The 21 best museums to visit in Los Angeles

Timed tickets recommended. Free for L.A. County residents weekdays after 3pm. No tickets are required to see outdoor sculptures. 

Chris Burden’s Urban Light, a piece made up of 202 cast-iron street lamps gathered from around L.A. and restored to working order, quickly became one of the city’s indelible landmarks. But you’re selling yourself short if you don’t venture beyond the photo-friendly installation; LACMA’s collections boast modernist masterpieces, large-scale contemporary works, traditional Japanese screens and some of L.A.’s most consistently terrific special exhibitions. But the most talked-about thing to see right now is the long-awaited David Geffen Galleries, which are finally open to the public after nearly two decades of planning, five years of construction and $724 million. Inside the massive Peter Zumthor–designed concrete structure, you’ll find over 2,500 works on display from the permanent collection. Check out our guide to the most photogenic pieces in and around the new building.

What’s On: Jazz at LACMA, a beloved L.A. tradition that’s back for the season. Enjoy live music just behind Urban Light every Friday night—get there (super) early to snag a seat, or you can bring a picnic for the lawn. And from July 26 to August 23, Christian Marclay’s The Clock—a very cool, 24-hour montage depicting the passage of time—returns to the museum for the first time since 2015.

Address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thu 11am–6pm; Fri 11am–8pm; Sat, Sun 10am–7pm; closed Wed

Pricing: L.A. County Residents: $25, seniors and students $21, 17 and under free; weekdays after 3pm free. Non-residents: $30, seniors and students $26, ages 3–17 $15, 2 and under free. Free every second Tue of the month.

Free timed tickets recommended, including for Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away.

Three words: Infinity Mirror Rooms. Downtown’s persistently popular contemporary art museum has two of Yayoi Kusama’s immersive, mirror-laden rooms (one that you can step into, one that you only pop your head into). It’s certainly not the only reason to visit, but I’ll admit that I still gasp each time I walk inside the Souls piece.

Elsewhere in the free museum (though the rotating first-floor special exhibition often charges a fee), the late Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection of 2,000-plus post-war works includes artists like Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Jeff Koons. Outside, the museum’s plaza features a lovely olive tree grove. Find out more in our complete guide to the Broad. 

And soon there’ll be even more to love: A large-scale museum expansion is in the works, which will add three floors, a rooftop courtyard and 55,000 square feet of new gallery space—amounting to a whopping 70% increase of the museum’s footprint—by 2028.

What’s On: Yoko Ono’s first solo show in SoCal is open through October 11. See works from the seven-decade long career of the inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—including lots of participatory pieces. The specially ticketed exhibition is free Thursdays from 5 to 8pm, and on August 8, a star-studded lineup of musicians will perform Ono’s music at Yoko Only.

Address: 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Opening hours: Tue, Wed, Fri 11am–5pm; Thu 11am–8pm; Sat, Sun 10am–6pm; closed Mon

Pricing: Free, with timed reservations, specially ticketed exhibitions $21; $19 parking available

Free timed tickets required.

From the second you board its hill-climbing tram, you know you’re in for something special—and I think the Getty Center is truly unlike any other institution in Southern California, if not the world. When the J. Paul Getty Trust’s extensive art collection outgrew its coastal mansion (now the antiquity-filled Getty Villa, which is absolutely worth a visit, too), the museum migrated to this magnificent site in 1997. You’ll find a remarkable complex of travertine and white metal-clad pavilions that houses ornate French furniture, recognizable Impressionist pieces and rotating exhibitions.

Sure, it’s right along a highly trafficked freeway and you’ll have to pay for parking (though prices drop later in the day), but you’ll forget all about that, thanks to free admission and some postcard-worthy panoramic views. Stick around to watch the sunset over the ocean, if you can; I always enjoy viewing it from above the Central Garden or the southern cactus garden.

Make sure to schedule a visit for two before March 2027, when the museum will be closing for planned improvements ahead of the Olympics.

What’s On: Off the 405, the museum’s free summer concert series that takes place on select Saturday evenings, continues through August 22. And indoors, “Odilon Redon: Otherworldly Visions”—a look at the French artist’s eery charcoal drawings—opens July 14.

Address: 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Opening hours: Tue–Fri, Sun 10am–6:30pm; Sat 10am–9pm; closed Mon

Pricing: Free admission; parking $25, after 3pm $15, after 6pm $10, free Saturday after 6pm

Timed reservations required Fridays through Sundays, on holidays and during peak periods.

The sprawling Huntington consists of art collections, library holidngs and several themed gardens—in fact, it’s by far the most beautiful botanical garden in the region. Once the estate of railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington, it’s now an exquisite attraction that can easily occupy an entire day—best enjoyed at a leisurely pace with a break for afternoon tea in the rose garden.

The library boasts a Gutenberg Bible, an early copy of Hamlet and correspondences from the Founding Fathers. But you absolutely shouldn’t pass up the museum collections either. The luxurious central residence houses European artwork, including Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy, which the institution restored in recent years. A nearby cluster of large galleries houses the American art collection, including Arts and Crafts furniture and a growing assortment of contemporary pieces. The gardens themselves are practically pieces of art, too, most notably the hilly Japanese garden (home to a three-century-old rural house) and the exquisite Chinese garden, where bridges and pavilions encircle a water-lily-filled lake—though the otherworldly desert garden is also a personal favorite.

What’s On: Roses are in full bloom in the gardens, as are the water lilies and lotus on the water. Indoors, exhibition “This Land Is…” is inspired by Woody Guthrie’s folk anthem and displays relics tied to American land. And on select summer nights, you can visit after-hours during the Huntington’s Twilight Strolls series.

Address: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108

Opening hours: Mon, Wed–Sun 10am–5pm; closed Tue

Pricing: $29–$34; seniors and students $24–$28; children 4–11 $13–$15, under 4 free. Free to all first Thu of month (advance tickets required). Parking free.

Timed tickets recommended.

The history of moviemaking finally has a permanent home in L.A., and it’s filled with the sorts of cinematic treasures you’d expect from the people who put on the Oscars (and yes, you can hold one—for an extra fee). The objects on display rotate pretty regularly, whether that’s C-3PO, the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz or the desk from The Godfather—the sole surviving shark from Jaws, though, is always there to bare its toothy smile over the escalators.

The institution’s slick, soap-bubble-like theater and three floors of exhibition space tell an unflinching, nonlinear history of cinema that makes room for a mixture of stories. And the David Geffen Theater—which Time Out has named the No. 58 greatest cinema in the world—is a classy place to see a film. Find out more in our complete guide to the Academy Museum.

What’s On: A glamourous new exhibition that celebrates Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday with posters, portraits, letters and iconic costumes worn onscreen by the starlet. Also of note: A family-friendly deep dive into Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo, one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most beloved films, and “Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho,” the first exhibition dedicated to the Oscar-winning Parasite filmmaker. 

Address: 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Opening hours: Mon, Wed–Sun 10am–6pm; closed Tue

Pricing: $25, seniors (62 and up) $19, students $15, free for visitors 17 and younger and CA residents with an EBT card; Oscars Experience $5–$10.

Industrialist Armand Hammer founded this museum in 1990 primarily to house his own collection. But since then, it’s really come into its own as what I think is L.A.’s most exciting, forward-thinking art museum. With its decades-in-the-making master plan now fully realized, the free, UCLA partner institution stages fascinating shows of contemporary art, photography and design, often with an emphasis on local artists (most notably with its “Made in L.A.” biennial, which just wrapped up its latest iteration). The shows are supplemented by a small permanent collection of the Impressionists and Old Masters, and the Hammer’s public events calendar (arguably one of the best in the city) is chock-full of free lectures and film screenings.

What’s On: “Several Eternities in a Day,” in which over 20 artists from North, Central and South America have created works with mediums like stones, avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal and clay—making for a multisensory experience that runs through August 23.

Address: 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Opening hours: Tue–Sun 11am–6pm; closed Mon

Pricing: Free, parking $9 for three hours with validation

Free reservations required.

In 1974, oil magnate J. Paul Getty opened a museum of his holdings in a faux villa in Pacific Palisades. Eventually the decorative arts and paintings were moved to the Getty Center, but the villa remains as the home of Getty’s collection of Mediterranean antiquities. Today, there are roughly 1,200 artifacts on display at any one time, dated between 6,500 BC and 500 AD. Even if you’re not interested in the art, I think the palatial courtyards and manicured gardens—which were thankfully unharmed in the 2025 Palisades Fire—are worth the visit (and your parking fee at one Getty location is valid at the other if you visit both in the same day).

What’s On: “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” which showcases the Getty’s collection of rare hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts dating back to around 1000 BCE.

Address: 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Opening hours: Mon, Wed–Sun 10am–5pm; closed Tue

Pricing: Free admission; parking $25, after 3pm $15, after 6pm $10

Free timed tickets recommended.

There are a few permanent fixtures at the main, Grand Avenue branch of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art—mainly a gallery lined with Mark Rothko canvases. Otherwise, this primer on post-war art largely changes from exhibition to exhibition. I find that those already inclined toward contemporary art get the most out of the shows here, otherwise they may seem a little “out there.” But the large-scale exhibitions at the nearby Geffen Contemporary, the museum’s Little Tokyo warehouse, are often sublime crowd-pleasers. MOCA notably switched to free admission in 2020, but the Geffen shows usually require a paid ticket.

What’s On: The Geffen Contemporary is temporarily closed, as it’s between exhibitions. But at MOCA Grand Avenue, you can check out the U.S. debut of an immersive installation by South Korean artist Haegue Yang made with venetian blinds through August 2.

Address: MOCA Grand Avenue: 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012; Geffen Contemporary: 152 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Opening hours: MOCA Grand Avenue: Tue, Wed, Fri 11am–5pm; Thu 11am–8pm; Sun 11am–6pm; closed Mon and Sat. 

Pricing: Free

Advance tickets recommended; free for county residents weekdays from 3–5pm.

The NHM’s original Beaux Arts structure was the first museum building in L.A.—it opened in 1913 with Exposition Park itself—and it’s the only building on this list that looks something like a grand European institution. The more recent Otis Booth Pavilion welcomes visitors into the museum with a six-story glass entrance featuring a 63-foot-long fin whale skeleton, while NHM Commons, a welcoming new “front porch” facing the soon-to-open Lucas Museum, boasts a green long-necked dinosaur skeleton dubbed Gnatalie.

Museum highlights include the gem and mineral hall, spectacularly presented dinosaur and mammal fossils, multiple diorama halls, the 3.5-acre urban nature gardens and “Becoming Los Angeles,” which examines the region’s history from its Indigenous roots to the present day.

What’s On: The seasonal Butterfly Pavilion is back, where you can walk amid hundreds of the dainty winged insects through August 23. Inside, “Unearthed: Raw Beauty” displays some of the rarest and most spectacular minerals, crystals, gems and rocks ever discovered. And “The Declaration in Progress” displays objects from key moments in our country’s 250-year history—including an 1829 reproduction of a draft of the eponymous document.

Address: 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Opening hours: Daily 9:30am–5pm

Pricing: $18 adults; $14 seniors/students with ID/ages 13–17; $7 children 3–12; children under 3, active military with ID, CA teachers with ID, and members free. Parking $20

I think this is easily the most underrated museum in the L.A. area. Sure, its exterior is plastered in the center of your TV screen every year during the Rose Parade, but this calm and intimately laid-out Pasadena museum rarely feels as packed with people as most of the picks above it in this list. Make no mistake, though: The quality of the artwork here is tremendous. You’ll see Old Masters (Rembrandt and Brueghel), French Impressionists (Monet, Manet and Renoir) and an unparalleled (for the area, at least) collection of South and Southeast Asian sculpture.

The exterior recently received a substantial refresh, thanks to a $15-million renovation. The 115,000 hand-crafted Heath Ceramics tiles, which cover the facade of the museum, were cleaned and restored; sculptor Auguste Rodin’s famed The Thinker has pride of place by the entrance; and the beautiful sculpture garden was also renovated. Consider planning a visit for the first Friday of the month, when admission is free after 4pm.

What’s On: The museum’s Golden Hour concert series. You’ll have to pay for museum admission, but then you can enjoy alfresco music in the Sculpture Garden and pick up drawing supplies to sketch your surroundings.

Address: 411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105

Opening hours: Sun, Mon, Thu noon–5pm; Fri, Sat noon–7pm; closed Tue and Wed

Pricing: $20 adults, $15 seniors (62 and older), children 18 and under, students and military personnel with ID all free

Miracle Mile was the first commercial development in L.A. designed expressly for the benefit of drivers, so a former department store makes an apt home for this museum of car culture. A 2015 redesign has since turned the automotive history museum into a high-tech gallery with about 150 cars on display. There’s a glimpse into the rise of car culture in Southern California, but that mostly takes a backseat to a focus on the progress, dominance and dazzling good looks of the automobile. You’ll find a mix of famous Hollywood cars, sumptuously swooping vintage vehicles and high-performance supercars. You can find even more cars beneath the museum in the separately ticketed Vault, where the rarest vehicles are parked.

What’s On: A 25th-anniversary exhibition dedicated to the Fast & Furious franchise, with movie vehicles driven by Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, stunt cars and production prototypes on display. And “World’s Fastest,” a look at speed-record-setting cars over the years, opens July 18.

Address: 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Opening hours: Daily 10am–6pm

Pricing: Adults $23, with vault $52; seniors 62 and over $20, with vault $45; youth ages 12–17 $13, with vault $42; children ages 4–11 $12, with vault $25; children under 4 free (though not allowed into the Vault); parking for the first two hours $18

Book a private tour of the museum.

Free first Wednesday of the month, 10am–4pm (registration required).

Based on the name, you might expect this Griffith Park museum to be a kitschy exploration of the life and works of famous singing cowboy Gene Autry. Instead, it’s actually a very engaging exploration of all of the peoples of the West (with a sizable collection of Native American art), outlining its history and detailing the myths that came to surround it (though, yes, there’s often some sort of Autry memorabilia on display in the foyer). And the museum’s park often hosts Street Food Cinema screenings and other fun events.

What’s On: L.A.-centric exhibition “Life, Liberty, and Los Angeles” looks at the Declaration of Independence’s promise of life, liberty and happiness, and how that promise has been fulfilled—or not—throughout the city’s development.

Address: 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Opening hours: Tue–Fri 10am–4pm; Sat, Sun 10am–5pm; closed Mon

Pricing: $20, students and seniors 62 and up $15, children 3–12 $9, children under 3 free; free first Wed of the month 10am–4pm with RSVP

Free Thursdays.

This hillside campus off the 405 looks at connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage and communities within L.A. The permanent displays of Judaica are both beautiful and enriching, while the temporary exhibitions often veer more into pop culture territory (think: Star Trek, comic books and the Muppets). Little ones will love “Noah’s Ark,” a wonderful kid-oriented, playground-like exhibit that explores cultural differences through a retelling of the old animals-two-by-two tale.

What’s On: Three new exhibitions: an engaging look at the history of comics and how they came to dominate pop culture, a very cool show marking the 50th anniversary of punk in the U.S., and a portrait of Jewish life by actor-artist Lisa Edelstein and her husband.

Address: 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Opening hours: Tue–Fri noon–5pm; Sat, Sun 10am–5pm; closed Mon

Pricing: $20; seniors, students, kids 2–17 $15; kids under 2 free; free every Thu

One of three institutions clustered near one another in Exposition Park, this handsome museum documents the historical achievements of African Americans. Though its collection includes some pieces from the African diaspora, its primary focus—particularly its temporary exhibitions—is on Black artists from California and the American West.

What’s On: “Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation” aims to give Black queer culture in California the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition.

Address: 600 State Dr, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Opening hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon

Pricing: Admission free. Parking $20, after 5pm $24

Permanent exhibit galleries at this kid-friendly Exposition Park museum explore life sciences, human innovation and powered flight (all with a decidedly ’90s design flair). However, its main attraction, Space Shuttle Endeavour, has been moved into an upright position inside of the museum’s soon-to-open Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. With that in mind, you may want to instead plan a visit around the ticketed exhibitions calendar, which typically features a mix of finds from the ancient world and colorful, kid-focused displays.

What’s On: Over 30 mummified people and animals from across the globe are on display through September 7 in the specially ticketed “Mummies of the World,” and the museum’s IMAX theater is screening the complementary 40-minute Mummies 3D: Secrets of the Pharaohs.

Address: 700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Opening hours: Daily 10am–5pm

Pricing: Museum free, temporary exhibition prices vary. Parking $20, after 5pm $24

The vista from this hilltop landmark—which just celebrated its 90th anniversary—is stunning, particularly at night when Los Angeles twinkles below. Inside you’ll find a bevy of exhibits, including a Foucault pendulum (directly under Hugo Ballin’s famed mural on the central rotunda), Tesla coil and planetarium shows. Give yourself plenty of time before the 10pm closing to gaze through the 12-inch refracting telescope on the roof, otherwise you can look through the far less crowded modern, reflecting telescopes often set up on the front lawn. Just a heads up: The museum is closed on Mondays, though you’re still welcome to explore the grounds around it.

What’s On: The observatory has begun hosting the odd after-hours film screening—next up is La La Land on August 3 and 17. And on one Saturday near the end of each month, you’ll find a public star party on the lawn, hosted by local telescope groups.

Address: 2800 E Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Opening hours: Tue–Fri noon–10pm; Sat, Sun 10am–10pm; closed Mon

Pricing: Free admission. Planetarium $8–$12

Take a guided hike around the Hollywood Hills.

Free Sundays.

Located on land that once housed a productive silent film studio, everything about this museum is a forward-thinking enterprise, from its modern and contemporary-driven collection to its building. The core of the permanent collection is in the Long Gallery, with work by one artist from every Latin American country. Swing by on Sundays for free admission.

What’s On: Technology meets art in a display of Chile-born, Los Angeles–based artist Guillermo Bert’s socially conscious works—think laser-engraved portraits of migrants and tapestries sporting QR codes that share Indigenous stories. 

Address: 628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802

Opening hours: Wed–Sun 11am–6pm, closed Mon and Tue

Pricing: $15, students and seniors $10, kids under 12 free, free every Sun

Advance tickets recommended.

This 1921, Mayan-inflected Frank Lloyd Wright house was originally built as a “progressive theatrical community” space for activist and oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. Today, it’s the centerpiece of Barnsdall Park and the sole UNESCO World Heritage Site in Los Angeles. It’s open for self-guided tours on select days. Though the home’s privileged hilltop perch is admirable from the outside, it’s best experienced from within: The exquisite wood detailing, long concrete hallways and geometric furniture are well worth the $12 price of the tour.

What’s On: One of our favorite summer traditions is back in session: Barnsdall Art Park’s Friday Night Wine Tastings feature pours provided by Silverlake Wine, food trucks and music on the house’s lawn. Inside, see a display of works by photographer Edmund Teske, who lived on the premises in the 1940s.

Address: 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Opening hours: Thu–Sat 11am–4pm

Pricing: Tours $12, seniors 62 and over and students $6, under 18 free

Though it’s technically a gallery, Hauser & Wirth basically feels like a museum. Much of that is owed to the international gallerist’s massive footprint, a 116,000-square-foot former flour mill in the Arts District. The restored complex houses up to three exhibitions at a time, with a mix of post-war contemporary icons and of-the-moment working artists. If you’re hungry, dine along the edge of the courtyard at the lovely on-site restaurant, Manuela. A newer, smaller West Hollywood outpost opened in 2023 inside a vintage automobile showroom.

What’s On: The works in Keith Tyson’s new exhibition, “The Generative Universe,” are immensely visually appealing, and the techniques used by the pioneering British artist are fascinating. And don’t miss a showcase of works from the collection of Watts native Eileen Harris Norton—which includes pieces by Mark Bradford, Betye Saar, Lorna Simpson and Glenn Ligon—before it closes August 16.

Address: Downtown: 901 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013; West Hollywood: 8980 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Opening hours: Downtown: Tue–Sun 11am–6pm, closed Mon; West Hollywood: Tue–Sat 11am–6pm, closed Sun and Mon

Pricing: Free

Note: The indoor museum is closed for renovations through 2028. The outdoor pits remain open and free to visit. 

Back in 1875, a group of amateur paleontologists discovered animal remains in the pits at Rancho La Brea, which bubbled with asphalt from a petroleum lake under what is now Hancock Park. A century and a half later, the pros are still at work here, having dragged millions of fossils from the mire in the intervening years. A lot of these specimens can typically be seen in the delightfully old-fashioned on-site museum—though that’s now closed for a major two-year renovation that will update the museum and create a more cohesive campus before it reopens in 2028.

What’s On: In the meantime, the pits will still be bubbling with black goo outside—and it is absolutely free to watch paleontologists toiling away at the fossils waiting to be found as part of Project 23. Areas of Hancock Park will remain open during the renovations as well.

Address: 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Note: The Japanese American National Museum is currently closed for renovations and will reopen in late 2026.

This museum tells the story of Japanese immigration to the U.S., from early restrictions on property ownership to the brutal internment camps during World War II. Aside from the permanent exhibition, the museum stages an engaging roster of documentary and art exhibitions, including a wrenching yet beautiful display of images and artifacts from the aforementioned internment camps. Exhibitions have ranged from an awe-inspiring showcase of Japanese tattoo traditions to a Hello Kitty retrospective. Note that as of January 2025, the museum has begun a major update of its pavilion and core exhibition and won’t reopen till late 2026.

What’s on: Free pop-up “OBRAS DE LUZ (Works of Light): A 40-Year History of the Japanese American Community through the Lens of Photojournalist Mario Gershom Reyes,” which you can see at Mercado La Paloma (July 15–Sept 25).

Address: 100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Opening hours: The JANM Pavilion is closed for renovation.