Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena

The museum has two levels. The Main or Upper Level houses European and American Art from the 14th to the 20th century. The Lower Level is home to an extensive Asian Art Collection with South and South Asian sculptures, antiquities and architectural features. The temporary exhibit galleries are also downstairs. There are three sculpture gardens, two accessible from the Main Level, one from the Lower Level.

On the Main Level, there is a 300 seat theater. If you have time, any of the four orientation films shown throughout the day will give you additional insight into the collection. One is a 30 minute documentary about Norton Simon and his passion for art, the other three are 20 minute segments from the PBS special Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum.

The galleries on the main level are all in a row, so you can walk up one side of each wing and down the other and see everything. The exhibits are chronological though, so if you want to compare art from the same time period, you'll need to view each room before moving on to the next.