The house built in Santiago Canyon in 1888 by Polish Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska and her husband, Karol Chlapowski, is a United States National Historic Landmark owned by the County of Orange and maintained by its Department of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks. The Modjeska historic site is 11 miles east of El Toro, reached via El Toro Road and Santiago Canyon Road. Exhibits in the house museum include period furniture and artifacts, vintage photographs of the house in Modjeska's day, and portraits of Helena Modjeska in a number of her stage costumes. On display are twenty reproduced pages from a Fairy Tale Book, written in Polish and English by Modjeska for a grandson, and illustrated with her water color paintings. The house and 14.4-acre grounds are open for docent-led visitor tours on alternate Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The admission fee is $5.00 per person.

Advance reservations are required. Telephone (949)923-2230