Home » Special Features » The World’s Best » Best Museums Los Angeles
These can’t-miss museums offer an array of attractions designed to mesmerize art addicts and curious gallery-goers alike. Distinguished by their modern art masterpieces, architectural triumphs, oddball collections, or undeniable cool factor, these are the best-in-class museums in the world’s hottest cities.
Best Museums in....
Best Cool Museums
Los Angeles
Getty Villa 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades, 310-440-7300 getty.edu
The Draw: The Getty has one of the world’s greatest collections of ancient art, some 44,000 pieces, covering Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities—all in a blow-your-mind beautiful setting. The Scene: Since the Getty Villa hands out a limited number of tickets, you find yourself wandering through the main building, the long fountain courtyard, and the herb garden without bumping into masses of people. The audio for the self-guided tour means you can do so while in your own world. Wed–Mon 10am–5pm. Hot Tip: Plan your visit around a performance in the Getty Villa amphitheater. And note: Same-day tickets are sometimes available on the website.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-857-6000 lacma.org
The Draw: More than 100,000 works illustrate a fairly representative timeline of the art world from 3000 B.C. onward, including European masterpieces and impressive collections of Korean and Islamic art. The Scene: The ambitious ten-year project to expand, upgrade, and unify the museum’s seven-building complex continues. The redesign was developed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop and has already introduced an open-air pavilion and 60,000 square feet of exhibition space for contemporary art. Mon, Tue, Thu noon–8pm, Fri noon–9pm, Sat–Sun 11am–8pm. $ Hot Tip: Free summer evening concerts are a lovely place for a cocktail.
Norton Simon Museum
411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 626-449-6840 nortonsimon.org
The Draw: The austere museum holds a surprisingly vast collection of art—perhaps the best in the West—covering some 2,000 years, most notably European paintings, sculpture, and tapestry from the 14th century, first millennium statuary from India and Southeast Asia, and 20th-century paintings and prints by Western artists like Picasso and Warhol. The Scene: You pass by sculptures of Rodin on the front lawn, a fitting introduction before heading into the galleries, where media tend to be mixed, with sculptures and paintings occupying the same room. Wed–Thu, Sat–Mon noon–6pm, Fri noon–9pm. $- Hot Tip: Who is Norton Simon? Find out at a screening of the museum’s documentary on its founder, daily at 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm, and Friday at 6:30pm.
