-to-open Din Tai Fun; the newly opened Mastro’s Ocean Club: Brazilian and American steakhouses and more familiar offerings like the Yardhouse, Cheesecake Factory, Wahoo’s and California Pizza Chicken.
Though it takes a while to get to and it’s taken longer to begin rounding into shape, the Great Park is also noteworthy. Though mired in controversy over planning, funding and execution since first greenlighted by Orange County voters with the 2002 passage of Measure M, about 500 acres of public parkland have been developed with another 300 planned.
Current amenities include the signature helium balloon, hiking trails, themed playgrounds, expansive sports facilities, a 5,000-seat amphitheater and the Palm Courts Arts Complex, which includes a gallery rotating contemporary art exhibitions; a multi-purpose studio; Hangar 244, a 10,000-square-foot event center mixing history and art; an outdoor performance venue and public art installations.
PHOTO 1: The Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station is one of the handful that does not have a pedestrian bridge. PHOTO 2: The Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Station opened in 2002 and is a favorite among its cyclists for its proximity to bike trails. PHOTO 3: The upstairs tap room at O'Shea's Brewing Co., is located across the street from the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Station. PHOTO 4: Mug's Away Saloon, located about a 25-minute walk from the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station, is a colorful, locals bar which is the site of an annual mooning of Amtrak trains on the second Saturday of July. Photos by Joel Beers, Culture OC
Lake Forest/Mission Viejo STaTION
Just passing through
There’s not a great deal to be said about this station, which opened in 2002 and is located in an industrial area on Camino Capistrano south of Crown Valley Parkway and situated just west of California State Route 73 and just east of the 5 freeway. There’s no pedestrian overpass (it’s underground) but at least there are restrooms. Aesthetically, the design could most favorably be described as modest and utilitarian with simple canopies and shelters focused on commuter comfort rather than any decorative or stylistic flourishes.
Wedged between two freeways, there is simply no room for anything grandiose to be near the station. The nearest major arts or cultural destination is the Soka Performing Arts Center, located approximately 5.5 miles away, with no direct bus route available.
But three points of interest could make one hell of an afternoon. You can start by getting all your home brewing supplies, buying a keg or choosing from among the 12 taps upstairs at O Shea Brew Co., right across the street from the station; then walk about 20 minutes north and exercise your Second Amendment rights at On Target, an indoor shooting range; and then walk about 10 more minutes and moon an Amtrak train at Mug’s Away Saloon – if it’s the second Saturday in July. The not-so-family-friendly tradition began in the late 1970s when a regular offered to buy drinks for anyone who ran out and mooned the next passing train. On any other day of the year, Mug’s Away is a quintessential local dive bar with pool tables, darts and plenty of history on the walls and sitting at the bar.
Next Stop: San Juan Capistrano and what is it like being on these trains anyway?
Address: 2975 E. Edinger Ave., Tustin
Opened: 2002
Parking: Over 900 commuter parking spaces (free); Overnight parking allowed
Ridership: 479 average weekday Metrolink boardings (2024)
Amenities: Bike racks, bike lockers, food vending machines, no restrooms.
Route: Seventh stop on the OC Line, which runs from Los Angeles Union Station to Oceanside; also on Inland Empire/Orange County Line, which runs from Oceanside to San Bernardino.
Metrolink Train Schedule*
Weekdays: 26 trains. First southbound train (from Los Angeles) arrives 6:41 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 10:41 p.m. First northbound train arrives 5:20 a.m.; final northbound train arrives 8:20 p.m.
Weekends: Eight trains. First southbound train arrives 9:41 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 5:28 p.m. First northbound train arrives 9:28 a.m.; last northbound train arrives 6:28 p.m.
Amtrak*: No service.
*subject to change
Address: 15215 Barranca Parkway
Opened: 1990
Parking: Over 1,650 commuter parking spaces, overnight parking allowed (72 hours maximum)
Ridership: 493 average weekday Metrolink boardings (2025); 288 average weekday Amtrak boardings (2025)
Amenities: Bike racks, bike lockers, vending machines, restrooms, indoor waiting area, Amtrak ticket office.
Route: Eighth stop on the OC Line, which runs from Los Angeles Union Station to Oceanside; and, on Inland Empire/Orange County Line, which runs from Oceanside to San Bernardino. Also part of Amtrak Pacific Surfliner line, which runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.
Metrolink Train Schedule*
Weekdays: 26 trains. First southbound train (from Los Angeles) arrives 6:48 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 10:48 p.m. First northbound train (from Oceanside) arrives 5:12 a.m.; final northbound train (from Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo) arrives 7:12 p.m.
Weekends: Eight trains. First southbound train arrives 9:49 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 5: 36 p.m. First northbound train arrives 9:21 a.m.; last northbound train arrives 6: 21 p.m.
Amtrak*: 24 trains daily, first southbound train arrives 7:11 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 11:11 p.m. First northbound train arrives 5:48 a.m; last northbound train arrives 10:48 p.m.
*subject to change
LaGUNA NIGUEL/MISSION VIEJO STATION
Address: 28200 Forbes Road, Laguna Niguel
Opened: 2002
Parking: Over 400 spaces (free); overnight parking allowed 72 hours maximum
Ridership: 158 average weekday boardings (2025)
Amenities: Bike racks, bike lockers, restrooms.
Route: Ninth stop on the OC Line, which runs from Los Angeles Union Station to Oceanside; also on Inland Empire/Orange County Line, which runs from Oceanside to San Bernardino.
Metrolink Train Schedule*
Weekdays: 26 trains. First southbound train (from Los Angeles) arrives 6:57 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 10:58 p.m. First northbound train (from Oceanside) arrives 5:02 a.m.; final northbound train arrives 4:02 p.m. (OC Line), 6:27 p.m.(IE/OC Line) and last departure is 7:27 p.m.
Weekends: Eight trains. First southbound train arrives 10 a.m.; last southbound train arrives 5:46 p.m. First northbound train arrives 9:11 a.m.; last northbound train arrives 6:10 p.m. (OC Line) and 7:14 p.m. (IE/OC/Line).
Amtrak*: No service.
Mission Viejo Shuttle*: The free shuttle runs from the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink train station to Lake Mission Viejo and many places in between.
*subject to change
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