New Year’s Resolutions: See More, Do More, Be More, Save More at L.A.’s Free Museums

Sink your teeth into the always fascinating Page Museum, La Brea Tarpits.

While the recession lingers, you may not be flush with dollars, but that’s no excuse to deprive yourself culturally, historically, artistically, scientifically, or musically. Los Angeles’ myriad museums offer free monthly or weekly visits. And some are free to visitors year-round.

LaVerneOnline provides a list below, but please check websites just in case changes occur.

Share with us how your visit went!

Monthly Free Museum Days

Page Museum, La Brea Tarpits (http://www.tarpits.org/) First Tuesday
Natural History Museum (http://www.nhm.org/site/) First Tuesday
Huntington Library (http://www.huntington.org/) First Thursday, tickets required
Norton Simon Museum (http://www.nortonsimon.org/) First Friday, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
Pasadena Museum of California Art (http://pmcaonline.org/) First Friday
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (http://www.lacma.org/) Second Tuesday
Gene Autry Center (http://theautry.org/) Second Tuesday
Los Angeles County Arboretum (http://www.arboretum.org/) Third Tuesday
Japanese American National Museum (http://www.janm.org/) Third Thursday and Target FREE Saturdays, check website for dates.
Pacific Asia Museum (http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/) Fourth Friday
Kidspace Children’s Museum (http://www.kidspacemuseum.org/site/) First Tuesday
La Habra Children’s Museum (http://www.lahabracity.com/section.cfm?id=99) First Saturday
Bowers Museum (http://www.bowers.org/) First Sunday

Weekly Free Museum Days

Museum of Contemporary Art (http://www.moca.org/) (MOCA Grand Ave., Thursday 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

MOCA Geffen Contemporary (http://www.moca.org/) Thursday 5 p.m.-8 p.m.)
Skirball Cultural Center (http://www.skirball.org/) Thursday
UCLA Hammer Museum (http://hammer.ucla.edu/) Thursday
Long Beach Museum of Art (http://www.lbma.org/)

Museum of Latin American Art (http://www.molaa.com/) Friday
Japanese American National Museum (http://www.janm.org/) Thursday, from 5 p.m. – 8  p.m.

Year-Round Free

California African American Museum (http://www.caamuseum.org/)

California Science Center (http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/)

Olvera Street (http://www.elpueblo.lacity.org/)

Fowler Museum of Cultural History (http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/)

The Getty Center (http://www.getty.edu/) $15 parking

The Getty Villa (http://www.getty.edu/visit/index.html) Timed ticket required, $15 parking
Griffith Observatory (http://www.griffithobservatory.org/)

Hollywood Bowl Museum (http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/visit/museum.cfm)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (http://www.lacma.org/) free with NextGen enrollment
Los Angeles Maritime Museum (http://www.lamaritimemuseum.org/)

MOCA Pacific Design Center (http://www.moca.org/museum/moca_pdc.php?)

Santa Monica Museum of Art (http://smmoa.org/index.php/home/display) Suggested $5 donation
Travel Town Museum (http://www.laparks.org/grifmet/tt/index.htm)

Walt Disney Concert Hall (http://www.musiccenter.org/visit/tours.html)