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swims amidst more than 1,500 live fish, kelp & other marine life found off the Southern California coast in the kelp tank at Ecosystems. (Leroy Hamilton, Photographer/California Science Center)
LA is home to some of the world's biggest, best, most well-known, and most important museums, as well as some lesser-known gems. The role of museums in providing an informal educational experience for children and adults alike is clear, but it often costs money to go to these museums. And even though the money almost always goes directly back into the museums' operations, if you love museums as much as we do, then you could make a pretty sizable dent in your bank account.
Luckily for us, most of the museums have certain days each week or each month when admission is absolutely one hundred percent free. The folks over at LAFreeBee.com have been kind enough to put all of that information in one handy list.
Here are our favorites. Leave us a note in the comments telling us which ones are yours!
Arboretum of Los Angeles County
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
(626) 821-3222
Free: 3rd Tuesday of the month, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
We wrote about the history of the Arboretum in our LAistory series.
California Science Center
700 State Drive. Los Angeles , 90037
(323) 724 - 3623
Free: Everyday!
Check out the temporary mummy exhibit this summer, or the new permanent Ecosystems exhibit, including a living kelp forest!
Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles , 90049
(310) 440 - 7300
Free: Everyday!
We wrote an (abbreviated) history of the Getty Museum last year.
Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino
(626) 405-2141
Free: 1st Thursday of the month, noon-4:30 p.m.
Check out these beautiful photos from the gardens.
L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA)
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
(323) 857-6000
Free: After 5 pm and free the second Tuesday of each month, General Admission & select exhibits
We've written about LACMA, and recently celebrated LACMA's 45th birthday.
Museum of Jurassic Technology
9341 Venice Blvd., Culver City
(310) 836-6131
Free: after 7:45 p.m. Thursday, after 5:45 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Museum of Television and Radio
465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills , 90210
(310) 786 - 1000
Free: Everyday!
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
(213) 763-3466
Free: 1st Tuesday of the month, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
We've written about this museum many times.
Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
(323) 934-7243
Free: 1st Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Check out our La Brea Tar Pits photo essay.
