The second-largest city in the United States is more than just sunny beaches, movie sets, and highways. Los Angeles is full of world-class museums. From Santa Monica to Pasadena, you can find incredible museums in every corner of the city. No matter if you want to peruse fine art exhibits or dive into film history, Los Angeles has got it all. Below are the top 10 museums in the City of Los Angeles that any art or history enthusiast will enjoy.
1. The Getty Center in Los Angeles
Known simply as the Getty, this museum needs no introduction. The grand building, designed by architect Richard Meier, sits above the Los Angeles hills overlooking the city. It is one of LA’s most iconic buildings and centers for art and culture.
The Getty features beautiful views, opulent gardens, and marble-clad architecture. Inside, the center opens up to an open space that is full of natural light. As you enter, you’ll immediately be transported into one of the world’s most impressive collections of art and historical artifacts.
Highlights include paintings such as Rembrandt’s masterpiece, An Old Man in Military Costume, Van Gogh’s Irises, and Joseph Mallord William Turner’s Modern Rome. The museum also houses artifacts such as Etruscan statues, Roman amphora, Neolithic clay figurines, and bronze statues from ancient Greece. The museum was born from a trust in 1976 by businessman J. Paul Getty. It opened in 1997 and, along with the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, became one of the city’s standout museums and centers of art education and preservation.
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2. The Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens is a space that deserves an entire day. Within this sprawling space is one of LA’s finest art museums. It shares the space with some of the world’s most famous research libraries and botanical gardens. Inside the museum, you’ll find over 45,000 pieces of fine art. Enjoy masterpieces such as Thomas Gainsborough’s famous Blue Boy and Rogier van der Weyden’s Madonna and Child. In the library, you can find millions of historical books, including an original manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Once you’ve seen the museum and library, don’t miss walking through the world-renowned gardens. The botanical gardens feature 130 acres of themed gardens, including a Japanese garden, Chinese garden, Shakespeare Garden, and other diverse green spaces.
3. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
This popular art museum has been around since 1910 and continues to be a highlight of LA’s museums. The LACMA is a one-of-a-kind space dedicated to a diverse collection of fine art and historical pieces spanning centuries. Over 150,000 pieces are on display. You’ll see highlights including Weeping Woman with Handkerchief by Pablo Picasso, Sous-Bois by Paul Cézanne, and The Great Wave off Kanagawa print by Hokusai.
The museum also has special exhibits featuring historical artifacts and works of art. You can see Mayan clay figurines, Greek ceramics, Egyptian relics, and ancient carvings. No matter if you love art or history, there’s something for everyone. The museum also features an impressive collection of contemporary art and revolving collections in various mediums. One of the standout collections is its Latin American Contemporary Art collection, which features thought-provoking sculptures, photos, paintings, and sketches.
4. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
If you love film or just want to experience something magical, this museum is the place to go. It is a spacious modern museum designed by architect Renzo Piano, and you’ll see decades of cinematography and film history displayed. The museum takes you through inspiring movie sets and the film history of iconic films such as The Godfather, Casablanca, and Boyz N the Hood. You’ll also see displays such as Hollywood sets, animatronics including the famous shark from Jaws, and costumes of characters such as R2D2 from Star Wars. Other highlights include exhibits on film technology, such as the Steadicam and the Matte paintings that made films like 1960s Spartacus so realistic. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures requires several hours to visit, making it one of LA’s most exciting museums.
5. The Natural History Museum
If you love paleontology, natural history, and anthropology, you’ll enjoy spending the day at LA’s Natural History Museum. Inside is a collection of over 30 million artifacts and specimens. It features a dinosaur hall, a mammal hall, and an invertebrate hall. There’s also an expansive collection of plant life and plant fossils.
In addition to the fossils and educational exhibits are the works of art and archeological pieces on display. You’ll see timeless murals, paintings, and artifacts from antiquity to the modern day. Many works were created by LA artists, making it a wonderful destination for anyone interested in local art as well as prehistory. One highlight for anyone wanting to learn more about Los Angeles is the popular Becoming Los Angeles exhibit. This unique exhibit takes you through the history of the city and tells the story of how it came to be. Artifacts, photos, and stories narrate the city’s growth into what it is today.
6. The Broad Museum
The Broad is one of LA’s most important contributions to the art world and a center for art education and outreach. It’s a world-famous museum full of incredible art from some of the most ground-breaking artists in California and beyond. You’ll get to experience over 2,000 works spanning decades from 1950 until the present day. Pieces such as Andy Warhol’s Most Wanted Men No. 6, Thomas Francis C., David Hammons’ African American Flag, and Roy Lichtenstein’s Female Figure are just some of the stunning modern masterpieces on display.
Another amazing aspect of the Broad is its architecture, which was designed by the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro to resemble a honeycomb. It features two floors dedicated to exhibits, educational studios, and popular traveling exhibits.
7. The Norton Simon Museum
Since 1922, Pasadena’s popular center for fine art from Europe and Asia. You’ll get to enjoy a rotating exhibit featuring iconic pieces from the museum’s 12,000-piece collection. The museum was originally known as the Pasadena Art Institute until the philanthropist Norton Simon took over following the institute’s financial troubles. He added his own collection, and after his death in 1993, his wife oversaw major renovations. The museum’s stunning works include paintings such as The Pont des Arts, Paris by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Boy. Other masterpieces include statues, carvings, woodblock prints, and religious artifacts from ancient Asia. The Norton Simon Museum also hosts events. Inside the museum are lectures, film screenings, and art workshops. In the summer, you can time your visit with the museum’s special garden parties.
8. The California African American Museum (CAAM)
The California African American Museum is in downtown LA’s Exposition Park. It is one of the city’s most significant museums, highlighting the culture and history of Los Angeles. The museum’s collection was founded in 1977 and moved to its current location in 1984.
In the 44,000-square-foot space, you’ll learn about the history of African Americans in Los Angeles, their experiences, and their contributions to the city’s culture and design. The museum showcases three art galleries featuring work by famous artists such as Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Robert Pruitt, and many others. You will also get to experience works by LA’s up-and-coming artists in special rotating exhibits. The museum showcases historical items and books, such as an original signed copy of Langston Hughes’s The Dream Keeper and Other Poems and other famous original literary works. Try to time your visit with the museum’s special performances, lectures, and events.
9. Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
Long Beach’s MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated entirely to Latin American art. It opened to the public in 1996 and has since become one of LA’s most celebrated centers for art and art preservation. In this well-curated and beautiful space, you’ll find revolving exhibits featuring a wide range of artistic mediums. Artists frequently give lectures, live performances, and public openings, which attract fans of modern art from around California and beyond.
The MOLAA’s collection includes pieces by Latin American artists such as Rufino Tamayo, Roberto Matta, and Tunga. It also frequently hosts traveling exhibits by up-and-coming local artists. In 2006, the MOLAA doubled its space by adding the Robert Gumbiner Sculpture Garden. Over a dozen sculptures are laid out in the beautifully manicured garden surrounding the museum.
10. The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles
The world-famous Art Deco Griffith Observatory opened in 1935 as an exhibition space, planetarium, and observatory. The space is dedicated to observing the night sky over the city and educating locals and visitors on the history and science of astronomy. There are several exhibits, including the Wilder Hall of the Eye and the Ahmanson Hall of the Eye. Each exhibit explains the techniques humans have used to observe the night sky and the inventions that have led to the age of solar navigation. You can also get up close and personal with a functioning Tesla coil, Zeiss telescope, and other historical scientific instruments. After your visit, don’t miss the chance to take in some of the best views of LA in the city. You can get beautiful views of the Hollywood Sign and downtown, and if you time it right, end your museum hop with a magical LA sunset.
