Los Angeles isn’t just movie stars and palm trees. It’s an art lover’s dream.
The city is packed with museums that house everything from Renaissance masterpieces to neon-lit contemporary installations.
You can see Van Gogh at The Getty, Warhol at The Broad, and Pollock at MOCA, all in one weekend. The variety is insane, and the contemporary art scene here is next level.
Every time I’m in LA, I check out a new museum. At this point, I’ve been to them all at least once.
If you’re into classic paintings, bold street art, or mind-bending immersive exhibits, this guide covers the best museums in town.
Top Museums In Los Angeles
Getty Center
The Getty Center is where art and architecture collide in a way that only money and vision can create. Built with billionaire oil magnate J. Paul Getty’s fortune, this hilltop sanctuary is home to one of the finest art collections in the country.
From a distance, the Getty looks like a modern fortress. Up close, it’s an architectural puzzle of travertine stone, aluminum, and glass.
The design follows the curves of the Santa Monica Mountains, making the whole complex feel like it grew out of the landscape. At sunset, you have fabulous views from the central garden.
Inside, the collection is spread across four main buildings: the North, East, South, and West Pavilions. The galleries are open and airy, with skylights and vaulted ceilings that let natural light do most of the work.
Opened in 1997, the museum focuses on art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with everything from Renaissance paintings to Baroque sculptures.
You won’t find any super modern art inside, but the outdoor spaces are dotted with contemporary sculptures.
The Getty’s crown jewel is Vincent van Gogh’s Irises, a swirl of deep blues and purples that practically vibrate off the canvas.
Other standouts include works by Manet, Monet, Cézanne, Turner, Fragonard, Mantegna, Bronzino, and Titian. Art lovers and casual visitors alike will find plenty to admire.
>>> Click here to pre-book a guided Getty Center tour
Getty Villa
The Getty Villa is unlike any other museum in the United States. It’s a deep dive into the ancient world, where art and architecture bring history to life.
The villa is a pristine recreation of a Roman seaside estate. It holds J. Paul Getty’s vast collection of Greco-Roman antiquities.
The exhibits trace 3,000 years of history, from early Greek civilizations to the final days of the Roman Empire.
Inside, 33 galleries spread across two levels house sculptures, busts, pottery, paintings, jewelry, mosaics, and frescoes.
Five of these galleries feature rotating exhibits, keeping things fresh for returning visitors.
The first floor houses the Greek, Etruscan, and Persian collections, along with a section dedicated to Getty’s passion for collecting. The second floor focuses entirely on Roman art.
History lovers could spend hours here, wandering through rooms filled with artifacts that once belonged to emperors, warriors, and poets.
The setting itself, with its courtyards, gardens, and colonnades, makes the experience feel even more immersive.
The museum is free to visit, except that you have to pay $20 for parking (or $15 after 3:00 pm).
>>> Click here to book a guided tour of the Getty Villa
LACMA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, better known as LACMA, is the largest art museum in the western United States. With over 150,000 works, its collection spans centuries and cultures, making it an extremely comprehensive museum.
LACMA has a strong focus on Asian and Latin American art, with significant collections of Japanese screens, Chinese ceramics, and pre-Columbian sculptures. Its Islamic art collection is also one of the finest in the U.S.
LACMA is also home to artworks by renowned Mexican artists Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and José Clemente Orozco. The modern and contemporary galleries feature pieces by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons.
The photography collection is particularly strong, with striking images from the early days of the medium to cutting-edge contemporary works.
The museum itself is just as much a part of the experience. Its sleek, contemporary design includes bold architectural elements.
Chris Burden’s Urban Light, a forest of restored street lamps, is one of LA’s most recognizable landmarks. Nearby, Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass, a 340-ton suspended boulder, invites visitors to walk beneath it for heart pounding thrill.
The museum is currently undergoing a $650 million transformation. It’s constructing the new David Geffen Galleries, designed by architect Peter Zumthor.
It’s mostly complete. But the official opening is in Spring 2025.
>>> Click here to pre-book a ticket
The Broad
The Broad is one of Los Angeles’ newer museums, opening in 2015. Its name is pronounced “brode” (rhymes with “road’), not “brawd.”
The museum houses the world class collection of philanthropists and billionaire real estate tycoon Eli Broad and his wife Edythe. It’s simply magnificent.
And the building is an attraction in itself! Designed by New York City architects, it’s shrouded in a white lattice-like shell that lifts at the corners.
The Broad’s collection includes 2,000 pieces. The focus is on modern and contemporary art from the 1950s to the present.
Inside the cavernous lobby, you”ll find Yayoi Kusama’s super popular Infinity Mirrored Room. You’ll need to register to step inside it, and will get a text message when it’s your turn.
The museums boasts iconic works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Barbara Kruger.
These are along with pieces by major contemporary artists like Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Cindy Sherman, and Takashi Murakami.
While its permanent collection draws art lovers, The Broad is best known for its rotating exhibitions, which often become major cultural events.
The docents are quite good. And there’s a useful smart phone app you can download for more information.
Admission is free. But you may want to reserve a timed entry ticket, as the line for same day walk ups may be long.
Norton Simon Museum
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is one of the finest small art museums in the U.S.
It houses an outstanding collection of European, Asian, and modern art, all amassed by industrialist and philanthropist Norton Simon.
The museum’s galleries are packed with European masterpieces from the Renaissance to the 20th century.
Highlights include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, and Picasso. The collection also features sculptures by Degas, including his famous ballerinas.
The South and Southeast Asian art galleries hold over 1,000 years of history. You can admire ancient sculptures from India, Nepal, and Cambodia.
The museum also has an impressive selection of modern and contemporary art, with works by Matisse, Braque, and Diego Rivera.
And be sure to allot some time to explore the sculpture garden! The museum’s sculpture garden is inspired by Monet’s Giverny garden in Normandy France.
A large lily pond sits at the center, surrounded by colorful flowers, lush greenery, and winding pathways. Sculptures by Henry Moore, Rodin, and Maillol are scattered throughout, blending art with nature.
MOCA
The Museum of Contemporary Art, known as MOCA Grand, has an enviable collection of modern and post-WWII art. It’s long been a symbol of California’s flourishing art scene.
The superlative collection is housed in a post-modern building with bright, sky-lit galleries. It includes painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video, and performance art from movements like Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and Postmodernism.
It’s pretty darn amazing, and there is no shortage of luminaries. There are artworks by: Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, Marina Abramović, Barbara Kruger, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring.
Among the top masterpieces are Jackson Pollock’s Number 1, 1949, Mark Rothko’s No. 9 (Dark over Light Earth/Violet and Yellow in Rose), and Robert Rauschenberg’s Coca-Cola Plan.
The Geffen Contemporary is MOCA’s warehouse space. It’s located in the Little Tokyo district. The exterior is covered in two billboard size works by conceptual artist Barbara Kruger.
Originally a police car warehouse, the building was renovated by famed architect Frank Gehry. It opened in 1983 as a temporary exhibition space.
Due to its popularity and expansive layout, it became a permanent venue for large-scale installations and exhibitions.
MOCA has recently gone through a period of instability with a slew of directors. And even fended off an attempted merger with LACMA, when finances were rocky. But the museum has hopefully landed on its feet now, after losing visitor to the Broad across the street.
The Hammer
The Hammer Museum is one of the most exciting places to see contemporary art in Los Angeles. Founded in 1990 by industrialist Armand Hammer, it’s now part of UCLA and sits in the heart of Westwood.
The museum’s collection includes classic works from the 16th to 20th centuries, with paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, and Cézanne.
But what really sets the Hammer apart is its focus on bold, experimental, and socially engaged art.
It’s home to some of the edgiest exhibitions in LA, featuring artists like Barbara Kruger, Kerry James Marshall, and Mark Bradford. Every two years, it hosts the Made in L.A. biennial, a showcase of under-recognized local artists, giving a platform to fresh, boundary-pushing voices.
One installation you shouldn’t miss is Particulates by Rita McBride. High-intensity green laser beams interact with water molecules and dust, forming a glowing, ever-shifting shape in the air. It’s housed in a former bank space inside the museum.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the best art museums in LA. You may find these other California travel guides useful:
- 2 days in San Diego itinerary
- Guide To Balboa Park
- 2 day itinerary for Santa Barbara
- 10 days in southern California itinerary
- One day in Ojai itinerary
- One day in Santa Monica itinerary
- One day in La Jolla itinerary
- Best art towns in California
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