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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 22 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Luciana Bellini

The Western US’s pre-eminent art museum is a 20-acre compound of galleries and pavilions housing more than 100,000 works, from ancient Mayan bowls inscribed with bat heads and Japanese sculptures dating from 3000 BC to paintings by Rubens, Cezanne and Degas.

The museum also has a strong contemporary art offering, with works by Lichtenstein, Pollock and Jasper Johns. There’s also a space for lectures, performances and other events.

Price from: £17
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

LACMA spreads out over a large campus on Wilshire Boulevard and anchors Museum Row, a stretch of Wilshire between Fairfax Avenue and La Brea Boulevard that’s home to five museums (LACMA, the Academy Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits, Petersen’s Auto Museum and the Craft and Folk Art Museum).

Many buses run past the museum. There’s no official onsite parking, but there are several pay parking lots in the surrounding area.

There are no guided tours or audio guides, but you can see highlights of the collection on the website, categorised by type of art. Worth a browse before you go if you have a specific area of interest.

When to do it

It’s open all year round, Thursday to Tuesday. Closed Wednesday.

Arrive at noon and leave before 4pm to beat the Wilshire traffic. Or go later – LACMA stays open until 8pm and some nearby parking lots offer free parking after 6pm.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Mondrian Hotel Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[3.7 miles]

Superbly-located West Hollywood hotel, right on Sunset Boulevard. One of LA’s sexiest hotels, with a hippest rooftop party scene.

Official star rating:

Mr C Beverly Hills

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[3.7 miles]

Stylish, spacious and reasonably-priced rooms in this low-key hotel in Beverley Hills.

Official star rating:

Chateau Marmont

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[3.9 miles]

Soak up Hollywood’s scandalous past, present and future at this wonderfully glamorous Sunset icon, where you’re bound to bump into an A-lister in the Gothic-chic drawing room or the outrageously raucous bar.

Official star rating:

West Hollywood Edition

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[4 miles]

The coolest recenthttps://www.editionhotels.com/weho/ addition to the Sunset Strip, the WeHo Edition is home to a buzzy rooftop pool and terrace, a destination restaurant, an underground nightclub and a gloriously zen spa.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Los Angeles

California, United States of America (USA)

The bright lights of Tinseltown are home to surfer-filled beaches, glorious mountain hikes, glitz and glamour in spades and year-round sunshine.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[0.2 miles]

The world’s largest museum dedicated solely to the art of film, home to a collection of movie treasures, a rotating roster of exhibitions featuring industry creators and an experience where you can hold a coveted Oscars statuette.

Best for ages: 8+ | £22

Hollywood

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[4.2 miles]

The indomitable heart of the movie industry, where dreams are still made. See the star-studded Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater – where the biggest premieres still take place – and the Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards.

Best for ages: 8+ | Free

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Griffith Observatory

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[8.1 miles]

The Art Deco observatory is one of LA’s most instantly-recognisable buildings, home to captivating exhibits, an out-of-this-world planetarium, and the site of some of the best views in Los Angeles.

Best for ages: 5+ | £6

Universal Studios Hollywood

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[8.3 miles]

The La La Land outpost of this movie-themed amusement park feels more grounded in actual Hollywood than the others, thanks to its popular tram tour that takes visitors behind the scenes of a real working studio.

Best for ages: 6+ | £85

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Life-size mammoth sculptures recreate Los Angeles prehistoric days at La Brea Tar Pits archaeological site in the Mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles California.
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La Brea Tar Pits

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[0.4 miles]

On Wilshire Boulevard, during the last Ice Age, asphalt bubbled from the ground, trapping sabre-toothed tigers, mammoths and giant sloths. Excavations continue to unearth new plants and animals and visitors can come to watch, or explore one of the world’s largest collections of fossils, on display in the museum.

Best for ages: 6+ | £12

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Farmers Market on Fairfax
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Farmers Market on Fairfax

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[0.9 miles]

This LA institution in West Hollywood first opened in 1934 and is home to over 100 food stalls and grocers, who specialise in everything from doughnuts and ice cream to beef jerky and gourmet pickles.

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Greystone Mansion’s Gardens
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Greystone Mansion’s Gardens

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[5 miles]

If this Tudor Revival mansion in Beverly Hills looks more than a little familiar it’s due to its stellar Hollywood lineage, having appeared in films including The Big Lebowski and X-Men. Come to explore its formal English gardens and elegant grounds.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Virginia Robinson Gardens
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Virginia Robinson Gardens

Los Angeles, California, United States of America (USA)[6 miles]

For a fascinating insider look at a period mansion and estate in Beverley Hills, call ahead to reserve a tour of the Virginia Robinson Gardens. The Beaux Arts mansion from 1911 is surrounded by stunning botanical gardens in a range of styles.

Best for ages: 13+ | £12

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