L.A.’s thriving cultural scene offers thought-provoking creativity in every shape and form imaginable. But while there are tons of world-class museums in Los Angeles to lose yourself in all year round, there are a few that stand out as must-sees. From The Broad to LACMA, here are the best museum installations and art exhibits in Los Angeles that you simply cannot miss.
The L.A. wildfire crisis has affected some local museums, especially the Getty Villa, which remains closed until further notice. However, the Getty Center and Skirball Cultural Center have both reopened.
All image credits are listed at the bottom of the article.
Best in Low
This new Petersen Museum exhibition takes us through the craft of lowrider culture, including paint, metal finishings, interiors, and hydraulics. Now that cruising bans have been lifted in California, lowriders are rolling into a new era on local streets. Learn all about the artistry and craftsmanship involved in creating these immaculate vehicles.
🗓️ Dates: Closes May 5, 2025
📍 Location: Mid-Wilshire – Petersen Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
🎟️ Tickets: Best in Low is included with general admission tickets to the Petersen Museum
Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me
Indigenous artist Jeffrey Gibson presents a colorful, kaleidoscopic collection of more than 30 geometric sculptures, paintings, flags, murals, and a video installation. Follow how Gibson alludes to turn-of-the-century American foundational documents, modern music, and more to provide commentary and critique about systemic injustices.
🗓️ Dates: Opening soon! May 10 – Sept. 28, 2025
📍 Location: The Broad, 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
🎟️ Tickets: Jeffrey Gibson is included with free admission to The Broad
Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal
This exhibition celebrates the legacy of jazz musician Alice Coltrane. By pairing archival ephemera from Coltrane herself with contemporary art by American artists, visitors will learn about how Coltrane’s work connects with spiritual transcendence and sonic innovation.
🗓️ Dates: Closes May 4, 2025
📍 Location: Westwood – Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
🎟️ Tickets: Alice Coltrane is included with free admission to the Hammer Museum.
Titanic: A Voyage Through Time
This groundbreaking VR experience takes guests through the history of the Titanic, starting with a view of the ship’s wreckage on the ocean floor before zooming back in time to recreate the opulence aboard the ship in its prime. Move freely through the ship’s carefully recreated spaces, including the Grand Staircase, and meet characters based on real passengers and crewmembers.
🗓️ Dates: April 15 – June 22, 2025
📍 Location: Beverly Centre, 8th floor, 8500 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
🎟️ Tickets: Get tickets to Titanic: A Voyage Through Time here.
Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men
See French painter Gustave Caillebotte’s vision of modern masculinity in the Getty Center’s new internal loan exhibition. The showcase of 100+ paintings and drawings depicts men from Caillebotte’s life, including his brothers, friends, fellow sportsmen, and neighborhood workers. Follow the Impressionist painter’s examination of gender norms in 19th century France through the fascinating thematic portrayals.
🗓️ Dates: Closes May 25, 2025
📍 Location: Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA
🎟️ Tickets: Gustave Caillebotte is included with free admission to the Getty Center
Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer make up one of today’s most prolific production design teams, famously working together on such works as Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Anna Karenina, Hanna, Sherlock Holmes, Beauty and the Beast, and Barbie. In this immersive new exhibition at the Academy Museum, visitors will have a chance to learn about how Greenwood and Spencer use production design to evoke each film’s time, place, and character.
🗓️ Dates: May 23, 2025 – Oct. 25, 2026
📍 Location: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
🎟️ Tickets: Barbie to Anna Karenina is included with general admission tickets to the Academy Museum
Symbols and Signs: Decoding Medieval Manuscripts
The Getty Center presents a selection of Medieval manuscripts containing cryptic codes, symbols, interwoven letters, and monograms. Learn about how clever scribes and artists carefully configured these text elements to convey a deeper meaning of divine and worldly secrets.
🗓️ Dates: May 20 – Aug. 10, 2025
📍 Location: Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA
🎟️ Tickets: Symbols and Signs is included with free admission to the Getty Center
Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity
Comic book creator Jack Kirby (1917-1994) spent his six-decade career developing some of the most iconic characters of all time, including Captain America, The Fantastic Four, The Avengers, X-Men, The Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, and many more. At the same time, he incorporated unmistakable references to current events such as the United States’ involvement in WWII. This retrospective at the Skirball showcases Kirby’s life story alongside over 150 objects from his career, including original illustrations, rare comic books, and more ephemera.
🗓️ Dates: Opens May 1, 2025
📍 Location: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
🎟️ Tickets: Jack Kirby is included with general admission to the Skirball.
Butterfly Pavilion
The Natural History Museum’s seasonal butterfly pavilion is back for the summer! Walk through an enclosed habitat filled with free-flying butterflies in 30 different species, including Mourning cloaks and Common buckeyes. The experience allows you to learn about all phases of the butterfly life cycle in real time all around you.
🗓️ Dates: March 23 – August 24, 2025
📍 Location: Exposition Park – Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007
🎟️ Tickets: The Butterfly Pavilion costs $10 on top of the museum’s general admission price.
Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho
The Academy Museum invites you to learn about Bong Joon Ho’s creative process, from OKJA to Parasite. The famous Korean director has provided unprecedented access to his personal collection and archive, contributing to over 100 original objects on display including storyboards, film posters, concept art, props, and more.
🗓️ Dates: Mar. 23, 2025 – Jan. 10, 2027
📍 Location: Mid-Wilshire – Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
🎟️ Tickets: Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho is viewable with general admission tickets to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Sonic Playground
The GRAMMY Museum has debuted a brand-new exhibition where music lovers can explore 17 interactive music-making spaces. Visitors are welcome to get a close-up look at the music industry from the point of view of a rapper, singer, producer, music supervisor, or voice actor. The hands-on adventure includes cutting-edge technology that guests of all ages can enjoy.
🗓️ Dates: Feb. 14, 2025 – ongoing
📍 Location: Downtown LA – GRAMMY Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
🎟️ Tickets: Sonic Playground is included with general admission tickets to the GRAMMY Museum.
Cars Are Beautiful: Mr Brainwash @ The Petersen
L.A.-based artist Mr Brainwash (Thierry Guetta) presents a vibrant pop art exhibition that showcases the automobile as a “populist icon of American life.” Explore a colorful cacophony of paintings and sculptures dedicated to cars, which span a range of methods and media including graffiti, printmaking, and stenciling.
🗓️ Dates: Open now through 2026
📍 Location: Mid-Wilshire – Petersen Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
🎟️ Tickets: Cars Are Beautiful costs $10 on top of the museum’s general admission price.
RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped
San Francisco photographer Jay Blakesberg has captured three decades of music history on film between 1978 and 2008. This magnificent exhibition in LA presents over 150 of his most exemplary photographs depicting performances from a range of artists including E-40, Dr. Dre, Nirvana, Radiohead, Tracy Chapman, The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Green Day, Ice-T, Flaming Lips, and dozens of others.
🗓️ Dates: Nov. 8, 2024 – June 15, 2025
📍 Location: Downtown LA – GRAMMY Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
🎟️ Tickets: RetroBlakesberg is viewable with general admission tickets to the GRAMMY Museum.
Olafur Eliasson: OPEN
Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson has worked with light and sculpture throughout his impressive career, and this new installation in LA was designed specifically for MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary space. Interact with a series of sensory experiences and optical devices that play with light, shadow, perception, and participation.
🗓️ Dates: Sept. 15, 2024 – July 6, 2025
📍 Location: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) – 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
🎟️ Tickets: Viewable with general admission tickets to MOCA
Digital Witness: Revolutions in Design, Photography, and Film
LACMA presents a fascinating examination of the world of digital manipulation tools. See over 150 works by nearly 200 artists dating back to the 1980s, spanning media from photography to graphic design and visual effects.
🗓️ Dates: Nov. 24, 2024 – Jul. 13, 2025
📍 Location: Mid-Wilshire – LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
🎟️ Tickets: Viewable with general admission tickets to LACMA.
Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema
Learn about the history of color in cinema through this interesting exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Follow larger concepts of visual storytelling with close-up access to famous movie artifacts including Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the The Wizard of Oz, Jamie Foxx’s blue costume from Django Unchained, Jack Nicholson’s red jacket from The Shining, and more. The exhibition concludes with an interactive color arcade.
🗓️ Dates: Oct. 6, 2024 – Jul. 13, 2025
📍 Location: Mid-Wilshire – Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, LACMA West, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
🎟️ Tickets: Viewable with general admission tickets to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion
If you’re a lover of fashion history, the Skirball’s Diane von Furstenberg showcase is a must this year. The US debut exhibition presents over sixty pieces from the archives of Belgian fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, including her iconic wrap dress which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Explore four thematic sections diving into the designer’s life and work, presented through the use ephemera, media pieces, fabric swatches, and more.
🗓️ Dates: Oct. 17, 2024 – Aug. 31, 2025
📍 Location: Santa Monica Mountains – Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
🎟️ Tickets: Diane von Furstenberg is viewable with general admission tickets to the Skirball Cultural Center.
Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness
The Natural History Museum is famous for its life-size diorama halls, displaying over 75 different habitats representing global ecosystems including the Arctic tundra, the jungles of Tanzania, and the Great Plains of North America. To honor the 100th anniversary of the dioramas, the NHM will reopen a diorama hall that has been closed for decades. See newly restored dioramas that showcase this unique union of art and science.
🗓️ Dates: Sept. 15, 2024 – Sept. 15, 2025
📍 Location: Exposition Park – Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007
🎟️ Tickets: Reframing Dioramas is viewable with general admission tickets to the Natural History Museum.
On The Red Carpet
See your favorite red carpet looks from the most recent GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs at this brand new ongoing exhibition. Look out for Lizzo’s massive red rose gown from Dolce & Gabbana, Shania Twain’s black and white polka dot suit by Harris Reed, and Harry Styles’ colorful patchwork jumpsuit by Egonlab.
🗓️ Dates: Nov. 4, 2024 – ongoing
📍 Location: Downtown LA – GRAMMY Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
🎟️ Tickets: On The Red Carpet is viewable with general admission tickets to the GRAMMY Museum.
Whether you’re an art lover, hosting visitors, or just want to change up your weekend plans, we love these Los Angeles exhibitions for a chance to experience the city’s thriving arts and culture scene. Which one will you see next?
Image credits:
Featured image: Best in Low. Image courtesy of The Petersen Museum.
- Best in Low. Image courtesy of the Petersen Museum.
- Installation view, Jeffrey Gibson: When Fire Is Applied to a Stone It Cracks, Brooklyn Museum, February 14, 2020 – January 10, 2021. Photo: Jonathan Dorado. Courtesy of The Broad
- IG embed: Alice Coltraine
- Titanic: A Voyage Through Time
- Installation view featuring Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877 (The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection, 1964.336) in Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men at the Getty Center. Image © 2025 J. Paul Getty Trust
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Image by Kaleb Tapp on Unsplash.
- Left: The Annunciation from Irmengard Codex, German, shortly after 1053. Tempera colors, gold, and ink. Getty Museum. Ms. 125 (2023.6), fols. 235v. Right: Decorated Text Page from Rothschild Pentateuch, French or German,1296. Tempera colors, gold, and ink on parchment. Leaf: 27.5 × 21 cm (10 13/16 × 8 1/4 in.) Getty Museum. Acquired with the generous support of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder. Ms. 116 (2018.43), fol. 486v
- Captain America Comics #1, 1940, Cover art by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, © Marvel
- Courtesy of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
- YouTube embed: Bong Joon Ho
- Photo @grammymuseum via Instagram.
- YouTube embed: Cars are Beautiful
- Jay Blakesberg poses with his work. Photo by Becky Sapp, courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum.
- IG embed: Olafur Eliasson
- Barbara Nessim, Color Veil, 1984, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Decorative Arts and Design Council Acquisition Fund, © Barbara Nessim, digital image courtesy of the artist
- Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Photo by: Josh White, JWPictures/ ©Academy Museum Foundation
- Photo courtesy of the Skirball Cultural Center
- Installation view of Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness. Photo by Elon Schoenholz, courtesy of NHMLAC
- On the Red Carpet at the GRAMMY Museum. Photo by Becky Sapp, courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum