Once a year, Los Angeles turns its museums inside out. The annual Museums Free-for-All, returning Sunday, February 22, opens the doors to some of the city’s most important cultural institutions at no cost, inviting Angelenos and visitors alike to move freely through art, science, history and architecture in a single day. Organized by SoCal Museums, the citywide event reflects a broader commitment to access echoed by initiatives like Museums for All—treating museums as public spaces rather than gated experiences. Below are 15 standout museums participating in Museums Free-for-All, each offering enough depth to justify a dedicated visit—or a carefully planned museum hop.
1. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County stands at the literal foundation of the city’s museum culture. Opened in 1913 alongside Exposition Park, its original Beaux Arts structure was the first museum building in L.A. Today, the experience expands through the Otis Booth Pavilion, where a six-story glass atrium is crowned by a 63-foot fin whale skeleton. The NHM Commons wing opens directly onto the park, offering free access to Gnatalie the Green Dino. Inside, visitors move from gem and mineral halls to fossil-filled dinosaur galleries, immersive habitat dioramas, and the 3.5-acre Nature Gardens. Becoming Los Angeles grounds it all locally, tracing the region’s environmental and cultural evolution.
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
Location: 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
Link: nhm.org
2. The Broad
Since opening in 2015, The Broad has become a cornerstone of Downtown L.A.’s cultural corridor. Designed to accommodate large-scale contemporary works, its galleries house a collection of more than 2,000 postwar and contemporary pieces. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms remain a focal point, but the deeper pull comes from the museum’s rotating presentation of Warhol, Basquiat, Ruscha, Sherman, Kruger, and Koons. On Museums Free-for-All day, timed entry keeps the experience manageable while preserving the sense of discovery.
Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Location: 221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Link: thebroad.org
3. Getty Center
Perched above the city in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Getty Center combines museum-going with civic overlook. Richard Meier’s travertine-clad campus houses European paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, manuscripts, and photography, all presented in light-filled pavilions. The Central Garden by artist Robert Irwin functions as a living artwork, while terraces frame views from the Pacific Ocean to Downtown. Admission is free year-round, with Museums Free-for-All drawing even broader crowds into the complex.
Hours: 10 am–5:30 pm
Location: 1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles
Link: getty.edu
4. Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum operates as both contemporary art space and public forum. Known for the Made in L.A. biennial, the museum foregrounds local voices while hosting exhibitions that engage directly with social and political questions. Free lectures, screenings, and performances are integral to its identity, making it one of the city’s most active cultural hubs.
Hours: 11 am–5 pm
Location: 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Link: hammer.ucla.edu
5. MOCA Grand Avenue
MOCA’s Grand Avenue location offers a concentrated look at post-1940 art in architect Arata Isozaki’s red sandstone building. The permanent collection balances canonical figures like Rothko and Pollock with experimental and conceptual works, creating a concise but rigorous contemporary art experience ideal for a Free-for-All stop.
Hours: 11 am–5 pm
Location: 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Link: moca.org
6. California African American Museum
Located in Exposition Park, CAAM explores African American history and culture through fine art, archival material, and rotating exhibitions. Larger than it appears from the outside, the museum’s galleries and research spaces present narratives that move fluidly between past and present.
Hours: 11 am–5 pm
Location: 600 State Dr., Los Angeles
Link: caamuseum.org
7. California Science Center
The California Science Center delivers hands-on science education through free core galleries focused on life sciences, innovation, and flight. While Space Shuttle Endeavour remains off display during construction, interactive exhibitions continue to anchor the experience, especially for families.
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
Location: 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles
Link: californiasciencecenter.org
8. Griffith Observatory
Since opening in 1935, Griffith Observatory has functioned as Los Angeles’ most democratic cultural institution—a place where science, architecture, and public space converge. Built during the Great Depression with funding from philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith, the observatory was designed with a radical premise for its time: access to astronomy should be free. Inside, exhibits explore planetary motion, earthquakes, and time itself, anchored by the iconic Foucault pendulum beneath Hugo Ballin’s celestial mural. Outside, the observatory’s terraces frame one of the city’s most cinematic views, stretching from Downtown to the Pacific.
Hours: 10 am–10 pm
Location: 2800 E. Observatory Rd., Los Angeles
Link: griffithobservatory.org
9. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
As the largest art museum in the western United States, LACMA holds a defining place in Los Angeles’ cultural landscape. Its origins date back to 1961, when it opened on Wilshire Boulevard with a mission to collect and exhibit art across time and geography—European paintings, Islamic manuscripts, Asian sculpture, and contemporary works all coexist here. One of the museum’s most recognizable icons is Urban Light, Chris Burden’s installation of 202 restored antique street lamps that now greet visitors like a public sculpture in its own right. Inside, sprawling galleries display modern masters alongside large-scale contemporary installations (including Richard Serra’s monumental metal works and Burden’s Metropolis II kinetic sculpture).
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
Location: 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Link: lacma.org
10. Skirball Cultural Center
Opened in 1996, the Skirball Cultural Center sits at the intersection of the San Fernando Valley and Westside, designed as a campus rather than a single building. Its exhibitions explore Jewish heritage through the broader lenses of immigration, civil rights, and American democratic ideals. The center’s architecture emphasizes openness, with courtyards and gardens encouraging movement between indoor and outdoor space. One of its most celebrated installations, Noah’s Ark, transforms biblical narrative into a large-scale, interactive environment built from recycled materials.
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
Location: 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles
Link: skirball.org
11. Getty Villa
The Getty Villa is less a museum visit than a temporary relocation. Modeled after the Villa dei Papiri, a Roman estate buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, the museum immerses visitors in the world of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Opened to the public in its current form in 2006, the Villa houses roughly 1,200 rotating antiquities, including marble sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and frescoes. Reflecting pools, columned walkways, and of course, the ocean breezes coming from the beaches of Malibu.
Hours: 10 am–5 pm
Location: 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades
Link: getty.edu/visit/villa
12. Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles
ICA LA traces its roots to the Santa Monica Museum of Art, reestablishing itself in the Arts District in 2017 with a renewed commitment to accessibility. Housed in a former industrial warehouse, the museum favors flexible galleries that accommodate experimental and politically engaged work. Exhibitions often spotlight emerging or underrepresented artists, positioning ICA LA as a testing ground rather than a retrospective space. The museum’s modest footprint belies its influence, offering exhibitions that prioritize ideas and dialogue over spectacle.
Hours: 11 am–5 pm
Location: 1717 E. 7th St., Los Angeles
Link: theicala.org
13. Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
Opened in 2016 inside a former flour mill, Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles operates at a scale more commonly associated with major museums. The complex spans multiple buildings, gardens, and courtyards, allowing for ambitious, museum-caliber exhibitions by internationally recognized artists. While technically a commercial gallery, its commitment to free admission, public programming, and architectural openness has made it a cornerstone of the Arts District’s cultural life. The experience extends beyond the galleries, with on-site dining and a bookstore encouraging visitors to linger.
Hours: 11 am–6 pm
Location: 901 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles
Link: hauserwirth.com
14. Autry Museum of the American West
Founded in 1988 by actor and collector Gene Autry, the Autry Museum reexamines the history of the American West through a contemporary lens. Located in Griffith Park, the museum challenges romanticized frontier narratives by centering Indigenous, Mexican, and multicultural perspectives. Its galleries blend fine art, historical artifacts, and immersive installations, offering a more complex view of Western identity shaped by migration, conflict, and resilience. The result is a museum that feels both corrective and expansive.
Hours: 10 am–4 pm
Location: 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles
Link: theautry.org
15. Craft Contemporary
Founded in 1965, Craft Contemporary has long championed material-based practices at a time when they were often sidelined by the fine art world. Located on Museum Row, the institution focuses on ceramics, fiber, glass, and experimental design, highlighting the intersection of craft, concept, and contemporary culture. Its exhibitions regularly challenge assumptions about labor, technique, and authorship, making it one of the most intellectually rigorous small museums in Los Angeles.
Hours: 11 am–5 pm
Location: 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
Link: craftcontemporary.org
Photo credits: Photos courtesy of business/venue.
