Jazz at LACMA is a weekly summer must!…read more There's nothing like enjoying the cool evening air with smooth jazz at LACMA. Every Friday from May through September, live jazz fills the Smidt Welcome Plaza, with a new performer each week (check the website for upcoming acts and food truck/vendor lineups). We felt lucky to visit when Betty "Cool Miss B" Brown received the L.A. Jazz Treasure Award from the Los Angeles Jazz Society. Performances start at 6pm, but I highly recommend arriving at least an hour early, Bring your own food and drinks for a perfect picnic. The earlier you get there, the better chance of snagging a seat in the plaza; otherwise, there's plenty of lawn space and additional tables nearby. Food trucks and vendors are set up just behind the plaza. It was so much fun to see everyone relaxing, dancing, and simply enjoying the music. My son and I were vibing the whole time. Seeing him feel the music was a special memory that took me back to when I first discovered jazz. Definitely core memories unlocked. We can't wait for next week's event! (Just be aware parking is $24, but otherwise, we loved every moment of Jazz at LACMA.)

This is a limited review...first visit to LACMA since the opening of Zumthor's building, 5 months…read moreafter opening. We were there for the Fashioning Chinese Women exhibit @ BCAM, so did not enter the Geffen galleries. But we did want to get a drink at Erewhon on this 100+ degree day, visit the store, and also use the restrooms, all on the ground floor. I will defer a more thoughtful judgement on the merits of Zumthor's design, but it appears to me that, sadly, someone or possibly more than someone has ignored the Miesian dictum "God is in the details." There are several specific shortcomings in the new LACMA design and resulting experience, in no particular order: 1. Inadequate wayfinding signage and legible cues. Firstly, the site orientation map handed out at the ticket booth looks like it was drawn by an 8-year old (my apologies to 8-year olds) and is lacking in scale and specificity to be able to find the most direct route to ground floor destinations. There is not enough directional signage, and what there is, is too subtle to be obvious and thus useful. Unlike the pre-Zumthor LACMA, there are several staff stationed around the building to help direct people (not very helpfully), as well as freestanding signs, that are clearly afterthoughts. 2. While the plazas facing Wilshire are better than I expected, the other outdoor spaces are utterly bleak and soulless. They need to hurry up and figure out how to humanize those spaces. 3. Someone was not paying attention to workmanship in the restroom construction. Poorly masked painting, peeling paint at the restroom sink, toilet grab bars coming off the walls, and wobbly coat hook on the door, only 5 months after opening do not bode well for longevity. Was someone cutting corners for budget and or schedule? I can foresee excessive maintenance costs to keep things in a condition that befits such an important civic institution. Does this portend a higher rate of membership fee increases to fund necessary upkeep? Who is accountable to the membership and the taxpayers for such lack of oversight?

I had did some research before I stepped into this creative expression of fun collections. This…read moremuseum is definitely an art experience worth visiting with iconic figures and street art that paints Mr. Brainwash's (Thierry Guetta) main mantra for the museum, "Life Is Beautiful" which is dedicated to honoring imagination, joy, creativity and inspiration. It's his own work that is displayed but he also references artists work such as the famous Banksy and other artists. A friend told me that the documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop, is connected to this museum. I have yet to watch but will do so to gain more understanding. Apparently, it was free museum day because there were hosts at the door greeting and letting visitors in. That was nice. It wasn't too busy but a good crowd to where I had to wait for my turn to take photos. It's three levels including the rooftop where more artwork is held and a view overlooking Beverly Hills. They also have a gift shop with unique items for purchase. I bought a cutesy pen with an engraved quote on it. To add, I was instantly moved by the creativity and effort they put into this museum. It brought a lot of inspiration. The art work gave me ideas of how I would want a part of my home to look like. It was a fun visit and would recommend for anyone wanting to dig into their imagination and enjoys art. I am also a sucker for anything that brings out the inner child in me and this place fed it well. Thank you, Mr. Brainwash and staff. Ps. The museum might be closed now. Unsure if it's temporary or permanently but still wanted to share my experience. I visited it in January of this year.

My friends and I had fun here. It's free and you get two hours free parking across the street…read morewhere Crate and Barrel is... Great place to visit. There are 3 floors and it's kind of like a maze inside. Unfortunately, this museum is closing January 6, 2026. Visit if you can! There is a lot to see and take pictures of... The art is like an Impressionist and pop culture fusion!

Wish it was possible to add 1/2 stars since I'd rate this museum 4 1/2 stars for the beauty of its…read morespace - especially the landscaped gardens-and the staff who are super friendly and helpful to visitors. On my first visit, the Culver City Book Fair was occupying the back garden space and it was a lot fun to walk through browsing through books and chatting to publishers. The museum itself was a hodge podge of Cold War artifacts (statues, Soviet books, assorted items like cameras and recording machines and mementoes) displayed along with art on the walls. Local California-artists are sometimes represented with their photographs and painting also taking up space during some of their special exhibits, as the curators try to align the theme of communism with left-wing ideas of social justice and racial discrimnation. Beyond the art on the walls, however, and far more interesting, are LOTS of special events and regular programs like (free) yoga, meditation, lectures/talks, amazing jazz music on certain evenings. The museum sends out a newsletter monthly listing all the upcoming events. All in all a fantastic (cost-free) resource for the Culver City community and for the Westside of LA in general.

The Wende Museum is a free attraction in Culver City that uniquely offers an Eastern perspective on…read morethe Cold War that is not often represented in other US museums or in the typical classroom. It captures the viewpoints of those who lives under communist and socialist regimes. To be honest... it was one of the more boring museums I've been to. As someone who enjoys most museums, I was still really bored here. Nevertheless I know it's important to capture history and all points of views. There is also a small garden that connects an event center to the museum. There was an event on the day we came, but I'm not sure what the event was. Overall the museum is on the smaller side. You can probably walk through the entire floor in under an hour. Take a glance if you're in the area and looking to kill time, but I don't think you need to go out of your way for this place.

Basically, it's a little museum spoofing on small, specialized (and pompous) museums, including the…read moresensory experience: designing it to be stale, musty, hot, dark and some of the signage and displays deteriorating. Some of the content is even made up. Unless snark is really your thing, it's best to make reservations on a low-traffic day, in cool weather, enjoy the joke, and cross it off your bucket list.

Before I visited The Museum of Jurassic Technology last week, I had almost no idea what to expect…read more Friends who had visited it said that it was quirky and hard to describe. They were right on both counts, but I'll try to do better for you. It's very dark inside, with small, maze-like rooms. In fact, it's so dark that some of the exhibit descriptions are hard to read. I wish I'd taken the guy at the front desk up on his offer to borrow a penlight. Some of the audio exhibits didn't work, but that didn't matter a lot, since most of the exhibits were meant to be read. Here are some of the exhibits that stood out to me: - I loved learning about the geometry of Islamic architecture. - The dioramas depicting trailers and RV's were pretty cool, as were the historical description. - Those poor but heroic Soviet space dogs! - Historical superstitions. Perhaps that's why I have a picture of my grandfather as a toddler in a dress! - The bell wheel. Wow. I told my husband we need to make one. - Too bad no photos are allowed in the museum. I would have loved to take some pics of the doves in the tea room so I could paint them at home. - Look through the microscopes and try to figure out how they did that! It's a unique place and I look forward to taking some of my nerdier relatives there sometime.

I have been here many times before to check out the art installations. Admission to the museum and…read morethe parking lot is free. Get the tickets online. They have a parking lot, and the security guard will let you in once you let them know your purpose. The security guards at the gate and inside the building are very nice. Some of the art installations are really cool based on what you are interested in.

This is probably one of the best contemporary art museums I've ever been to. The staff is…read moreabsolutely amazing. They are all incredibly informative, welcoming, and so very professional. The exhibits were so interesting and the flow of the museum is so unique in itself. I'll definitely be back for another visit.

This is probably the most unique place I've ever visited in Southern California. Three of our…read moredocents were actual workers on the castle, so we got an inside view of its origins. I'll never forget the experience and highly recommend that you make it a priority to visit. When a person has a vision and spends 25 years fulfilling it with hundreds of friends and neighbors, you have a masterpiece! Go as soon as you can!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

L A M P Many lamps…read moreand different styles. It can get crowded here and it's just a bunch of lamps next to a busy street but it's a LA destination staple and place for some fun photos. Not much else to say since it's a public display. There was one security guard there when I visited so that's nice but aside from that, what you see is what you get. Just remember to be respectful to the work and others. It's for the public

Urban Light at LACMA is one of those iconic LA tourist spots that's worth checking out at least…read moreonce, especially if you're on a date with your partner. I took my wife, and overall it was... okay. The biggest downside? The crowds. It was packed, making it almost impossible to get a clean photo without strangers walking through the frame or ending up in the background. Thank goodness for Samsung's AI photo editing--it saved a lot of our pictures. Parking was another headache. It took us a while to find a spot, and then we still had to walk over to Urban Light. After taking a few photos and spending a little time looking around, we were pretty much done and headed out for dessert. Overall, it's a nice place to visit once, but I probably wouldn't go back. And maybe it's just me, but I couldn't help thinking it's kind of a waste of electricity to keep all those lights on throughout the entire night.

A free museum! You can get timed entry to Yayoi Kusama's infinity mirrored room if you book an…read moreentry ticket online that includes the infinity room. The infinity room is a room of mirrors and lights that changes colors so it looks like an endless...infinity. If you're not able to get into the infinity room you can still see Kusama's mirrored box, Longing for Eternity. The Broad is a great way to spend a few hours enjoying art.

I would give it a 5/5, but it's very small, so I'm giving it a 4/5…read more That being said, the collection is absolutely outstanding; like, billions of dollars worth of art! There were so many incredible pieces, but the Murakami collection was my favorite. I also loved the Jeff Koons dog, and the huge table was such a fun piece to see! Outside, there are little ice cream and food vendors, which was a cute touch. They also had a fun little "wish on a tree" activity. The gift shop was pretty scarce, but honestly, that's understandable considering how many different artists they have to carry merchandise for. I did find some really cool Calder and Murakami merch, though! Overall, definitely worth visiting if you love art!