Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to one of the widest ranging collections of both old and new works anywhere in the world, and is located within the cultural oasis that is the Wilshire Boulevard. The LACMA, as it is known, encompasses a vast 20-acre building complex. There are more than 100,000 objects contained within the museum’s galleries, with huge canvases and gilt-framed pictures alongside sculptures, prints, photography, costumes and textiles.The works contained in the LACMA have been separated into different curatorial divisions, including collections of Japanese art, Islamic art, art of the ancient Americas, Egyptian art and modern and contemporary art. Spending time in LACMA really does offer visitors a welcome break from the fast-paced existence synonymous with LA living.Since 2004, the museum has been undergoing a vast expansion and renovation, known as ‘the Transformation’. This involves a complete redesign of the public areas and gardens which surround the museum, as well as adding extra exhibition space and buildings. The most notable addition is the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, a 5,600-square-metre testimony to the works of post Second World War artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.The Los Angeles County Museum of Art also does everything it can to involve its younger visitors. There is a variety of activities especially for children, with regular art classes being held alongside special exhibits.Live music is also very much part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art experience. Every Friday evening the museum hosts jazz sessions, and classical music can be witnessed in the museum’s Bing Theater every Sunday.The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is 11 kilometres west of downtown Los Angeles. The museum is open six days a week, excluding Wednesdays. There is paid parking available which is suitably located for museum access at the Pritzker Parking Garage nearby on Sixth Street.