Why visit
LACMA offers world-class art across virtually every era and continent in a single Miracle Mile campus, plus free-to-view outdoor icons like Urban Light that anyone can photograph. It is the essential stop for travelers who want a deep, encyclopedic art experience without leaving central Los Angeles.
LACMA holds a permanent collection of well over 100,000 works that range from ancient artifacts to contemporary art, encompassing Latin American, Asian, Islamic, European, and American holdings. Spread across multiple buildings on a campus along Wilshire Boulevard, the museum mixes blockbuster special exhibitions with deep permanent galleries, making it a place travelers can return to repeatedly without seeing the same thing twice. A major transformation of the campus is reshaping its gallery buildings, so visitors should expect an evolving footprint.
Even before you buy a ticket, LACMA delivers two of the most photographed public artworks in Los Angeles. Chris Burden's Urban Light, a dense grid of 202 restored vintage street lamps, glows at the museum's entrance and has become a citywide icon, while Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass features a 340-ton boulder suspended over a walkway. Combined with rotating exhibitions and a central location near the La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA is a cornerstone of the city's cultural life.
History
LACMA was established as a separate, art-focused institution in 1961, splitting off from a combined museum of history, science, and art, and it opened its own Wilshire Boulevard campus in 1965. Over the following decades it expanded across multiple buildings and grew into the largest encyclopedic art museum in the western United States, and in recent years it has undertaken a sweeping architectural overhaul of its central galleries.
Insider Tips
- ✦Photograph Urban Light at dusk for the best glow.
- ✦Confirm which buildings are open during the ongoing renovation.
- ✦Combine your visit with the adjacent La Brea Tar Pits.
Photo Tips
- 📸Walk among the columns of Urban Light at dusk when the lamps switch on.
- 📸Frame Levitated Mass with a person beneath the suspended boulder for scale.
- 📸Look for clean architectural lines and shadows across the outdoor plazas.
Before You Go
- ✓Check which buildings and exhibitions are open, since the campus is being renovated.
- ✓Buy timed tickets online to streamline entry.
- ✓Look into free general-admission times or county-resident discounts before you go.
Visiting with family
Children are often captivated by the maze of Urban Light and the giant boulder of Levitated Mass, both free and outdoors, and the museum offers family-oriented programming.
Where to Eat Nearby
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LACMA FAQ
Is LACMA free?
General admission is ticketed, though there are reduced and free options for certain visitors and times; the outdoor Urban Light and Levitated Mass are always free to view.
Where is Urban Light?
Urban Light, the vintage lamppost installation, stands at LACMA's entrance along Wilshire Boulevard and is free to visit.
Is LACMA being renovated?
Yes, the campus is undergoing a major architectural transformation, so check which buildings and exhibitions are open before you go.
More Museums in LA
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MuseumsThe Broad
The Broad is a contemporary art museum in Downtown LA known for its striking honeycomb facade and a powerhouse collection of postwar and contemporary works. General admission is free, and it's home to Yayoi Kusama's wildly popular Infinity Mirror Rooms.
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The Getty Villa is a recreated ancient Roman country house overlooking the Pacific that houses the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. Set among gardens, fountains, and a peristyle pool, it pairs world-class classical art with one of LA's most serene settings.
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The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the nation's premier museum devoted to the art, science, and history of moviemaking. Run by the organization behind the Oscars, it sits on the Miracle Mile next to LACMA.
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