Getty Center
Art · Brentwood, just off the 405
Richard Meier's hilltop campus. European paintings, plus the views.
Always freeSkip-the-tram via shuttle
/ 5
37,719 Google reviews
Free
always free
LOS ANGELES · CA
12 best museums in Los Angeles
The Getty's hilltop campus, The Broad's free contemporary collection, and the Huntington's 120-acre estate make LA's museum scene one of the country's most spread out.
Updated Apr 2026 · 11 min read · 12 museums ·6 bookable ·5 free
Los Angeles · 12 results
Los Angeles’s museum scene is unusually dispersed. The Getty Center sits in Brentwood, the Huntington in San Marino, the Norton Simon in Pasadena — each demands its own half-day, and they’re 30+ minutes apart by car.
That said, three major institutions cluster on Mid-Wilshire’s Museum Row (LACMA, the Petersen, La Brea Tar Pits) and three more cluster downtown (The Broad, MOCA, the Bunker Hill area). Either pairing makes a workable day.
Free museums are unusually generous here: Getty Center, Getty Villa, The Broad, California Science Center, MOCA, and the Hammer all charge nothing. Parking, however, often costs $20–25, and most free museums require advance timed reservations.
The full directory of every Los Angeles museum (90+) is at the bottom of this page.
The ranking
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Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Art · Mid-Wilshire, on Museum RowThe largest art museum in the western US. Currently mid-rebuild.
LA County residents free after 3 PMGet tickets/ 521,296 Google reviews$25general admission -
The Broad
Art · Bunker Hill, next to Walt Disney Concert HallFree contemporary art museum downtown. Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrored Room.
Always freeAdvance reservationView details/ 518,406 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Getty Villa
Art · Pacific Coast Highway, 30 minutes north of Santa MonicaRoman villa replica on the Pacific Coast. Antiquities only.
Always free (timed entry)View details/ 512,106 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Norton Simon Museum
Art · Pasadena, near the Rose BowlPasadena's quietly world-class painting collection. Often empty.
Get tickets/ 53,533 Google reviews$20general admission -
Hammer Museum
Art · Westwood, on the UCLA campus edgeUCLA's contemporary art museum. Always free, low crowds.
Always freeView details/ 52,185 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Natural History · Exposition Park, next to USC and the LA ColiseumThree T. rex skeletons in a row, a Hall of Gems, a butterfly pavilion seasonally.
Family favoriteGet tickets/ 514,863 Google reviews$18general admission -
Petersen Automotive Museum
Specialized · Mid-Wilshire, across from LACMAFour floors of cars, a Hollywood vehicles wing, and a vault tour.
Get tickets/ 514,227 Google reviews$21general admission -
California Science Center
Science · Exposition Park, next to the Natural History MuseumPermanent home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Always free.
Always freeFamily favoriteView details/ 520,708 Google reviewsFreealways free -
Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Specialized · San Marino, 30 minutes east of downtown LA120 acres of gardens, a Gainsborough collection, and a Gutenberg Bible.
Get tickets/ 58,599 Google reviews$29general admission -
Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles
Art · Bunker Hill, opposite The BroadDowntown LA's contemporary art museum. Free since 2023.
Always free since 2023View details/ 52,592 Google reviews$18general admission -
CLOSEDLa Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Natural History · Hancock Park, on Museum RowActive Ice Age fossil excavation in the middle of Wilshire Blvd.
Temporarily closedGet tickets/ 515,457 Google reviews$18general admission