LACMA Collection
Permanent
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
A Los Angeles museum where art, architecture, cinema, city light, and cultural diversity meet. LACMA is not just the biggest art museum in the western United States — it is one of the places where LA tells its story through images.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art — LACMA is located on Wilshire Boulevard, in the cultural heart of Los Angeles, next to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Row. Its collection spans around 6,000 years of art, connecting ancient objects, European painting, Islamic art, Latin American art, Asian art, modernism, photography, design, and contemporary practices.
In 2026, LACMA entered a major new chapter with the opening of the David Geffen Galleries, designed by Peter Zumthor with SOM. This new permanent-collection building spans Wilshire Boulevard and creates a more fluid, cross-cultural way of experiencing the museum’s collection.
And before you even enter, LACMA gives you one of LA’s most iconic art encounters: Urban Light by Chris Burden — the glowing forest of street lamps that has become a symbol of the city.
What you’ll see here
At LACMA, the experience is not only about masterpieces. It is about moving through cultures, times, materials, and ideas in a very Los Angeles way: open, cinematic, diverse, and sometimes unexpected.
You may experience:
- Global art from antiquity to today
- Modern and contemporary art
- Photography, design, textiles, fashion, and film-related exhibitions
- Outdoor installations like Urban Light
- The new David Geffen Galleries and their non-linear approach to art history
- A campus that connects museum, street, park, architecture, and public life
The best way to enjoy LACMA is to give yourself at least 2–3 hours. Start outside with Urban Light, then enter the museum and let the galleries guide you through unexpected connections rather than a strict chronological route.
LACMA is generally open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 to 18:00, Friday until 20:00, and Saturday–Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00; Wednesday is closed. Timed-entry tickets are recommended.
Artlovers Tip: don’t try to “complete” LACMA. Choose a theme — light, bodies, Los Angeles, ancient worlds, photography, or modern icons — and follow it. The museum is more powerful when you experience it like a city, not a checklist.
Worth the trip
Yes — LACMA is one of the strongest art reasons to travel to Los Angeles.
What makes it special is the way it reflects the city itself. It is encyclopedic, but not old-fashioned; global, but deeply local; monumental, but connected to street life, film culture, design, and public space.
ArtLovers Tip
For Artlovers, LACMA is worth the trip because it turns art history into an LA experience: sunlight, architecture, traffic, cinema, outdoor sculpture, cultural mixing, and the feeling that the museum is still being reinvented in real time.
On show now
Exhibitions at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
From the collection
Collection at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (1)
Keep exploring
Travelling to Los Angeles?
Join our community of art enthusiasts and discover the best exhibitions and museums in Los Angeles. Get personalized recommendations and never miss a must-see show again.
Join us