Los Angeles is home to many beautiful museums. As a college student, it is important to get out of your comfort zone and explore concepts and locations that are foreign to you. Going to some museums is a good place to start! Here are five museums of various topics that can be found in the greater Los Angeles area.
The Broad
The Broad is a contemporary art museum on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. It was originally dreamed up by philanthropists of art, Eli and Edythe Broad. The Broad’s unique exterior design was created by Diller Scofidio + Renfro along with Gensler. The Broad is home to over 2000 works of art and includes artists such as Ed Ruscha, Christopher Wool, and Jeff Koons. The museum offers free admission and is also the home of Yayoi Kusama’s famous “Infinity Room”. Go take a picture among the millions of floating lights!
LACMA
LACMA or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to several past and present artists that show “Los Angeles’s rich cultural heritage and uniquely diverse population”. It was originally built in 1965 and is a neighbor to the La Brea Tar Pits. It is also home to the famous sculpture “Urban Light” by Chris Burden. Go check it out!
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Photo courtesy of UCLA IoES
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles has protected over 35 million specimens and is a resource for many Southern California school teachers (at all levels). The museum is located next to the University of Southern California (USC) in Downtown Los Angeles and the California Science Center. The museum explores past and present natural wonders and includes an outdoor three and a half acre Nature Gardens and indoor nature lab. Although there are many activities established for children, there are still many exhibits for college students to learn from and enjoy!
The Museum of Ice Cream
Picture courtesy of Salty Canary
In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, there is a building full of pink and yellow rooms, ice cream cones slammed against walls and a sprinkle pool. This is known as the Museum of Ice Cream and it is a new addition to the LA art scene. It is known as a place that designs “environments that bring people together & provoke imagination”. The museum is home to many different rooms dedicated to the cold, delicious treat. It’s a great place to take pictures and have fun with friends!
The Griffith Observatory
This observatory and planetarium is the perfect place to go to learn about time and space! The observatory is located on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park and is, according to their website, “the best vantage point” from which to see the Hollywood Sign. The observatory includes a 12-inch refracting telescope that 8 million people have looked through! That is more than any other telescope on Earth! Go and see for yourself!