Los Angeles County Museum of Art
If you had to choose just one local museum as part of your L.A. itinerary, I would go with LACMA for several reasons. Conveniently and centrally located between the beach and downtown, LACMA anchors the famed ‘Museum Row’ on Wilshire Blvd in The Miracle Mile. You could easily fill an entire day with museum activities here without moving your car. The museum is very kid-friendly with several ongoing exhibits that would be mesmerizing for them. One in particular is the exhibit by the late installation artist Chris Burden called Metropolis II.
Many museums host summertime weekly music events and LACMA is no exception. Friday nite jazz starts at 6 pm in the BP Grand Entrance, and Latin Sounds are next door on Saturdays in Hancock Park. (See the SoDoesRichard blog post for his take on one of the free jazz events – http://suzyknowsla.com/sodoesrichard/john-beasleys-monkestra-jazz-lacma-summer-series/ ). There is also a Chamber Music series on Sundays called ‘Sundays Live’ that begins at 5 pm in The Bing Theater.
LACMA is just steps from other great museums: The Page Museum and The La Brea Tar Pits are just next door – the kids will love the towering mastodons and the bubbling tar pits. The recently re-designed Petersen Automotive Museum is across the street, which is also very kid-friendly. And one of my favorites, The Craft & Folk Art Museum is also just up the street and within walking distance.
Admission is $15 for adults and children under 17 are free, which I think is a real bargain! Parking is $12. If you’re an L.A. resident, you can come to LACMA for free Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 3 pm-5 pm; or Friday from 3 pm-8 pm.
Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am – 5 pm
Friday: 11 am – 8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am – 7 pm
Closed Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.