los angeles museums Archives

Andell Family Sundays Making Ikebana Family Activity. PHOTOS BY MONICA OROZCO/ COURTESY LACMA

One of the only youth membership programs in the country, LACMA’s NexGenLA, commemorates its 20^th anniversary on Dec. 3 with a family-friendly celebration. The anniversary celebration will include a full day of all-ages activities, activations and workshops at the museum. NegGenLA members receive free admission and one guest.

NexGenLA is LACMA’s free membership for youth ages 17 and under who live in L.A. County. With over 225,000 members and counting, the program has offered L.A. kids and teens discounts to art classes, camps and programs in addition to free admission. All NexGen members are automatically enrolled until their 18^th birthday. Teens ages 13-18 can visit the museum by themselves, and since members can bring a guest for free, they can bring a friend.

The 20^th anniversary celebration on Dec. 3 kicks off at 11 a.m. with a story time and art workshop with Tia Chuchas’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, puppet walkarounds by Bob Baker Marionette, photo booth by Las Fotos Project, scavenger hunt, DJ sets and more. Other activations include a drawing cart, giveaways and Andell Family Sundays art workshops inspired by David Hockney’s “Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio,” a Plants as Sculpture mixed media workshop inspired by Robert Irwin’s “Primal Palm Garden” and an Ocean Inspiration workshop inspired by Maren Hassinger’s “Untitled (Sea Anemone).” Visitors can also sign up for NexGenLA memberships at the event.

NexGenLA 20th Aniversary Celebration is on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art is located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036. Open Thursday-Tuesday, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Wednesdays.

After a year of shutdowns, takeout and Zoom, we are so excited to see our city start to open back up with the many Los Angeles museums reopening this spring. As of March 15, Los Angeles County moved into the Red Tier, which means a wide range of indoor operations are allowed to resume under specific COVID-19 safety protocols.

Museums, movie theaters, zoos, aquariums, theme parks, and other family friendly businesses are starting to open their doors again, just in time for Angelenos to enjoy springtime. Although it feels like L.A. is getting back to normal, there are still rules you need to follow. We break down what you need to know to keep your family safe and still have fun at the museums and galleries, which have started to open to the public once again.

What you need to know

Mask up. Wearing a mask or face covering in public or common spaces is still required.
Keep your distance. Physical distancing of at least 6 feet between you and people not in your party is still required.
Limited capacity. Indoor dining, museums, zoos, aquariums, and movie theaters are allowed at 25% capacity.
Plan ahead. Most indoor operations require advance reservations to ensure 25% capacity.

Here is our running list of museums and galleries reopening that we can’t wait to visit. We will update this list as more information becomes available.

PetSpace opens their new Critter Corner to young visitors. PHOTO COURTESY WALLIS ANNENBERG PETSPACE

March reopenings

Peterson Automotive Museum – One of the world’s largest automotive museums reopened March 25 with new exhibits.

California African American Museum – The Exposition Park Museum, CAAM, welcomed back guests March 27 with new exhibits.

California Science Center – The Science Center adapted many of their exhibits for hand-free interaction for its reopening on March 27.

Autry Museum of the American West – The Autry Museum reopened March 30.

Wallis Annenberg PetSpace – Small, socially-distanced groups can reserve tickets for the “PetSpace Experience” as of March 31. The reopening includes activities for kids of all ages, visits to the Critter Corner, and a live Pet Encounter.

LACMA reopens to the public April 1. PHOTO COURTESY OF LACMA

April reopenings

Natural History Museum – Guests can reserve their tickets now for the Natural History Museum’s April 1 reopening, which will include two exhibitions: “Rise Up L.A.: A Century of Votes for Women” and “Spiky, Hairy, Shiny: Insects of L.A.”

LACMA – Previously postponed exhibits will make their debut to the public starting April 1, including “Cauleen Smith,” “Yoshitomo Nara,” “NOT I,” “Bill Viola,” “View From Here,” and “Vera Lutter.”

JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles – The gallery space welcomed back visitors April 5, with their NATURE/SUPERNATURE exhibition featuring over sixty Japanese woodblock prints. The museum and cultural space also launched a new online reservation system so small groups can easily reserve their complimentary tickets. Walk-ins are invited as space safely allows.

Southern California Children’s Museum – The play-based museum opens their indoor space for private and semi-private sessions starting April 6. The outdoor space is open now.

Huntington Art Galleries – Select galleries at The Huntington reopen April 17, including the debut of “Made in L.A. 2020: a version.” The gardens, store and café are open now.

Getty Villa – The Getty Villa Museum reopens April 21 just in time for visitors to enjoy the blooming gardens throughout the Malibu coastal property. Take in the antiquities galleries, Roman-inspired architecture, and the Getty’s latest exhibit, “Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins,” which features works from the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What you need to know

March reopenings

April reopenings

L.A. Parent