The seven best museums in Los Angeles

The old cliché that Los Angeles is a superficial place obsessed with looks and fleeting beauty doesn’t hold water given the impressive number of world-class museums the city has to offer. Not only are the following institutions full of fascinating treasures, artifacts, and works of art from around the world, they are often housed in truly beautiful buildings and are home to relaxing gardens, sun-drenched courtyards, and unparalleled views. These are the museums you shouldn’t miss in the City of Angels.

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(Image credit: Mike Kelley)

Interior view of The Broad, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Los Angeles — (Image credit: Benny Chan)

When philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad decided to fund the construction of a new contemporary art museum in downtown Los Angeles, right next to the metallic waves of Frank Gehry’s legendary Walt Disney Concert Hall, they knew they needed a building that could assert itself. The competition was won by American architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, whose honeycomb-like concrete design artfully complements its neighbors. Inside the 120,000-square-foot building is arguably the city’s best collection of modern art, with works and installations by Andy Warhol, Kara Walker, Roy Lichtenstein and hundreds more. Whatever you do, don’t miss Yayoi Kusama’s two impressive Infinity Mirror Rooms.

The Broad is located at 221 S Grand Ave

thebroad.org

Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

Tea room in the rose garden

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Huntington)

Library main exhibition hall

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Huntington.)

Japanese garden

(Image credit: Courtesy of The Huntington)

The Huntington is perhaps the most impressive day trip in Los Angeles, although honestly you’ll be hard-pressed to take it all in even if you spend a full day there. The former estate of railway magnate Henry Huntington and his wife Arabella spans 120 hectares and includes one of the most diverse and breathtaking botanical gardens in the country. After strolling among the roses, exploring the Japanese Garden, and wandering through the Desert Garden, you still need to make time to view exquisite collections of European and American art. Then there’s the library, which displays one of only eleven known Gutenberg Bibles, Shakespeare’s Hamlet in quarto form, and letters and manuscripts from artists such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino

Huntington.org

Getty Villa

Visitors to the Getty Museum stand by the fountain of the Getty Villa's Outer Peristyle

The fountain of the outer peristyle at the Getty Villa

Outdoor theater at the Getty Villa

Tablinum at the Getty Villa

The origins of the spectacular Getty Villa date back to 1954, when oil tycoon J. Paul Getty opened a gallery near his home on the Pacific coast. Needing more space, Getty set out to build a full-size Roman villa overlooking the ocean, inspired by the Papyri villa at Herculaneum. The new museum opened in 1974, although the ailing Getty, who died in 1976, was never able to visit it. Today the site brings to life a luxurious vision of ancient Rome, while the collection includes 44,000 Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC. BC to 400 AD.

The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway

getty.edu/visit/villa

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Exterior view of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

(Image credit: Photo © Museum Associates/LACMA)

Exterior view of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

(Image credit: Photo © Museum Associates/LACM)

Anyone who has ever strolled down Wilshire Blvd will be fascinated by artist Chris Burden’s installation “Urban Light,” which brings together 202 working cast-iron streetlights from the Los Angeles area. The piece is a fitting introduction to the insightful collection of modern masterpieces on display at LACMA, the largest art museum in the western United States. The spacious complex was designed by architect William Pereira and has been at its current location since 1965. The museum is set to expand even further next year when the renovated David Geffen Galleries is scheduled to open.

LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd

lacma.org

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Exterior view of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, exterior view

(Image credit: Photo by Josh White, JWPictures ©AcademyMuseum Foundation)

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, exterior view

(Image credit: Photo by Josh White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation)

In 1929, shortly after the first Academy Awards were presented, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first turned its attention to opening a museum dedicated to the history of cinema. It took nearly a century, but in 2021, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures finally opened its doors on Wilshire Blvd, right next to LACMA. The main galleries are located in the Saban Building, the former May Company department store, while the striking domed theater by architect Renzo Piano was soon nicknamed the “Soap Bubble.” The museum itself, which rotates its exhibitions regularly to take full advantage of the Academy’s extensive archives, proves it was worth the wait by showcasing an impressively diverse range of voices while showcasing world-class memorabilia.

The Academy Museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd

academymuseum.org

Hammer Museum

Exterior view of the Hammer Museum

(Image credit: Iwan Baan)

Exterior view of the Hammer Museum

(Image credit: Iwan Baan)

Wealthy industrialist Armand Hammer opened the Hammer Museum in 1990 in a 26,000-square-foot building in Westwood designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes. Hammer originally intended the museum to house his own extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. However, the museum, which is affiliated with UCLA, has gained a reputation in recent years as one of the city’s most progressive and culturally relevant institutions. In addition to Hammer’s personal collection, you can now find work by exciting young artists, with a particular focus on those working in Los Angeles.

The Hammer Museum is located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd

hammer.ucla.edu

The Getty Center

Exterior view of the Getty Center

(Image credit: Courtesy of Getty)

Exterior view of the Getty Center

(Image credit: Courtesy of Getty)

Exterior view of the Getty Center

(Image credit: Courtesy of Getty)

In 1997, the art collection previously housed at the Getty Villa was expanded and moved to a purpose-built, multi-billion dollar center at the top of a hill in Brentwood. Today, the Getty Center is one of the city’s most notable institutions, accessible only by hovertrain and housing a stunning collection of pre-20th century art, including highlights like Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises.” Just as impressive as the art collection is the atmosphere outside Richard Meier’s beautiful white pavilions, whose gardens offer some of the best panoramic views of Los Angeles found anywhere in the city.

The Getty is located at 1200 Getty Center Dr

getty.edu

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