19 Best Museums in Los Angeles, According to Local Experts

Discover the top picks for beautiful displays of art, culture, architecture, science, and more across the City of Angels.

Los Angeles is probably not the first destination that comes to mind when plotting a museum-filled holiday. After all, people don’t always recognize it’s more than the birthplace of Hollywood fringed by beautiful beaches. But L.A. actually has more museums per capita than any other American city. And yes, that includes Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Part of the magic of the City of Angels, as our forthcoming list illustrates, is its stunning diversity, which equates to an exciting array of collections, interests, beliefs, and art forms displayed in museums from the coast to downtown. And there are more institutions being built all the time, like the futuristic-looking Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (expected in 2025), founded by legendary film director George Lucas. “Its focus is around the art of visual storytelling,” says L.A.-based creative director and cultural strategist Maritza Lerman Yoes.

Here, Lerman Yoes, Conrad Los Angeles concierge Oliver Metz (whose Frank Gehry–designed office is just steps from one of the city’s most beloved art museums), and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills director of front of house Joyce Louie weigh in with their expert recommendations on the 19 best museums in Los Angeles. Bonus: Many are free.

The Broad

“The Broad is one of the world’s leading collections of postwar and contemporary art, and it’s just a block from our hotel,” says Metz, calling out some of the major names displayed: Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Lerman Yoes describes it as the “Broadway of the L.A. art scene — all the biggest hits are showcased here.” Louie says, “No visit is complete without experiencing Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Infinity Mirror Rooms’ ... for that must-have selfie.” Another reason to visit: It’s always free.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

“The Huntington is a museum that does not feel like a museum,” says Louie, who complements her visits with spicy dan dan noodles at the Jade Court Cafe and peeks at Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy” and the famous Gutenberg Bible. “For me, The Huntington is like going to Disney World when I was a kid and trying every ‘country’ in Epcot — there is the Australian Garden, Japanese Garden, Jungle Garden … even the Shakespeare Garden,” says Lerman Yoes. She adds that the adjoining library has an archive of her favorite writer, Octavia Butler.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

One of the city’s oldest institutions and the largest natural history museum in the western U.S., this is the place to see fantastical fossils and skeletons plus other mind-blowing objects. The collection contains almost 35 million specimens and artifacts that stretch across a timeline of some 4.5 billion years. A $75 million transformation will debut in 2024, comprising a new 60,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor wing. It’s fun and fascinating for visitors of all ages.

J. Paul Getty Museum

“There is no museum more beautiful than the Getty,” says Lerman Yoes, who loves to “get lost in the 134,000-square-foot, Robert Irwin–designed garden.” Its permanent collection — including pre-20th-century European paintings and decorative artists, plus 19th- and 20th-century American photography and sculpture — is particularly renowned, but there’s no arguing that its privileged perch — and fun tram ride up — is a compelling reason to visit. It’s also free.

Petersen Automotive Museum

Part of Miracle Mile’s Museum Row, this can’t-miss, over 300,000-square-foot building houses one of the world’s largest automotive collections. “The Petersen is wildly cool, and you don’t even need to be a motorhead to enjoy it,” says Lerman Yoes, a statement seconded by Louie. “In addition to classic cars featured in iconic movies like Batman and first-generation Ferraris, there’s also a fun racing simulation so you can channel your inner Lewis Hamilton.”

Related: 27 of the Best Museums in the U.S.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

“LACMA is the quintessential Los Angeles museum,” says Lerman Yoes, who was the first social media manager for the museum that sprawls along the stretch of Wilshire Boulevard known as Museum Row. Its permanent collection and traveling art exhibitions are open even as construction continues on a Peter Zumthor–designed expansion and renovation dubbed David Geffen Galleries (expected in late 2024). Lerman Yoes adds, “With Michael Govan at the helm, the museum has made a commitment to investing in substantial public art pieces that make LACMA a recognizable beacon of the Los Angeles art world.”

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

One of L.A.’s newest museums — opened in 2021 beside LACMA — this Renzo Piano–designed cathedral is dedicated to all things movie magic. An institution created by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it has something that speaks to film aficionados of every stripe. There are, quite literally, millions of movie-related objects in the collection, including the Jaws shark, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, R2-D2, and E.T. Permanent and temporary exhibitions delve into the art of moviemaking, director spotlights, avant-garde filmmakers, and the history of Black cinema. It’s the coolest place to catch a flick, too, as part of the film screening series.

MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House

Metz calls this contemporary and experimental multidisciplinary art and architecture haven “a true hidden gem in West Hollywood.” He recommends visiting to see “a wonderful example of modern Bauhaus-inspired architecture” built in 1922 and designed by famed architect R.M. Schindler.

Grammy Museum

There’s no mistaking the purpose of this museum at L.A. Live in Downtown L.A.: music, music, and more music. Specifically, music history and musicians, bands, and artists who have won Grammy Awards over the years, from Taylor Swift to Elvis, The Beatles to Michael Jackson. There are all sorts of interactive elements for visitors to engage with, too, such as recording booths for laying your own track and instrument stations, as well as artifacts, costumes, videos, records, and handwritten lyrics on view.

MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

Long the preeminent art institution in Downtown L.A., The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) actually comprises two distinctive locations in DTLA. “It’s the only artist-founded museum in L.A., which is rad,” says Lerman Yoes, noting that it excels at “community-driven programming and exhibitions.” The institution, which was established in 1979, houses a collection that includes some 8,000 objects. Plus, there are constantly barrier-breaking, compelling exhibitions being staged. (General admission is free.) Lerman Yoes adds, “The Geffen location in Little Tokyo has, in recent years, hosted some of the city’s best and most raunchy, fun parties.”

Related: 24 Fun Things to Do in Los Angeles That Are Totally Free

Japanese American National Museum

With a mission to share the Japanese American experience and further promote understanding and appreciation of the diversity in America, this museum in Downtown L.A.’s Little Tokyo neighborhood is housed in a former Buddhist temple and a pavilion designed by Gyo Obata. Beautiful and educational exhibitions range from photography to painting to multimedia cultural displays.

Hammer Museum

Lerman Yoes describes this museum with a “free for good” admission policy as “an artist’s art museum, with a keen eye for emerging art and exceptional cultural programming.” Affiliated with and near the University of California, Los Angeles, campus, it’s an exciting place for those with some knowledge of contemporary L.A. art and a curiosity to learn more.

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

When traveling with kids, it should be a no-brainer to visit these “bubbling tar ponds that are like a little window into the times of sabertooth tigers and mammoths,” says Metz of the compelling outdoor portion of the museum focused on the Ice Age, with excellent family-friendly programming around climate change, extinct wildlife, excavations, and more. “I love it because it really gives you an impression of how the area around Los Angeles looked in prehistoric times.”

Craft Contemporary

Across from the La Brea Tar Pits, this noncollecting museum is a friendly, colorful place to experience and ogle all styles of craft and creative expression. The unique exhibits often showcase emerging designers and artists whose work might not typically be in a museum, making it all the more intriguing. There are frequent artist-led workshops for both adults and families (think: terra-cotta hand-building, marigold-dyeing, and natural world appliqué).

Getty Villa Museum

There is truly nothing else like this classical homage to Greek and Roman antiquities on a hilltop in Malibu. Lerman Yoes loves bringing out-of-towners to see the museum’s transportive landscaping and views. She recommends “sitting and reading a book beside the ancient Roman–inspired fountain.” Admission is free, but only with a timed-entry ticket reserved in advance.

Museum of Tolerance

With an experiential exhibit on Anne Frank and a healthy schedule of motivational speaking engagements, film screenings, tours, and workshops, this important museum is the only one of its kind in the world. Part of the Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance showcases historical and contemporary exhibits that aim to tackle and reverse discrimination and prejudice in all forms and contexts, as well as help visitors understand the Holocaust.

California Science Center

Another destination perfect for families with children — especially those obsessed with space — is this world-class science museum where admission to the permanent galleries is always free, including the Space Shuttle Endeavor simulator. (IMAX theater and special exhibit tickets should be bought in advance online.) Incredibly hands-on, the vast center’s entire goal is to stimulate curiosity, and it does so beautifully.

The Hollywood Museum

Situated in the historic Max Factor Building, this only-in-Hollywood attraction is filled with costumes, memorabilia, film props, celebrity belongings, and more. The vivid retrospective of L.A.’s history in film includes exhibitions focused on specific movies — including Ghostbusters and Back to the Future — as well as things like Marilyn Monroe’s dressing room.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Formerly the Santa Monica Museum of Art, but now in Downtown L.A.'s lively Arts District, the Institute of Contemporary Art is an always-free destination that Lerman Yoes says “is a museum to go see something new and experimental.” The institution is unique in that it doesn’t collect work, so its curatorial process is particularly dynamic and supportive of the diversity of L.A.’s creative community.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.