Free museum days in Los Angeles are a great way to introduce non-museum goers to some of these amazing collections.  Los Angeles has all the major museums like natural history, science, contemporary art, and modern art.  As a mecca of the entertainment industry, there are also plenty of museums for fans of music, film, and television.  Then there are some of the more, umm, peculiar museums like “Jurassic technology” and…death.

Whatever you’re into and whatever part of town you live in, there’s going to be a museum to check out in your free time.  If you’re on a budget or just don’t want to pay to walk around and look at things, there are some museums that are always free to the public and some of them that have special free days.  I really upped my museum game when I decided to start acting like a tourist at home.  Here is my growing college of free Los Angeles museums.

Jump to a specific museum:

Annenberg Space for Photography   |   Armory Center for the Arts   |   Autry Museum of the American West
The Broad   |   California African American Museum   |   California Science Center   |   Craft & Folk Museum
Descanso Gardens   |   FIDM Museum   |   Fowler Museum at UCLA   |   Getty Center
Getty Villa   |   Hammer Museum   |   The Huntington Library   |   Japanese American National Museum 
Kidspace Children’s Museum   |   La Brea Tarpits and Museum   |   LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
LACMA   |   Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust   |   The Main Museum
MOCA Grand   |   MOCA Geffen   |   MOCA Pacific Design Center   |   Museum of Latin American Art
National History Museum   |   The Paley Center   |   Skirball Cultural Center   |   USC Fisher Museum of Art
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Annual Free-For-All Day

I’ll start the list with a day that you can get into almost any Los Angeles museum for free.  Once a year there is a Sunday in January that the majority of museums in Los Angeles offer free admission.  Check out Socal Museums list if you’re looking around January for a free day.  The free entry is usually just for the main area and you might have to pay extra for the special exhibits.

The Annenberg Space for Photography

The Annenberg Space for Photography has a large collection of digital and print photography.  The architecture of the building is also a work of art drawing influence from the mechanics of a camera and its lens.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067

Hours:
Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 11AM – 6PM
Thurs: 11AM – 5PM
Mon – Tue: Closed

Armory Center for the Arts

The Armory Center for the Arts is a Pasadena art museum focused on contemporary art and community arts education.  Check out their current exhibits here.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation for all exhibits

145 North Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, California 91103

Hours:
12PM – 5PM (closed Tuesdays and holidays)

The Autry Museum of the American West

That’s the same Autry from The Gene Autry Show, singing Back in the Saddle Again, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Gene Autry founded this museum to celebrate the American West.  There will be exhibits dedicated to Native Americans, cowboys, frontiersmen, and more about the history of the great American West.  The museum is located on the northeast end of Griffith Park.

Free Museum Days:  the 2nd Tuesday of every month, 10AM – 4PM

4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 10AM – 4PM
Saturday–Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

The Broad

The Broad is the first museum I’ve seen with a waiting list like this.  It is one of the newest museums that opened up with the excitement of a new Houston Brothers nightclub.  They are always free to the public, but you can’t just drop in without having to wait in line for hours. Make sure to book your reservation way in advance and get your hashtags ready for your Instagram posts of the Yayoi Kusama’s Infiniti Mirror Rooms.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

221 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours:
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday & Friday: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

California African American Museum

CAAM is a permanent collection of African American art from the 1800s to the present day.  The art installations are mainly displaying art from and about African Americans in California and the Western United States, but you’ll find some more exhibits from the African diaspora (including Haiti, Brazil, and Jamaica), as well as traditional African art from Western, Central, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

600 State Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90037

Hours:
Tues-Sat: 10AM – 5PM
Sunday: 10AM – 6PM

California Science Center

I’m a total science nerd, so I’ve been to the California Science Center more than any other museum.  The main museum is always free to the public, but they have some amazing exhibits worth paying for if you’re a fellow science geek.  At the time of this writing, they have a King Tut exhibit and I believe the Endeavour has a permanent installation there.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

700 Exposition Park Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90037

Hours:
Daily: 10AM – 5PM

Craft & Folk Museum

This is an example of why free museum access is such a great idea.  Normally I’d think crafts would be lame (personal choice), but there are some amazing things to see at CAFAM.  I probably wouldn’t have seen any of this if I had to pay.

Free Museum Days: Sundays (they’ll request a donation though) and the 1st Thursday evening of every month

5814 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 11AM – 5PM
Saturday & Sunday: 11AM – 6PM
The 1st Thursday of every month: 6:30PM  – 9:30PM

Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens is a city oasis of tranquil botanical collections.  Different times of the year you’ll see different flowers blooming.  Two parts of the gardens I highly recommend seeing are the Japanese garden and centuries-old oak forest.  Bonus – there is free parking!

Free Museum Days: 3rd Tuesday of every month

1418 Descanso Dr
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

Hours:
Gardens are open daily 9AM – 5PM
The Boddy House is open daily 10AM – 4PM
The Sturt Haaga Gallery is open daily 10AM – 4PM during its 10-week exhibit

FIDM Museum

This is the museum you go to if you want to see the history of fashion. FIDM is one of the world’s top fashion and design schools, so it’s not a surprise that they have this remarkable fashion museum open to the public.  Luckily you don’t have to pay the $30,000 tuition to check out the museum.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

919 S. Grand Ave. #250
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Hours:
Tuesday–Saturday: 10AM – 5PM

Fowler Museum at UCLA

The Fowler is located on UCLA campus as part of the School of Arts and Architecture at UCLA.  The exhibits feature ancient, traditional, and contemporary cultures of Africa, Native, and Latin America, and Asia and the Pacific.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

308 Charles E. Young Dr E.
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Hours:
Wednesday: 12PM – 8PM
Thursday-Sunday: 12PM – 5PM

Getty Center

Jean-Paul Getty did some heinous things in his life, but really wanted Los Angeles to like him, so he gave us a couple of beautiful museums.  The Getty Center is an indoor/outdoor museum featuring pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and photographs from the 1830s through present-day from all over the world.  The views from the Getty Center are worth the free museum trip alone.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

1200 Getty Center Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday: 10AM – 5:30PM

Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is a place you can wander for hours and feel as though you’re in another world.  I love going to the Getty Villa just to stroll around the outside gardens to feel like I’m in a small replica of ancient Greece or Rome.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation, but a timed-entry ticket is required.

17985 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Hours:
Wednesday-Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

Hammer Museum

The Hammer Museum is another museum operated by UCLA.  The art in this museum is considered progressive and some of the hippest in town.  I’m half quoting someone else on the hippest thing, but its not not true.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation for all exhibits and public programs

10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 9002

Hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 11AM – 8PM
Saturday & Sunday: 11AM – 5PM

The Huntington Library

Well, the full name for this place is actually The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.  That’s a little more than just a place to borrow books.  Lame joke, but I’m keeping it since I’m writing this at 5 am.  You’ll have to book your free tickets in advance, which is usually a few months out.  Book them here and mark your calendar.

Free Museum Days: 1st Thursday of every month / Advance tickets required

1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108

Hours:
Mon-Tues; Thurs-Sun: 10AM – 5PM

Japanese American National Museum

The Japanese American National Museum is the largest museum in the US with a focus on Japanese Americans’ art and history.  It is located in the Little Tokyo area just outside of DTLA.

Free Museum Days: Every Thursday from 5PM – 8PM and all day every 3rd Thursday of the month.

100 N Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours:
Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun: 11AM – 5PM
Thur: 12pm – 8pm

Kidspace Children’s Museum

I don’t have any kids, so I’ve never actually gone here.  I’m really looking forward to my niece visiting so I can take her to the Children’s Museum.  Although, I did just learn that there is a fundraising event that is open to adults to come at night and have fun there with some cocktails.

Free Museum Days: 1st Tuesday of every month

480 N Arroyo Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103

Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 9:30AM – 5:00PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

La Brea Tarpits and Museum

I was am a huge Last Action Hero fan.  The La Brea Tarpits were one of the first move scene locations I visited and immediately remembered the silent but deadly scene from Last Action Hero.  For science nerds like myself, there is a whole lot more to check out here to learn more about some extinct animals.   It’s also an active excavation site, so you can see the progress they are making.  The tarpits and park are always free to walk around, but the museum is $25.

Free Museum Days: 1st Tuesday of every month (except July and August) or Monday-Friday from 3-5pm for LA County residents

5801 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours:
Everyday: 9:30AM – 5:00PM

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Los Angeles has one of the highest populations of Mexicans and Mexican Americans.  This museum celebrates the influence of the Mexican/Mexican American culture, especially in the Southern California area.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

501 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours:
Mon/Wed/Thurs: 12PM – 5PM
Fri/Sat/Sun: 12PM – 6PM

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Outside of the Science museum, I’ve probably been to LACMA the most.  This is actually the biggest museum in the western United States.  It’s nearly impossible to see all of the exhibits in a single day. There are constantly new exhibits and events being added so even if you’re a local there is probably something new to see there.  My favorite exhibit here is definitely the ancient Egyptian art room that has Egyptian art that goes back 6,000 years!  They also had a limited time Stanley Kubrik exhibit that I geeked out on.

Free Museum Days: 2nd Tuesday of the month for everyone / Weekdays after 3PM for LA County residents

5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours:
Mon/Tues/Thurs: 11AM – 5PM
Friday: 11AM – 8PM
Sat & Sun: 10AM – 7PM

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

This is definitely a rough museum to visit for obvious reasons, but an important one in the area.  The museum attempts to display itself “as objectively as possible.”  Something interesting they did with this museum was to lover the light as you progress through the rooms.  It gets darker in each room as you reach a darker part of the history and then the lights start picking up as you escape the dark past.  It’s a really moving place to visit.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

100 The Grove Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Monday – Thursday: 10AM – 5PM
Friday: 10AM – 2PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

The Main Museum

Beta Main from The Main Museum on Vimeo.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

114 W 4th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Hours:
Wednesday – Sunday: 12PM – 7PM

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

To be honest, I don’t know much about contemporary art, but that doesn’t mean I’d pass up a free museum day to see what it’s about.  There are 3 locations within Los Angeles, but the main location is the MOCA Grand in Downtown Los Angeles.  The other branches are the MOCA Geffen in Little Tokyo and the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

Free Museum Days: Thursdays 5PM – 8PM

250 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours:
Mon/Wed/Fri: 11AM – 6PM
Thursday: 11AM – 8PM
Saturday and Sunday: 11AM – 5PM

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

The Geffen location was originally setup to be a temporary location while the Grand Avenue location was under construction.  Apparently LA has so much contemporary art that they just kept this place open.

Free Museum Days: Thursdays 5PM – 8PM  

152 N. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri: 11AM – 6PM
Thursday: 11AM – 8PM
Sat & Sun: 11AM – 5PM

MOCA Pacific Design Center

It’s hard to miss the Pacific Design Center if you’re anywhere in West Hollywood.  It’s not nicknamed the Blue Whale for nothing.  The building is a huge art piece itself.  It is also the location of the famous Elton John Academy Award after-party that I can never get invited to.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation for the Pacific Design Center

8687 Melrose Ave.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Hours:
*Museum closed until August 4th

Museum of Latin American Art

Somehow this is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art.

Free Museum Days: Every Sunday / The 4th Thursday of every month between 5PM – 9PM

628 Alamitos Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802

Hours:
Wed, Fri-Sun: 11AM – 5PM
Thursday: 11AM – 9PM

Natural History Museum

They have a Dinosaur Hall!  It is home to the world’s only  “Tyrannosaurus rex growth series.”  This is located basically on the same grounds as the Science museum, so you can spend a day museum hopping to really get your nerd on over here.

Free Museum Days: 1st Tuesday of every month / Every Tuesday in September

900 W. Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007

Hours:
Every day: 9:30AM – 5PM

The Paley Center for Media

Hello, fellow film nerds.  The Paley Center is one of the easiest places to catch a glimpse of a celebrity.  They are constantly doing panels and live interviews with filmmakers that you can get tickets to.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

465 N. Beverly Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Hours:
Wed-Sun: 12PM – 5PM

Skirball Cultural Center

I thought Skirball was some new sport at first, but apparently because I’m an idiot “goy.”  The Skirball is a museum dedicated to the Jewish culture and traditions.  If you’re reading this before September 2018, please find a way to get to the Jim Henson Exhibition!

Free Museum Days: Every Thursday

2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 12PM – 5PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10AM-5PM

USC Fisher Museum of Art

This is actually the first art museum established in Los Angeles.  It’s been around since 1939 housing fine art spanning 5 centuries.  This is also part of the Exposition Park museum complex with the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center, and the California African American Museum.

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

823 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90089

Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 12 PM- 5 PM
Saturday: 12 PM- 4 PM
*Closed in Summer months

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Free Museum Days: All hours of operation

24255 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Malibu, CA 90263

Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 11AM – 5PM

Los Angeles Free Museum Days Cheat Sheet