While Los Angeles is best known for film, it is also home to many great, world-class museums. Los Angeles museums cover a wide range of interests, ranging from art to culture, history and science.
Here are some of the best Los Angeles museums that are worth visiting in the Southern California city.
Los Angeles Museums for a Dose of Art, Culture, History and Science
Getty Center
The Getty Center is located in the hills above Los Angeles and features a collection of European paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. You will find masters such as Monet, Rembrandt, Manet and Van Gogh on display at this art museum. It also has stunning architecture and gardens, and admission is free.
Find out more about the Getty Center.
Getty Villa
In the hills above the Pacific Coast Highway is the Getty Villa. This museum displays ancient Greek and Roman antiquities in a replica of a Roman villa complete with Cyprus trees in the surrounding area. In addition to the unique villa location, it has a stunning garden that is popular with photographers.
Find out more about the Getty Villa.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Also known as LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the western United States.
This museum features a vast collection of art from all over the world. There are over 150,000 works housed at this Los Angeles museum, ranging from different time periods and in a variety of mediums. It is the place to go if you enjoy modern American and European art by artists like Mark Rothko.
Even if you don’t go in, you can view the art installation Urban Light, a collection city street lights at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance that is a favorite photo spot.
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory has a museum with three floors dedicated to the science of the cosmos. Pay it a visit to learn more about the Universe.
Find out more about the Griffith Observatory.
The Broad
This contemporary art museum in Los Angeles offers free general admission to its permanent collection of galleries. It attracts plenty of visitors because of its Instagrammable collection which include works like Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. Other artists presented at The Broad include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtensein.
Get more details about visiting The Broad.
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
If you want to see the works of more local artists, head to the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery which showcases the works of artists from the city that may otherwise be under represented or found a platform. It focuses on contemporary art.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
This Los Angeles museum features exhibits on natural history, including dinosaurs, mammals, and insects. One of its exciting programs for kids and families is Dinosaur Encounters, a live performance that features realistic, life-sized puppets of dinosaurs like the T Rex and Triceratops. It is a fun experience for kids who are fascinated by dinosaurs. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County also has a butterfly pavilion and hosts special exhibitions on a variety of topics such as oceans and more.
Petersen Automotive Museum
This museum features a collection of over 300 vehicles, including classic cars, motorcycles, and trucks. It is one of the largest automotive collections in the world and a must visit for any gear head. The huge museum occupies an entire city block and has interactive exhibits for a close up look at different types of vehicles. It also hosts special events throughout the year.
Find out more about the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Also known as MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art features a collection of contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, and installations. It focuses on art from the 1940s to the present day, and consists of contemporary and modern art. It also hosts special exhibitions and events throughout the year.
Find out more about MOCA.
California Science Center
This museum is an interesting place to visit if you love all things science and space. The museum in Exposition Park features interactive exhibits on science and technology, including a collection of aircraft and space craft. One of the marquee exhibits at this Los Angeles Museum is the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It also has a World of Life exhibit, which showcases the diversity of life on Earth. It is great fun for children and family and it is easy to spend a few hours here.
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum
The Ice Age comes to life at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site in the middle of an urban metropolis. Mammoths, giants sloths and saber-toothed cats all be become real at the Tar Pits where excavations are still ongoing.
The fossils are on display at the museum. So far, 3.5 million fossils have been dug up at the site and visitors can see science in action as they observe excavations taking place. There are also shows and presentations on the Ice Age.
Find out more about the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum.
Hollywood Museum
Visit the Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor Building for the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia. This Los Angeles museum occupies four floors and have more than 10,000 items that spans the history of Hollywood. These include props, posters and vintage items. It is not to be missed for fans of Hollywood and film.
Get more details about the Hollywood Museum.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
This museum is a tribute to film and cinema. It has costumes and other artifacts from shows like The Wizard of Oz and focuses on the various stages of production like editing, writing and casting. Other exhibits also showcase the evolution of the film making process. There are also Oscars trophies on display.
Find out more about the Academy Museum.
California African American Museum
The California African American Museum focuses on the cultural and heritage of African-Americans. It takes the perspective of the experience in California and the Western United States.
Fort MacArthur Museum
The history of Fort MacArthur, a U.S. Army outpost that protected the Los Angeles harbor from 1914 to 1974, is preserved and explained at the Fort MacArthur Museum. The Museum, which was founded in 1985, is housed in the galleries and hallways of the famed Battery Osgood-Farley. It is home to a significant collection of historical buildings that were used by the U.S. Army to protect the Los Angeles harbor from 1914 to 1974.
Get more details about the Fort MacArthur Museum.
Battleship Iowa Museum
Learn about naval history at Battleship Iowa Museum. This maritime museum located at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Los Angeles. Don’t miss a chance to visit this ship that served in both World War II and the Korean War before being decommissioned in 1990.
Find out more about Battleship Iowa Museum.
Where to Find LA Museums
There’s plenty to see at LA’s museum scene. Whatever your interest, there is sure to be a museum that caters to it. Enjoy paying a visit to Los Angeles museums and discovering something new and unique in LA.
You may also find this story of things to do in Los Angeles useful.
