As a future history major, I feel that I am the most qualified to give my recommendation on the best local museums that I think are worth a visit, so listen to me. If you are looking for a cute activity with your friends, or your mother, or a date, or something to get you off your phone, or something to post performatively on Instagram (you know who you are), these museums will be sure to satisfy your appetite for art. Or for attention on social media. I don’t really care.
The first museum I recommend to you is one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. I go to the Norton Simon Museum after every minor inconvenience in my life and every accomplishment because of its tranquility.
This museum, before you even enter it, has a multitude of resources online. I’m no computer whiz, but in my opinion, their website is pretty sick. Not only does it have all of the information for you to plan a trip, but it has online lectures, virtual tours, podcasts and articles for you to explore the museum before you even pay a visit. Another note, unlike many other museums, the Norton Simon offers free admission for students if you bring your ID. This means easy access for most people reading this. In short, go visit, it’s free.
First of all, I love how this museum is laid out. It is in chronological order, from the 14th century to the 20th. This makes it easy to follow. I love huge sprawling museums, but it gets overwhelming trying to see everything. Yes, I got lost in the Louvre once. This museum is easy to navigate and hard to mess up–there are only two hallways and they follow the chronological order. You can see everything in the museum without having to frantically ask for directions to find the medieval part of the museum (Louvre, I’m looking at you), and can instead peruse calmly at your own pace. This is not inherently a bad thing, but I will mention that Norton Simon is not gigantic. If you want to see as much art as you physically can, the Norton Simon is probably too limited. In my opinion, though, the museum is specifically curated and not too overwhelming. The Norton Simon is my Goldilocks museum.
I won’t waste your time telling you how beautiful the art is because I’m sure you are thinking, duh! It’s a museum, that is literally their only job. So instead, I’ll ramble about the sculpture garden. This is the Norton Simon’s most unique feature, in my opinion. In the back of the museum there is a pond and a garden with sculptures in it and a path that you can follow around the pond. It is literally my “Pride and Prejudice” dreams come true. Especially at the end of a museum visit, on a sunny day, it is the most refreshing and beautiful activity. As you will see later in this article, I am a huge fan of a garden accompanying a museum trip, and this one is no exception. It is my personal recommendation to you that you grab an italian soda from the cafe in the garden and take a stroll while debriefing the museum with a buddy, or just walking in silence because museum fatigue is a real thing.
The second museum that I recommend is actually multiple different things: it’s a garden, museum and library all in one. The Hunting Library, Art Museums, and Botanical Gardens have literally everything that you could need for a perfect day. I have spent many of my summer days perusing the galleries and strolling the gardens with leisure, and you should go.
Unfortunately, I have to start with a downside. The Huntington is not free, and though it offers a student discount, is still not cheap. For one full day, adult admission is $34, and student admission is $28 when you bring your student identification card. That being said, the Huntington is massive and has a multitude of activities and programs that go on throughout the day.
The Huntington has three main exhibits: the European art, American art, and Asian art exhibits. The Huntington was the private estate of Henry Huntington and his wife Arabella Huntington, who collected the rare books, artwork, and plants that the Huntington hosts. In 1919, they turned this private estate into the public institution that it is today, and it is now a nonprofit organization and one of the most beautiful places ever, in my personal opinion. Because the Huntington was designed by two people and the collection amassed by them as well, the gardens and exhibits are niche and to their personal taste. Some of the art exhibits have a more typical large room museum set up, but some, specifically the European art section, function more like a house with small rooms, each with art displays. The exhibits also have art spotlight conversations, where volunteers give a fifteen minute talk about one of the pieces there, which is free with admission to the Huntington and one of my favorite things to do.
The Huntington also has an extensive botanical garden collection. Their most famous is the desert garden, but my personal favorite is the Shakespeare Garden. It has some flowers that were grown in England at the time that Shakespeare was writing and types of flowers that appear in his works. I love this garden for its bright colors, its pinks, purples and yellows. Basically, it’s summer in a garden.
I love the Huntington, but I can’t ignore the downsides of the location. The Huntington is in San Marino, which is next to Pasadena and literally the hottest place on earth. I am being dramatic, but I think it is worth it to schedule your trip to Huntington based on the weather app on your phone. The heat is no joke, so bring water. To mitigate this, though, the Huntington has a bus system that goes around the park, so that you can go from one museum or garden to another without having to trek through the heat. This is awesome for people like me, who do not rock with intense heat.
Finally, one of my favorite things about this museum is the food. The cafeteria has a variety of options and cuisines, from pizza to tacos to sushi, and has multiple vegan and vegetarian options. I have had quite a few bean tacos from here, and they were always pretty epic. Additionally, the tea room at the Huntington is quite famous. It requires a reservation in advance, but it is such a beautiful place. It is in the rose garden, and the servers give you a variety of teas to choose from and then a bunch of tea sandwiches and other snacks. It is delightful, but don’t underdress, like I did, because it was very embarrassing.
Listen, I am not the biggest fan of modern art. I am pretty staunchly neutral or even a bit negative, depending on the exhibit and artwork. But I am decidedly not neutral towards the Los Angeles County Museum of Art ( LACMA,) the third museum I recommend to you. I visited again recently after a few years and fell back in love with it. Even if you are also not the biggest fan of modern art, give this one a shot. If you think art museums are stuffy and boring, this one is the farthest you can get from that kind of experience.
First of all, I’ve got some good news. If you live in Los Angeles and are under 18, you can go to LACMA for free. If you are 18 or older, general admission is $21 with a student ID, and for adults, the fee is $25.
Some pieces from LACMA that have really stuck with me. One of these is “Apocalyptic Landscape” by Ludwig Meidner. It’s worth a Google, trust me. This painting and so many others in the LACMA collection are weird, scary and extremely memorable, which I absolutely adore. If you want impact, and to be a little bit unsettled, this is the place for you. For me, this place is a little bit like a mental playground. There’s a variety of art forms, including some of the most breathtaking sculptures, paintings, and interactive exhibits. The art is incredibly curated and keeps you interested, which is a priority.
LACMA hosts a free jazz night on Fridays from April until October. Additionally, the new section of LACMA, the David Geffen Galleries, which was built to house the permanent collection of the museum, will open on April 19 of this year. So, there are lots of new and exciting things happening at this museum. Pay a visit, you won’t regret it. I promise.
Aside from the obvious benefit of having a good time and getting some cute photos, engaging with art and history outside of the classroom is extremely important. I know I am biased because of my personal interests, but I promise, I am also right. At its most basic, you will learn something. Museums are made to educate people and by just being there, you will be exposed to timeless and relevant creations. Explore whatever time period interests you, for however long. That is my favorite part about museums: the choice of how and where to spend your time. So, especially if you’ve made it all the way to the end of this article (I appreciate you very much), pick a museum and visit. Learn something that interests you, not for a grade but out of curiosity.
