Best Los Angeles Museums

The Top 10 Museums in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is blessed with an abundance of outstanding art museums, but if you only have time for one, the Getty Center combines an outstanding collection of classic and modern art and photography with stunning architecture and one of the best views in town. It's also free, although there's a fee to park.
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 440-7300
www.getty.edu

This stunning hill-top villa houses the J. Paul Getty Museum's antiquities collection. They also have hands-on activities for kids and a variety of public programs and performances.
Visitors Guide to the Getty Villa.
17985 Pacific Coast Hwy
Pacific Palisades, CA 90265
(310) 440-7300
www.getty.edu

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is considered the largest encyclopedic art museum in the western United States. Its collections encompass the history of art from ancient times to the present, and from all corners of the world.
Visitors Guide to LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 857-6000
www.lacma.org

The California Science Center makes learning about science fun for the whole family. This is a great museum for families with kids a variety of ages from pre-school to teens. Grown-up kids will find it entertaining and enlightening as well.
Exposition Park
39th Street & Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90037
(323) 724-3623
www.californiasciencecenter.org

Although Gene Autry and his fellow TV cowboys are recognized at the Autry Museum, this museum is dedicated to the real story of the American West, not just the TV version. The Autry National Center is working on moving the collection of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian to the same location so the full story of the American West will be in one place.
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA, 90027-1462
(323) 667-2000
www.autrynationalcenter.org

The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles is one of the world's greatest sources of Ice Age fossils and many of them are on display in the on-site George C. Page Museum. You can also view scientists at work in the excavation pits and in the museum's "fish bowl" lab.
Visiting the Page Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7243
www.tarpits.org

This being Hollywood and all, there are plenty of museums and exhibits interpreting the history and culture of various facets of the entertainment industry from the tiny Hollywood Heritage Museum to the glitzy Grammy Museum, but the Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor Building is the richest glimpse into Hollywood movie history, from its restored hair-color-themed makeup rooms to the collection of movie sets and memorabilia, including an extensive Marilyn Monroe exhibit.
1660 N. Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 464-7776
www.thehollywoodmuseum.com

The Griffith Observatory contains exhibits on planets, stars and the exploration of space via multiple super-powered telescopes for day and night viewing. There's also a planetarium show and super views of the Downtown LA skyline.
Visiting the Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory Photos
2800 East Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027
213-473-0800
www.griffithobservatory.org