LA County Museum of Art Visitors Guide

LACMA has a wonderful collection of art from around the world, but just like when traveling the world, you can sometimes get lost along the way. The maps available at the museum only show where the buildings are. They don't show the gallery layout inside the buildings. I found myself retracing my steps trying to find my way. Fortunately there are plenty of security personnel around to point you in the right direction.

The Main Entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is off Wilshire Boulevard. You come through the entrance into the Los Angeles Times Central Court. The Welcome Center, where you buy your tickets, is straight ahead on the front of the Hammer Building. If you park on 6th Street, or are coming from the La Brea Tar Pits, you can also enter from Hancock Park, just follow the signs.

The Ahmanson Building and Hammer Building are connected to each other to form a right angle. Gallery corridors flow freely from one building to the next, so you may enter one building and exit the other. There is also a bridge from the second floor of the Hammer Building to the Art of the Americas Building, formerly the Modern and Contemporary Art Building.

The Broad Contemporary Art Museum is the latest addition with a new modern building housing the contemporary art collection on Wilshire west of the Ahmanson and Hammer buildings.

The Pavilion for Japanese Art is a striking structure east of the Hammer Building with a separate entrance. It was very dark when I visited in the evening, but I imagine that with its translucent walls, it would be very well-lit by day.

The Bing Center is a stand-alone building housing several auditoriums and a café.

LACMA West, home to the Boone Children's Gallery, is at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax and has a separate entrance off of Wilshire Boulevard.

View LACMA Map