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20 of the Best Museums in Los Angeles

By: Abigail Pacheco By: Abigail Pacheco | October 8, 2021 | Lifestyle, Feature, Travel,

Getty MuseumThe Getty Museum

Los Angeles sprawls across over 500 square miles (the county is nearly 5,000), and to match are its many museums. From the standard classical art to wacky immersive experiences, there are so many options. If you are searching for your next day trip, look no further. Read on to find a list of 19 of the best museums in the Los Angeles area!

See Also: The 10 Most Instagrammable Spots in Los Angeles

1. Madcap Motel

940 E 4th St, 90013 / Website

Escape reality today at the Madcap Motel. This immersive museum is set up like a motel straight out of the 1960s. To create the most realistic experience, the employees are actors that are in character throughout your visit. To see each interactive installation you go into each motel room where you have lots of options for unique photo ops with the trippy art installations.

2. LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

5905 Wilshire Blvd, 90036 / Website

The Urban Lights are of Instagram legend. It's easy to forget the art installation is actually part of the adjacent Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA is the largest museum in the Western United States and offers a lot of beautiful exhibits. It features a wide range of cultural antiques and fine art from around the world.

3. Museum of Dream Space

6757 Hollywood Boulevard, 90028 / Website

The Museum of Dream Space is filled with photo moments. The exhibits have a wide variety of digital art that feature colorful lights and jaw-dropping scenes. This museum offers you a place to take unique pictures that you won’t be able to recreate elsewhere.

4. Natural History Museum

900 Exposition Blvd, 90007 / Website

Are you looking for a museum to bring your kids? Well, do I have the perfect spot for you! Plan your next day trip to the Natural History Museum where there are immersive exhibits that the whole family will love. From the jaw-dropping dinosaur installation to the live nature lab filled with live rodents and bugs and butterflies, there is a plethora of interesting information about the animal kingdom to be learned.

5. Cakeland LA

936 Mei Ling Way, 90012 / Website

“Let them eat cake”. Man, would Marie Antoinette have loved this museum. At Cakeland LA all the art is cake themed and gives guests a unique experience. While the concept might seem light-hearted, it actually explores the socioeconomic and environmental climate through these symbolic cake decorations.

6. The Museum of Contemporary Art

250 S Grand Ave, 90012 / Website

Calling all contemporary art fans! It’s time to reserve your ticket to go to The Museum of Contemporary Art. Being the only museum in Los Angeles devoted to solely contemporary art, you won’t be disappointed.

7. Museum of Neon Art

216 S Brand Blvd, 91204 / Website

There’s nothing I love more than the glow of a neon sign. Thankfully, the Museum of Neon Art offers a whole gallery of neon signs that are a perfect backdrop for any picture you take. This spot is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience you don’t want to pass up.

8. The Hollywood Museum

1660 N Highland Ave, 90028 / Website

If you are a lover of film, make sure to check out The Hollywood Museum. It features 10,000 authentic treasures from the past 100 years of Hollywood show business. What more could you want than getting to see some of the coolest props from all of your favorite movies.

9. The Los Angeles Museum of Love

4320 Melrose Ave, 90029 / Website

The Los Angeles Museum of Love should be your next date spot. The museum celebrates the adventure of love and relationships and provides interactive activities that couples can do together to learn and grow. It truly is a great bonding experience for you and your romantic partner!

10. Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens

3500 W Adams Blvd, 90018 / Website

Sometimes the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles gets too much. At the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens, they offer a spiritual oasis in the city to get away. The space features a zen garden, koi ponds, and free tours of the historic building.

See Also: Macklowe Art Collection to be Auctioned at Sotheby's

11. The Getty

1200 Getty Center Dr, 90049 / Website

If you have ever wanted to see the Irises by Van Gogh, now is your chance at The Getty. This museum has pre-20th century European paintings, drawings, sculptures, and decorative arts. Here, there is a beautiful garden and provides guests with a relaxing and beautiful experience.

12. World of Illusions, Los Angeles

6751 Hollywood Blvd, 90028 / Website

The World of Illusions, Los Angeles is perfect for anyone wanting to go to a unique museum. It is filled with 3D illusions and interactive experiences. There are giant and upside down houses that make guests feel small and like they are standing on the ceiling. Overall, the place is a great place for creative photographs to add to your Instagram feed.

13. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens

1151 Oxford Rd, 91108 / Website

Founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington, a successful business leader, the Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical shares his love for art. The space offers the finest research library in the area and a beautiful botanical garden with plants from around the world. The art collections offer some of the best European pieces from the 15th to 20th centuries and American pieces from the colonial period to the present time.

14. Hammer Museum

10899 Wilshire Blvd, 90024 / Website

The University of California, Los Angeles has one of the coolest art museums in Los Angeles. The galleries are filled with historical art from America and Europe from the founder's own collection, Armand Hammer.

15. Broad Museum

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221 S Grand Ave, 90012 / Website

Broad Museum is a huge contemporary art museum founded by Eli and Edythe Broad, who are philanthropists. Throughout your visit, you will go through amazing exhibits from Andy Warhol, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein and Kara Walker.

16. The Getty Villa

17985 Pacific Coast Hwy, 90272 / Website

If you want to see an amazing Roman-style estate, check out the Getty Villa. They offer a wide range of Greek and Roman antiques and art throughout the property. You can even walk along the beautiful gardens that boast a huge sparkling blue pool right in the middle.

17. Museum of Death (temporarily closed for relocation)

6031 Hollywood Blvd, 90028 / Website

If you love true crime and aren’t afraid of gore, you need to check out the Museum of Death. Through the self-guided tour you will walk through exhibits filled with serial killer art, taxidermy, mortician instruments, and crime scene photos and memorabilia. See if you can stomach this museum.

18. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

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6067 Wilshire Blvd, 90036 / Website

Movie making is truly an art form. At the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, they understand this and dedicate 6 floors to it. Throughout the space there are exhibits full of art, science, history, and the cultural effects of movie making. At the museum, there are also movie screenings that anyone can come and enjoy.

19. Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum

3204 W Magnolia Blvd, 91505 / Website

If you are anything like me, you love anything gothic. Thankfully for us, the Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum features occult and horror vintage oddities. From taxidermy to skulls and bones, this is a great place for a photo-op. Or you can pick up a few creepy decorations for your home in their corresponding shop.

20. Museum of Tolerance

9786 W Pico Blvd, 90035 / Website

The only museum of its kind in the world, this educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center challenges visitors to understand the Holocaust through historic and contemporary lenses. It also educates on other forms of prejucide and discrimination throughout the modern world.


Tags: la art web-og museums Abigail Pacheco

Photography by: Joel Muniz/Unsplash

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