Los Angeles, the City of Angels, is renowned not only for Hollywood and stunning beaches but also as a vibrant cultural and artistic hub. Eager to experience world-class art without breaking the bank? Join “Travel the World” as we uncover the best free art museums in Los Angeles, where you can immerse yourself in the realms of painting, sculpture, and diverse art forms.
Downtown – The Artistic Heart of Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a cultural and artistic renaissance. With the emergence of upscale condos, luxury hotels, and trendy restaurants and bars, Downtown has become a must-visit destination for art enthusiasts. This area boasts numerous renowned art galleries, notably the following two giants:
The Broad
The Broad Museum exterior with its distinctive honeycomb-like facade
Since its opening in 2015, The Broad has become an unmissable destination for contemporary art aficionados. It houses a world-class collection from local philanthropist and real estate billionaire Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, featuring over 2,000 post-war works by Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Keith Haring, and Kara Walker.
The building’s architecture itself is a major draw for visitors. Designed by New York-based Diller Scofidio + Renfro (the designers of Manhattan’s iconic High Line) in collaboration with San Francisco-based Gensler, the building is encased in a white, honeycomb-like facade. Here, you can register to experience Yayoi Kusama’s super-popular Infinity Mirrored Room.
After exploring the exhibitions on the lobby level, an escalator will take you through a narrow tunnel to the 35,000-square-foot third-floor gallery, where artist Jeff Koons captivates visitors with his giant stainless steel bouquet of tulips. These flowers are framed by equally bold, modern artworks by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. The surrounding rooms rotate displays from The Broad’s permanent collection, considered one of the world’s most prominent repositories of contemporary and post-war art.
Admission is free (except for special exhibitions), but it’s recommended to book timed tickets online, as you might otherwise face wait times of up to 45 minutes before the museum opens. Booking in advance will save you time and ensure the best experience.
Walt Disney Concert Hall – Surreal Musical Architecture
Exterior view of the Walt Disney Concert Hall's stainless steel curves
A sizzling blend of music and surreal architecture, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an iconic concert venue, is the primary performance space for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. However, it has also hosted contemporary bands like Phoenix and classic jazz musicians like Sonny Rollins. Visionary architect Frank Gehry incorporated many distinctive design features into this building, creating a magnificent sculpture made of stainless steel.
In contrast, the 2,265-seat auditorium evokes the feeling of sitting inside a finely crafted cello, where the walls are made of polished Douglas fir while the terraced seating area surrounds the central stage. Even the seats beneath the colossal organ boast exquisite design lines.
You can take free guided tours to explore the building’s unique architecture and learn about its history. The best way to experience the hall’s beauty and grandeur is to attend a performance here. While performance tickets are priced, exploring the exterior architecture and lobby is completely free.
Getty Center – Art on a Hilltop
Panoramic view of the Getty Center complex with gardens and city skyline in the background
The Getty Center offers visitors three delights: an outstanding art collection (encompassing everything from the Middle Ages to Baroque sculptures and Impressionist brushstrokes), the exceptional talent of Richard Meier in architecture, and the splendor of gardens that change with each season. Admission is free, but be prepared for a $20 parking fee (or $15 after 3 PM).
On clear days, you can admire breathtaking views of the city and the ocean. The best time to visit is in the late afternoon after the crowds have thinned out. The sunset creates a spectacle blended with light and shadow, becoming particularly magical in winter.
From the plaza to the walkways, stairs, fountains, and courtyards, everything is harmoniously arranged. The galleries house collections of manuscripts, drawings, photographs, furniture, decorative arts, and a range of pre-20th-century European paintings. Must-see pieces include Van Gogh’s Irises, Monet’s Wheatstacks, Rembrandt’s The Abduction of Europa, and Titian’s Venus and Adonis. Finally, don’t forget to visit the Cactus Garden located above the South Promontory for spectacular city views.
Concerts, lectures, films, and other cultural events for visitors keep the space lively, and the bonus is that most performances are free. In the summer, the free Saturday evening concert series Off the 405 features a range of contemporary pop and world-music acts on the Getty grounds.
LACMA – The Largest Art Museum in the Western United States
The Urban Light installation at LACMA with rows of vintage street lamps
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest museum in the western United States. The collections housed at the museum will leave you in awe. LACMA holds works by Rembrandt, Cézanne, Magritte, Mary Cassatt, Ansel Adams – plus sculptures from China, Japan, pre-Columbian and ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Recent additions include massive outdoor installations like Chris Burden’s Urban Light (a surreal photo op with hundreds of vintage Los Angeles street lamps) and Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass.
From 2008 to 2010, architect Renzo Piano designed two exhibition buildings on the western side of the campus: the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the Resnick Pavilion, which hosts short-term exhibitions.
The rest of the campus is undergoing a major renovation, with the support of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The old galleries will be leveled and replaced with airy, covered new galleries spanning Wilshire Blvd. The redesign is scheduled for completion in 2023. Until then, some galleries will remain open, and parts of the collection will be displayed elsewhere around Los Angeles. For more details, visit the website for construction schedules and to find out which galleries will remain open during the renovation.
Although some areas may be closed due to renovation, LACMA still offers many free areas to visit, including “Urban Light” and outdoor sculptures. You should check the LACMA website for updated information on free programs and opening hours.
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens – A Harmony of Art, History, and Nature
A tranquil Japanese Garden with a pond, bonsai trees, and pathways
One of Los Angeles’s gems is the Huntington exhibition, truly a highlight for any trip to California thanks to its world-class combination of art, literary history, and over 120 themed gardens (any of which are worth visiting). All are set within a sprawling estate.
You can begin your visit at the library. Only a fraction of the six million rare books and related items are on public display, but they are all quite impressive: a Gutenberg Bible, manuscripts of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, books by Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus, and numerous items related to the American Civil War, westward expansion, and women’s suffrage.
Nearby, in the European and American art galleries, you can immerse yourself in Thomas Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Thomas Lawrence’s Pinkie, or delve into American classics by Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, and Frank Stella. The gallery also features decorative arts: from intricately patterned furniture to sparkling porcelain and silverware.
Then there are the meticulously curated gardens, like a living museum. A favorite is the Chinese Garden, where the Jade Ribbon Bridge spans a pond surrounded by rhododendrons and a tea house. In the Japanese Garden, hills, valleys, and streams are framed by meticulously manicured bonsai trees around a 1904-style Japanese house, and paths lead to a Zen garden and courtyards full of potted landscapes. The Desert Garden landscape is surprisingly vibrant, and in the Rose Garden, visitors can enjoy tea in the tea room (reservations are recommended any day and essential on weekends). With advance ticket reservations, admission can sometimes be free.
Admission to the Huntington Library is usually not free; however, there are certain days of the year or special programs offering free admission. You should check the Huntington website for details on free visit opportunities.
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum – Art From Prehistoric Times
The La Brea Tar Pits with life-size mammoth sculptures emerging from the tar
Mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and dire wolves that roamed the Los Angeles prairie in prehistoric times are prized treasures unearthed by archaeologists at the La Brea Tar Pits. This is one of the world’s most famous and compelling fossil sites, thanks to its archaeological trove of skulls and bones, where generations of young dinosaur hunters have come to search for fossils and learn about paleontology from on-site exhibits and lab demonstrations.
Thousands of Ice Age creatures met their ancestors between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago inside the thick crude oil bubbling up from deep beneath Wilshire Blvd (though it wasn’t called Wilshire Blvd then). These animals waded into the sticky pools, became trapped and doomed, dying slowly of starvation or suffocation.
In the museum’s 3-D theater, the 25-minute film Titans of the Ice Age is shown from 10 AM to 4 PM daily (with a $5 surcharge). There is also a parking fee of $15.
While museum admission is charged, the area around the La Brea Tar Pits, including the tar pits themselves and Hancock Park, is free to the public. You can walk around the area and observe the tar pits, where scientists are still excavating fossils.
Conclusion
Los Angeles is a treasure trove of art and culture, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to explore it. The free art museums “Travel the World” has introduced above will offer you memorable and profound experiences. Plan your trip today and discover the unique artistic beauty of the City of Angels! Don’t forget to check the website of each location for updated information on opening hours, free programs, and current regulations. Wishing you a delightful journey of art exploration!