As of spring 2026, the LA County Museum of Art has officially opened its long-awaited expansion – the amoeba-shaped David Geffen Galleries – which now grandly exhibit one of the region’s most impressive collections of classical, modern, and contemporary art. Spanning both the globe and hundreds of years of history, LACMA’s new galleries use naturally lit, city-adjacent corridors and enclosed spaces to display paintings, sculptures, textiles, furniture and interior design elements, as well as live performance art and even a classic Studebaker. A ghostlike partial replica of a South Korean temple, made from polyester and structural framing, is just one of many highlights of the museum’s collection, now loosely organized by oceanic regions of the world in a manner intended to inspire relaxed wandering rather than structured exploration.
Outdoors, LACMA’s permanent installations include an iconic collection of lampposts, distinctive zodiac sculptures, and the plant-covered Jeff Koons sculpture Split-Rocker; prior permanent and rotating galleries include abstract paintings, a gigantic model of a city with moving vehicles, Barbara Kruger/Orwellian messaging, exhibitions of Asian and Middle Eastern cultural objects and antiquities, and multiple explorations of perceptions of Southern California, doomsday scenarios, and the future. We think of the new LACMA as a distilled, downtown LA version of The Getty Center – certainly worth a visit, with at least three (likely four-plus) hours worth of exhibits plus a nice new store to explore.
While LA residents enjoy $25 access to LACMA (and free admission days), OC residents and tourists from elsewhere outside the city typically pay $30 per ticket. Erewhon at LACMA, a cafe distilled from the recently famous Erewhon Market chain, offers its viral smoothies alongside pastries, coffee, tea, and merch. Parking is available at an adjacent lot for $23, or can be shared with the walkably close Petersen Museum, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and La Brea Tar Pits, all of which can be seen in a day together.
