Los Angeles has one of the deepest museum line-ups in the country: Old Masters on a hilltop in Brentwood, Roman antiquities above the Pacific, a space shuttle standing upright in Exposition Park, and a mile of Wilshire Boulevard where art, film and cars sit side by side. Several of the best museums in Los Angeles are free, and a few big changes land in 2026 and 2027, so this guide is organized to help you pick the right ones for your trip.
Hours, prices and reservation rules below come from each museum’s official website as of November 2026. Museums adjust schedules for holidays, installations and special events, so check the official site before you go.
What Is Changing in 2026 and 2027
- LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries are open. The Peter Zumthor-designed building opened in April 2026 and is included with general admission.
- Space Shuttle Endeavour returns. The California Science Center’s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens on November 13, 2026, with Endeavour displayed vertically in launch position.
- The Getty Center closes for modernization on March 15, 2027, with reopening planned for spring 2028. The Getty Villa stays open with normal hours.
- The museum at La Brea Tar Pits is closed for a two-year renovation that began in July 2026. Many outdoor areas of Hancock Park and the excavation sites remain accessible.
- The Japanese American National Museum reopens on January 23, 2027 after a renovation.
Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard
The stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mid-Wilshire area is the easiest place to see several major museums in one day. LACMA, the Academy Museum, the Petersen and the La Brea Tar Pits are all within a short walk of each other.
LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection that runs from antiquity to the present and spans Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Islamic world and beyond. The big news is the David Geffen Galleries, a long, curving concrete-and-glass building by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor that spans Wilshire Boulevard and roughly doubles the museum’s gallery space. It opened in April 2026, and general admission tickets include it. Chris Burden’s Urban Light, a grid of vintage streetlamps on Wilshire, is outdoors and free to see.
- Hours: Mon, Tue and Thu 11am–6pm; Fri 11am–8pm; Sat–Sun 10am–7pm; closed Wednesday.
- Admission: $30 adults ($25 for LA County residents); free for visitors 17 and under who live in LA County. Advance timed-entry tickets are highly recommended.
- Free: for all visitors on the second Tuesday of each month, and for LA County residents on weekdays after 3pm with ID.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Opened in 2021 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this is the place for film lovers. The museum occupies the renovated May Company building at Wilshire and Fairfax, now called the Saban Building, plus a spherical addition designed by Renzo Piano. Galleries cover filmmaking history, craft and the Oscars, alongside rotating exhibitions and screenings.
- Hours: Wednesday–Monday 10am–6pm; closed Tuesday.
- Admission: $25 adults, $19 seniors, $15 students; free for visitors 17 and under. A reduced “Last Looks” ticket is sold after 4:30pm. Advance reservations are encouraged.
Petersen Automotive Museum
Across Fairfax from the Academy Museum, the Petersen’s galleries tell the story of the automobile and Southern California car culture, from hot rods and Hollywood cars to supercars, and the separately ticketed Vault holds more than 300 rare vehicles below the main floors. It is open seven days a week, 10am–6pm. For a full walk-through, read our guide to the Petersen Automotive Museum.
La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits is one of the world’s most important Ice Age fossil sites, where asphalt seeps trapped saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and mammoths for tens of thousands of years. The indoor museum closed in July 2026 for a two-year transformation and is expected to reopen in 2028. In the meantime, many outdoor areas of Hancock Park remain open, including views of the Lake Pit and select excavation sites, and the museum runs ticketed Insider Tours of the work in progress.
Downtown LA and Exposition Park
The Broad
On Grand Avenue next to Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad shows the contemporary art collection of Eli and Edythe Broad: Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and many more. The honeycomb-like “veil” building is by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. General admission is free, though a few special exhibitions carry a charge.
- Hours: Tue, Wed and Fri 11am–5pm; Thu 11am–8pm; Sat–Sun 10am–6pm; closed Monday.
- Reservations: a timed ticket in advance is recommended; walk-ups are accepted daily. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room requires its own advance reservation.
MOCA Grand Avenue
Across the street from The Broad, the Museum of Contemporary Art (founded in 1979) has a collection of nearly 8,000 works with deep holdings in Los Angeles art. General admission to MOCA Grand Avenue is free; advance reservations are recommended. Hours are Tuesday–Friday 11am–5pm and Saturday–Sunday 11am–6pm, with a later 8pm closing on one Thursday each month. MOCA’s second space in Little Tokyo, The Geffen Contemporary, is temporarily closed between installations, so check before planning around it.
GRAMMY Museum
At L.A. Live, a short ride south of Grand Avenue, the GRAMMY Museum covers recorded music and the history of the GRAMMY Awards across several floors of exhibits. It is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday 11am–5pm and Saturday 10am–6pm, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Adult admission is $22.50; visitors 17 and under get in free.
Japanese American National Museum
In Little Tokyo, JANM tells the story of Japanese Americans, from the first immigrant generation through the World War II incarceration and beyond. It is closed for renovation and reopens January 23, 2027. From then, hours are Tuesday–Sunday 11am–5pm (to 8pm on Fridays), and adult admission is $20. Entry is free on Fridays after 5pm and on the first Friday of every month.
California Science Center and Space Shuttle Endeavour
Exposition Park, just south of Downtown, holds three museums next to each other. The California Science Center’s core galleries are free and need no reservation. The headline for 2027 is the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, opening November 13, 2026. Endeavour, which flew 25 missions and arrived in Los Angeles in 2012, has been off display since the end of 2023 while it was stacked upright with real solid rocket boosters and the last flight-qualified external tank, a display about 180 feet tall. Entry to the new center is free, but because demand is expected to be high, advance timed reservations (with a small per-person service fee) are strongly encouraged. The Science Center is open daily 10am–5pm; IMAX films are a separate ticket.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Next door, the Natural History Museum has welcomed visitors to Exposition Park since 1913. Highlights include the Dinosaur Hall, with more than 300 fossils and 20 mounted skeletons, the Gem and Mineral Hall with its large gold collection, and the Nature Gardens that wrap around the building. It is open daily 9:30am–5pm, except the first Tuesday of each month and select holidays. LA County residents get in free on weekdays from 3pm to 5pm (onsite only).
California African American Museum
The third Exposition Park museum, CAAM, presents the art, history and culture of African Americans, with an emphasis on California and the West. Admission is free. The Expo Park/USC Metro station is a short walk away through the Exposition Park Rose Garden.
The Westside, Brentwood and the Coast
Getty Center
Richard Meier’s travertine campus above the 405 holds European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts and photography, plus the Central Garden and wide views from the ocean to Downtown. Admission is free with a timed-entry reservation; parking is $25 per car ($15 after 3pm). Hours are Tuesday–Friday and Sunday 10am–6:30pm and Saturday 10am–9pm; closed Monday. Some pavilions are already closed for renovation, and the whole Center closes to the public from March 15, 2027 until spring 2028, so visit early in the year if it is on your list.
Getty Villa
The Getty’s second campus, on the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, is modeled on the Villa dei Papiri, a Roman country house at Herculaneum buried by Vesuvius, and shows Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities among courtyards, fountains and gardens. It stays open throughout the Getty Center’s closure. Admission is free with a timed-entry reservation, and parking is $25 per car ($15 after 3pm). It is open Wednesday–Monday 10am–5pm and closed Tuesday.
Hammer Museum
Part of UCLA, the Hammer in Westwood mixes its collection of historic paintings and works on paper with exhibitions of contemporary and emerging artists. Admission is free and no reservation is needed. It is open Tuesday–Sunday 11am–6pm. Garage parking under the museum is $9 for the first three hours with validation.
Skirball Cultural Center
Just north of the Getty Center on Sepulveda Boulevard, the Skirball explores Jewish history and American democratic ideals through exhibitions, and families come for Noah’s Ark, a large interactive gallery built for children. General admission is $20, and the museum is free to all on Thursdays. Noah’s Ark uses timed tickets, and advance reservations are highly recommended. Hours are Tuesday–Friday noon–5pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm.
Museum of Jurassic Technology
On Venice Boulevard in Culver City, this dimly lit, cabinet-of-curiosities museum is one of the strangest and most memorable places in Los Angeles, where fact and fiction are not always easy to tell apart. Upstairs, the Tula Tea Room offers a quiet break. It is open only Thursday afternoons and evenings and Friday through Sunday from noon, and the museum recommends reserving tickets online in advance.
Hollywood, Griffith Park and Pasadena
Griffith Observatory
Opened in 1935 on the south slope of Mount Hollywood and given to the city on the condition that it stay free, the observatory has astronomy exhibits, some of the best views of the Hollywood Sign and the city, and a 12-inch Zeiss telescope that is free to look through on clear nights. Shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium are ticketed separately. It is open Tuesday–Friday noon–10pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–10pm, closed Monday. Parking near the building is paid and fills quickly on weekends and at sunset.
Autry Museum of the American West
Also in Griffith Park, the Autry covers the history and art of the American West, including Native American collections and the Hollywood Western. Admission is $20 for adults, and the museum is free on the first Wednesday of every month with a reservation. Hours are Tuesday–Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens
In San Marino, next to Pasadena, The Huntington combines a research library with rare books and manuscripts, European and American art collections (including Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy) and 16 themed gardens, including the Desert Garden, the Japanese Garden and the Chinese Garden, Liu Fang Yuan. It is open Wednesday–Monday 10am–5pm and closed Tuesday. Adult tickets are $29 Monday–Thursday and $34 Friday–Sunday, and reservations are required on weekends and holidays. Free Day tickets are released online on the last Thursday of each month and go quickly.
Kidspace Children’s Museum
For families with younger children, Kidspace in Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco has hands-on indoor galleries and outdoor play and nature areas. It is open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm, and admission is $17 for adults and children over one. The museum is cashless.
Best Museums in Los Angeles by Interest
- Art: LACMA, the Getty Center (until March 15, 2027), the Getty Villa, The Broad, MOCA, the Hammer and The Huntington.
- Film and music: the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the GRAMMY Museum.
- Science and space: the California Science Center with Endeavour, Griffith Observatory, the Natural History Museum and the outdoor sites at La Brea Tar Pits.
- History and culture: the Japanese American National Museum (from January 2027), the California African American Museum, the Skirball and the Autry.
- Cars: the Petersen Automotive Museum.
- Something different: the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
- With young kids: the Science Center, the Natural History Museum, Kidspace and Noah’s Ark at the Skirball.
Free Museums and Free Museum Days in Los Angeles
Always Free (General Admission)
- Getty Center and Getty Villa: free with a timed-entry reservation; parking is paid.
- The Broad: free; advance timed tickets recommended.
- MOCA Grand Avenue: free; reservations recommended.
- Hammer Museum: free; no reservation needed.
- Griffith Observatory: the building and exhibits are free; planetarium shows are ticketed.
- California Science Center: core galleries free with no reservation; the new Air and Space Center is free, with optional advance reservations for a small fee.
- California African American Museum: free.
Free Days and Free Hours
- LACMA: free for everyone on the second Tuesday of the month; free for LA County residents on weekdays after 3pm.
- Natural History Museum: free for LA County residents on weekdays from 3pm to 5pm.
- Skirball Cultural Center: free for all on Thursdays.
- Autry Museum: free on the first Wednesday of the month, with a reservation.
- Japanese American National Museum: from January 23, 2027, free on Fridays after 5pm and on the first Friday of each month.
- The Huntington: limited Free Day tickets, released online on the last Thursday of each month.
- Kids go free at the Academy Museum and the GRAMMY Museum (17 and under), and at LACMA for LA County youth.
Tips for Planning Your Museum Days
- Watch the closing days. Mondays are the most common closed day (The Broad, MOCA, the Hammer, the Getty Center, Griffith Observatory, the Autry, the Skirball). LACMA closes Wednesdays, the Academy Museum and the Getty Villa close Tuesdays, and the GRAMMY Museum closes Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Group by area. Museum Row (LACMA, the Academy Museum, the Petersen and the Tar Pits), Grand Avenue (The Broad and MOCA) and Exposition Park (the Science Center, the Natural History Museum and CAAM) each make an easy half day or full day. The Getty Center, the Getty Villa and The Huntington are destinations on their own.
- Reserve the free ones too. Free does not mean walk in at any time: the Getty campuses require timed entry, and The Broad, MOCA and the new Air and Space Center strongly recommend it.
- Budget for parking and traffic. Parking is often paid even where admission is free, and crossing town can take an hour at rush hour.
- Pair a museum with sightseeing. Griffith Observatory is a natural stop on a Hollywood day, and Museum Row sits between Beverly Hills and Hollywood. If you would rather not drive between them, our classic car tour or a private SUV tour can be shaped around the museums you want to see.
Best Museums in Los Angeles: FAQ
Which museums in Los Angeles are free?
General admission is free at the Getty Center and Getty Villa (with a timed reservation), The Broad, MOCA Grand Avenue, the Hammer Museum, Griffith Observatory, the California Science Center’s core galleries and the California African American Museum. LACMA, the Skirball, the Autry and the Natural History Museum also offer free days or free hours.
Is the Getty Center closed in 2027?
The Getty Center is open until March 14, 2027, then closes to the public from March 15, 2027 for a modernization project, with reopening planned for spring 2028. The Getty Villa remains open with normal hours during that time.
Can you see Space Shuttle Endeavour?
Yes, from November 13, 2026, in the California Science Center’s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Exposition Park. Entry is free, and advance timed reservations are strongly encouraged because of expected demand.
Is La Brea Tar Pits open?
The indoor museum is closed for renovation until an expected 2028 reopening, but many outdoor areas of Hancock Park and select excavation sites remain accessible, and ticketed Insider Tours are offered.