While looking up art museums in Long Beach, the first that caught my eye was the Museum of Latin…read moreAmerican Art (MOLAA), but LBMA Downtown was the second that caught my eye since it wasn't too far from MOLAA.
While I don't have a keen interest in the arts, I do appreciate good artwork shown around the city. You won't find great artwork here compared to MOLAA, but the free admission does make it worth stopping by if only for a few minutes.
You can find this museum on the southwest corner of 3rd and Elm. This is *not* to be confused with LBMA, minus the Downtown. LBMA is on Ocean Blvd, and the lone staff member inside the museum was happy enough to tell me more about that museum. He was roaming about the floor before my arrival, but after my arrival, he sat at the front table with some flyers advertising their featured artists. He handed me a couple of them as well as a pin of one of these artists.
The second floor was closed off to visitors, so I only had access to the first floor. And the first floor wasn't even a whole lot that I felt silly about asking if there was even a map for the museum. For such a small size, a map would have been of minimal use, and if the exhibitions change every now and then, it certainly wouldn't be of any use after the fact!
I thought the artwork here paled in comparison to the ones at MOLAA, where general admission is $15, so you definitely want to keep in mind the tradeoff. Quantity wise, there is also less, but on the flip side, I can see a special event happening here with an abundance of floor space that could be used for serving wine and food. Maybe throw in a mariachi band as well for a more festive atmosphere? lol
There are restrooms in the rear of the museum as well as a water fountain. The women's restroom door was initially open, and I saw a portrait inside that I *almost* walked in thinking it was another gallery!
In regards to parking, I parked at one of the City Place parking garages that provide 2 hours of free parking. There are three garages that are located about 2-3 blocks west of the museum. I parked in Lot B, but Lot C is a little closer to the museum. Otherwise, your best bet would be metered parking if you really don't want to walk that far.
LBMA Downtown is definitely not the most interesting museum in Long Beach, and it's definitely not worth visiting if you have to pay even just $5 to see just a few pieces of artwork. But if you happen to be in the area and can afford a few minutes before your parking timer expires, then it's worth stopping by to see what they have inside. Based on what the staff member told me about LBMA on Ocean Blvd, I think it's fair to say LBMA Downtown could be a nice preview of what LBMA has in store without having to pay the general admission fee at LBMA.