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.
1. 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.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Best in Lowย is viewable with general admission tickets to the Petersen Museum
๐๏ธ Dates: Open now through Spring 2025
๐ Location: Petersen Museum,ย 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
2. The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True
If you love immersive experiences, this new multimedia exhibit in L.A. is calling your name. The Messi Experience chronicles the life of the argentinian global soccer legend Lionel Messi through nine themed rooms, using jaw-dropping digital projections, artificial intelligence, 3D visuals, and captivating storytelling.
๐๏ธ Tickets: The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True
๐๏ธ Dates: Tickets are on sale now through September 2024.
๐ Location: 2800 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles
3. Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital
Film buffs will enjoy this exhibition detailing the origins of Hollywood and early 20th-century filmmaking. Here, the spotlight is on Jewish-American filmmakers and their experiences with the American dream, influencing the way in which L.A. found its place on the world map.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Hollywoodland is viewable with general admission tickets to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
๐๏ธ Dates: Opened last month
๐ Location: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
4. Refashioning: CFGNY & Wataru Tominaga
Fashion lovers won’t want to miss this exciting new presentation by two transdisciplinary artists and fashion houses: Concept Foreign Garments New Yorkย (CFGNY), and Wataru Tominaga out of Tokyo. Discover how these designers use so-called “vaguely Asian” aesthetics to reveal sociopolitical histories using garments, accessories, and textiles.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Refashioning is free to visit at the Hammer Museum.
๐๏ธ Dates: Just opened, on view now through Aug. 4, 2024
๐ Location: Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
5. The Book of Marvels: Wonder and Fear in the Middle Ages
This Getty Museum exhibition takes visitors through the 1460s manuscript, Book of the Marvels of the World, which chronicles the experiences of a medieval armchair traveler from northern France. See how he presents the wonder and unfamiliarity of the “other,” feeding into stereotypes that still endure in the twenty-first century.
๐๏ธ Tickets: The Book of Marvels is free to visit at the Getty Center.
๐๏ธ Dates: Just opened, on view now through Aug. 25, 2024
๐ Location: Getty Museum at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles
6. Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience
The GRAMMY Museum presents an extensive showcase of personal artifacts from Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira’s 30-year career.ย See forty of her most iconic performance outfits and instruments, from her Super Bowl LIV outfits to her Fender Stratocaster guitar adorned with pink Swarovski crystals.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Shakira, Shakira: The GRAMMY Museum Experience is viewable with general admission tickets to the GRAMMY Museum.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Summer 2024
๐ Location: GRAMMY Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
7. John Waters: Pope of Trash
Discover the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to John Waters, whose 60-year filmmaking career has presented some of the most memorable and eccentric cult movies including Pink Flamingos (1972), Hairspray (1988), Pecker (1998), and Mondo Trasho (1969). Explore Waters’ complete filmography with over 400 works on display including handwritten scripts, set decoration and props, costumes, photographs, correspondence, and film clips.
๐๏ธ Dates: Open now through Aug. 4, 2024
๐ Location: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
8. Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting
Explore a groundbreaking new LACMA exhibit delving into Islamic art and culinary traditions, with over 250 works related to the process of sourcing, preparing, serving, and consuming food. Learn about luxury tableware objects and the way in which elaborate food service influenced life in Islamic courts, all while stimulating your appetite and your appreciation for the importance of sharing a meal. The exhibition also holds a “kids table” companion show with Saturday art workshops at Charles White Elementary School.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Dining with the Sultan is free to visit at LACMA.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Aug. 4, 2024
๐ Location: Resnick Pavilion, LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
9. Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum’s seasonal Butterfly Pavilion is back! Step into an enclosed garden area aflutter with hundreds of colorful butterflies representing up to 30 different species, including the Mourning cloak and Common buckeye. You’ll learn about the butterfly life cycle from eggs to caterpillars to chrysalises, all within a colorful outdoor garden setting that’s perfect for kids. In fact, it’s not the only place to spot butterflies in Los Angeles right now — see our full guide to L.A. butterfly pavilions here.
๐๏ธ Tickets: The Butterfly Pavilion costs $8 per person on top of general admission to the Natural History Museum.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Aug. 25, 2024
๐ Location: Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles
10. Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: Finding Soft Ground
Brooklyn-based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh explores the significance and power of Black image through wheat-pasted prints, oil paintings, graphite drawings, and film. This exhibition transforms three galleries at A+P to examine the street, home, and natural world from the perspective of Black feminist theory, considering the conditions of safety for Black women in these spaces. It’s presented in tandem with Fazlalizadeh’s CAAM installation Speaking to Falling Seeds, which showcases portraits of Black women from when the artist lived in L.A. in 2023.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: Finding Soft Ground is free to visit at Art + Practice.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Aug. 10, 2024
๐ Location: Art + Practice, 3401 W 43rd Pl, Los Angeles
11. Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak
See the West Coast debut of a major exhibition celebrating the work of Maurice Sendak, best known for the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are (1963). The Skirball Cultural Center presents a collection of over 150 sketches, storyboards, and paintings by Sendak himself presented alongside the final published books. The exhibition also includes a reading area with books and sketching materials.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Wild Things Are Happening is viewable with general admission tickets to the Skirball Cultural Center
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Sept. 1, 2024
๐ Location: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles
12. The American Library
Explore artist Yinka Shonibare’s immersive installation displaying six thousand books, all of which are wrapped in colorful textiles. Each book bears the name of a US immigrant or Black American who was affected by the Great Migration, in which six million Black people migrated from the American South to the rest of the United States between the 1910s and 1970s.
๐๏ธ Tickets: The American Libraryย is viewable with general admission tickets to the Skirball Cultural Center
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Sept. 1, 2024
๐ Location: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles
13. Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with this 5,000-square-foot exhibit in L.A.ย dedicated to the multifaceted genre. Visitors will journey through an immersive experience detailing the culture, history, and activism of hip-hop, aided by artifacts including the Notorious B.I.G.’s famous red leather jacket, LL Cool J’s Kangol bucket hat, Slick Rick’s bejeweled crown, and more.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit is viewable with general admission tickets to the GRAMMY Museum.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Sept. 4, 2024
๐ Location: GRAMMY Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
14. Mickalene Thomas: All About Love
The Broad presents a touring special exhibition showcasing the work of illustrious artist Mickalene Thomas, who specializes in several disciplines including mixed-media painting, collage, and photography. See over 80 works from the last twenty years of Thomas’ career, which examine Black female representation through portraiture.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Mickaline Thomas: All About Love is free to visit at The Broad.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Sept. 29, 2024
๐ Location: The Broad, 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles
15. ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN
Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha is known for examining consumer culture, popular entertainment, and local urban landscapes. In his first major retrospective in over two decades, Ruscha takes visitors through a showcase of his early works in Europe, his recognizable Los Angeles photography, his famous Chocolate Room installation, and more.
๐๏ธ Tickets: ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN is free to visit at LACMA.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Oct. 6, 2024
๐ Location: BCAM, LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
16. Eyes on the Road: Art of the Automotive Landscape
In the early 20th century, automotive designs and highway systems reached a level of standardization that most drivers take for granted these days. In this exhibition, The Petersen Museum presents a collection of oft-overlooked automobiles designed by visual artists. These weird and wonderful designs include the spaceship-like 1955 Chrysler Ghia Gilda; the three-wheeled 1933 Dymaxion, which looks like a submarine; and the 1956 American Motors Astra-Gnome with a cartoonish clear bubble body.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Eyes on the Roadย is viewable with general admission tickets to the Petersen Museum.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Nov 2024
๐ Location: Petersen Museum,ย 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
17. The Art of Movie Making: The Godfather
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures presents an array objects and artifacts from The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), an opportunity for film buffs to learn about the making of one of Hollywood’s most storied film franchises. See costumes, props, scripts, and equipment, many of which have never been presented to the public, and all of which provide valuable insight to the process of filmmaking in the ’70s.
๐๏ธ Dates: On view now through Jan. 5, 2025
๐ Location: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
18. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms
Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms are turning heads from San Francisco to New York, and we’re lucky to have two of them available to visit for free right here in LA.
- Infinity Mirrored RoomโThe Souls of Millions of Light Years Away: An enclosed mirror-lined space filled with flashing LED lights that visitors physically step into. Since guests enter the space one group at a time, The Broad requires that you make a timed reservation to foster the best possible experience. Find it on the first floor of The Broad.
- Longing for Eternity:ย A mirrored chamber filled with pulsating neon lights that guests peer into one by one. There’s no need to make a reservation for this, so just join the line on the third floor.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Free to visit at The Broad, but a reservation is required for Infinity Mirrored RoomโThe Souls of Millions of Light Years Away.
๐๏ธ Dates: Ongoing
๐ Location: The Broad, 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles
19. Leonardo da Vinci: Inventor. Artist Dreamer.
Discover 30 innovative inventions drawn from Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, brought to life by contemporary Italian artisans and displayed in a stunning presentation at the California Science Center. The exciting LA exhibit features famous contraptions including the Flying Bicycle, Mechanical Bat, Great Kite, the Helical Air Screw, and the 33-foot-wide Mechanical Eagle. Over a dozen of the presented models are built at full scale, and many of the works are presented alongside an interactive activity where you can test your engineering skills.
๐๏ธ Tickets: Leonardo da Vinci: Inventor. Artist. Dreamer. requires special admission tickets.
๐๏ธ Dates: Ongoing
๐ Location: California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles
20. Expansive Presentation of Andy Warhol
The Broad presents a showcase of work by legendary American artist Andy Warhol, who is best known as a leading influence in the pop art genre. This installation takes the viewer through 26 of Warhol’s works, eleven of which are on view for the first time at The Broad. The major artwork to seek out is Liz [Early Colored Liz], which is a silkscreened image of Elizabeth Taylor from 1963. Other items on display include Warhol’s iconic Campbell’s Soup Can (Clam Chowder – Manhattan Style) [Ferus Type] and 40 Gold Marilyns.
๐๏ธ Tickets:ย Expansive Presentation of Andy Warhol is free to visit at The Broad.
๐๏ธ Dates: Ongoing
๐ Location: The Broad, 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles
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?