In 1920, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened.
Located on Wilshire Blvd. in the Miracle Mile area in Los Angeles, right next to La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States and has over 150,000 works that go as far back as ancient times to the present.
I have been to this museum several times and I can tell you that it’s a big museum that if you really want to thoroughly enjoy it, you can find yourself staying for several days.
But if you want to enjoy it in a weekend or a day, but first, I recommend if you haven’t visited the area, definitely go to the La Brea Tar Pits. As it is the first place that will be open earlier in that direct vicinity and you can get your parking to the area quickly and easily.
Also, it’s something that doesn’t take too long, so you can spend some time at this location before walking to LACMA.
LACMA opens at 11 a.m. – 5 p.. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday at 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on the weekends, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They are closed on Wednesdays and on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
While at LACMA, the one day pass to the galleries except the Rain Room is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and free for children 17 and under.
If you live in Los Angeles, you receive free general admission after 3 p.m., every weekday.
If you want to support LACMA and want to get free admission (especially if you plan to visit multiple times), you can get a membership as individual memberships are $50, for two adults is $110, Student is $30, Friend is $250 and this allows you to also get into special event invitations, Supporter is $500 and you can take part in preview receptions, Avant-Garde is $1000 and you get the VIP museum experience, Partner is $1200 and Curator’s Circle s $2,5000-$10,000.
While I have not visited every major art museum around the world, LACMA is an art museum that I love visiting because they are offer so much and each time I do visit, there is something new and different to see.
But you also have certain paintings that captivate you, which for me is the “Portrait of Madame Paul Duchesne-Fournet, 1879” by Jean-Jacques Henner.
But there is one thing I do recommend and this may surprise many of you and that is, if you can go by yourself and appreciate the artwork, you may find it more rewarding than going with a group of friends, who many not appreciate art as much as you do.
For me, appreciating a painting, a sculpture, I can stand and look at something for almost 10-20 minutes as I try to read about the painting or sculpture. But I have a very small tolerance of being rushed. One time I went with family and for them, looking at a painting was one minute and then it was time to move on to the next painting and so forth, one minute dedication to appreciate a painting, that’s not enough time for me.
So, that is my big advice is that if you appreciate art, make sure you give yourself a good enough time to appreciate it and go with like-minded people, otherwise, visiting a painting or a room or section is going to go by quickly and for some people, that is cool. For me, if I’m going to be rushed by other people, I rather go alone, so I can dedicate myself enough time to appreciate the works of art.
If you appreciate art and culture, definitely visit Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
