The city of Los Angeles is home to hundreds of museums and inside any one of them you will find a wide variety of stories and lessons. What makes them even better is the fact that a lot of them are free! For anyone willing to put in the work to find the opportunity, you can plan out a whole week’s worth of (free) education on everything from natural history to human history, the arts and sciences. And for those not willing to put in the work, don’t worry, this list is especially made for you!
- . La Brea Tar Pits
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The La Brea Tar Pits function as an active excavation site where specimens are both on display as well as studied. Currently, museum staff is still working to uncover fossils which have been preserved in pits of asphalt (aka tar) and consist mostly of animals from the ice age and artifacts used by humans who had inhabited the area. The exhibits allow visitors to get a peek at what this land looked like before the skyscrapers took over. If you want to visit, it is located in Hancock Park and has free admission to all LA County residents from 3-5 pm Monday through Friday.
- . California Science Center
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The Science Center is a treasure of the city of Los Angeles, and I encourage all people visiting or living in LA to go to at least once. It is one of the largest science centers in the country and has multiple exhibits stemming from a biology center, multiple aquariums and it even currently houses the space shuttle Endeavor. If you are curious to visit what I dub one of the most interactive and fun museums, if not in the country, then at least in the state, head on over to Exposition Park any day of the week and enjoy your visit free of charge and without any reservation.
- . Autry National Center of the American West
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The Autry hosts an array of exhibits on both a historic and a contemporary American West. The goal of the museum is to tell a comprehensive story of the western part of the US with exhibits revolving around the lands’ indigenous inhabitants, cowboys and even the Chicano movement. If you are interested in visiting the Autry, it is located in Griffith Park right across from the LA Zoo, and if you want to go free of charge, they have free hours from 1-4 pm on Wednesdays and Tuesdays. To go for free, you need to make a reservation, which you can do by clicking the link here.
- . California African American Museum
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The CAAM, or the California African American Museum, focuses primarily on the history and culture of African Americans with special focus on the western part of the United States. The museum is home to collections of historical artifacts, art pieces, a theatre, and tons more. They also host rotating exhibits, one that has stood out to me is J.J. Anderson: Sometimes I Feel Like I Am Almost Home, which combines a visual, auditory and tactile experience. The museum is located in Downtown LA, more specifically, Exposition Park, and is free to all who want to visit Tuesday through Wednesday.
- . The Getty Museum
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The Getty is well known for its large collection of artwork as well as its beautiful architecture. Technically speaking, there are two locations, one is the Getty Villa, which is located in Santa Monica, and the other is the Getty Center, which is located in Brentwood. The Center primarily houses European art and antiquities from the Middle Ages, as well as a beautiful sculpture garden, while the Villa contains mostly Italian and Greco-Roman art and is well known for its Italian architecture. I personally love the gardens at the Getty Center and think that they are a definite must-see. Both museums are open to the public as long as you reserve beforehand, which you can do here. A word of advice: be sure to book in advance, especially if you have a specific day in mind, because time slots fill up quickly.