Los Angeles · LOS ANGELES MUSEUMS AND GETTY TOURS

The 15 Best Museum Visits in Los Angeles

24 tours  ·  from $15

A tar pit full of mammoths, a hilltop art museum with a tram, a battleship and the finest car collection in the country. The 15 below cover entry tickets and guided visits, with prices and which ones need timed entry.

Los Angeles: Petersen Automotive Museum Entry & Vault Access - The Vault changes the mood
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: Petersen Automotive Museum Entry & Vault Access

1.Petersen Automotive Museum Entry & Vault Access

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 264 reviews · 1 day · from $51Our pick

Tour 25 galleries across three floors, then spend 90 minutes in the Petersen Vault with 250 rare vehicles. Your ticket includes museum entry, self-guided Vault access, and a QR-code audio tour. The experience is self-paced, wheelchair accessible, and best for visitors age 10 and up.

“Fantastic. I go 3X a year. We would like to see a display titled "When Cars Were Art.> Very good restaurant.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: Battleship Iowa Museum Ticket - The forward deck and the ship’s enormous guns
Los Angeles Attraction Passes and Tickets, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: Battleship Iowa Museum Ticket

2.Battleship Iowa Museum Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 249 reviews · 1 day · from $29

Walk the decks of Battleship Iowa in San Pedro on a self-guided visit. See the captain’s cabin, Roosevelt’s custom bathtub, armored flag bridge, huge gun turrets, and sailor spaces. Use the free Vicky the Dog scavenger hunt, bring headphones, and expect ladders and narrow passages.

“My wife and I took our Son (11) and Three daughters (10, 7, 5) and all of them loved it. The younger girls sought out Vicky and my son is a WWII history buff and could not have been happier had we had Disneyland to ourselves. We enjoyed the self-guided tour and were proud to be Americans. What an amazing piece of history!”

Check availability →Read our full review

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Admission Ticket with Excavator Tour - Walk through the Pleistocene Gardens
Los Angeles Attraction Passes and Tickets, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Admission Ticket with Excavator Tour

3.La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Admission Ticket with Excavator Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 193 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18

Use your mobile ticket to explore the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum for about two hours. See mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and ground sloths, watch paleontologists at work, and join the included Excavator Tour covering Project 23, the Fossil Lab, and the Observation Pit. Check tour times before visiting.

“Overall, the experience was fine, but you sold us a ticket for a tour on a date when they were not offering tours because it was the holiday, and all of the staff was off that provides the tours. You might want to double check with the activities that you’re offering to make sure what you’re offering is even available on the dates you’re offering it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour - Starting at the Original Farmers Market
Griffith Observatory Tours, Guided, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

4.Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 185 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $172Top rated

Spend six hours exploring Los Angeles with a private guide, from the Original Farmers Market and Getty Center to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Griffith Park, and Griffith Observatory. Guides such as Brian, Matt, Gregory, and Estevan bring local stories, art, film lore, and city views to life.

“The tour was amazing and the tour guide Matt was awesome! Great experience, I do wish the Getty Museum tour was longer. Thank you for an amazing experience :)”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: La Brea Tar Pits Museum Ticket - Starting outdoors at the bubbling tar pits
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: La Brea Tar Pits Museum Ticket

5.La Brea Tar Pits Museum Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 137 reviews · 1 day · from $18

Spend a day at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, where mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and dire wolves emerge from an active urban fossil site. Walk through Pit 91, see tar bubbling outdoors, visit the Fossil Lab, and explore the Pleistocene Gardens. General admission is $18 per person.

“The La Brea Tar Pits is a worthwhile educational trip that explains how ancient creatures fell victim to the tar pits, has many skeletons on display, and is a site still being actively excavated.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Hollywood: Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting - Wax figures and devices of punishment
Hollywood Tours, Los Angeles Ghost and Haunted Tours, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Hollywood Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting

6.Hollywood Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 133 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $31

Walk through Hollywood’s Medieval Torture Museum at your own pace with an English or Spanish audio guide. See historic torture and execution devices from Europe, Asia, and America, then use a ghost-hunting app. Plan on 45 to 90 minutes, though a fast visit may take less.

“Super cheesy, waste of money. It’s 3 to 4 rooms and it only took us 20 minutes to get through the whole thing. Definitely not worth 30 bucks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Admission - The Gem and Mineral Hall adds sparkle without losing substance
Historical Tours, Los Angeles Attraction Passes and Tickets, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tour Reviews

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Admission

7.Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $18

Spend about three hours exploring LA’s Natural History Museum with mobile admission. See the Dinosaur Hall, 300-plus fossils, mammoth and whale skeletons, glittering minerals, native wildlife, Nature Gardens, and Becoming Los Angeles. Add Dinosaur Encounters or the temporary cat exhibit on site.

“We had a fun time at the Natural History Museum. Totally worth a visit. We were a bit shocked by the steep $20 parking fee, but public parking is super limited in the area. Overall, I would visit again, it was nice to get view all the exhibits.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: Grammy Museum Entry Ticket - Sonic Playground turns the second floor into a music lab
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: Grammy Museum Entry Ticket

8.Grammy Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 105 reviews · 1 day · from $22

Use a reserved one-day ticket to explore the GRAMMY Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. Play with beat machines, microphones, and sound technology in Sonic Playground, revisit award-show moments, see music memorabilia, and check current displays such as Luther Vandross: Artistry and Elegance.

“it was nice, although, I expected the museum to be larger.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket - Starting at the Winkler Welcome Center
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Photography Sessions, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket

9.Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 84 reviews · from $25

Spend a full day at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with access to three core levels, Stories of Cinema, special galleries, a temporary Level 4 exhibition, and the Dolby Family Terrace. Add Fanny’s restaurant, the Museum Store, and optional paid experiences to your visit.

“Loved all the exhibits..very well planned and executed..”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: Getty Center Guided Tour - Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and the art inside
Guided, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Los Angeles: Getty Center Guided Tour

10.Getty Center Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 57 reviews · 90 minutes - 2 hours

Explore the Getty Center with a private art historian such as Ellen Greenberg or Sasha. Choose a 90-minute highlights tour, a deeper two-hour visit, or a kid-focused hour with games, art materials, a badge, and a gift. Admission is included for groups of up to six.

“Our experience with Sasha was a 20 on a scale of 1-10! She was knowledgeable and very engaging. We learned a lot and fell fortunate that she was our tour guide. Thank you!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures - Permanent galleries with films, objects, and displays
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Photography Sessions, Tour Reviews

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

11.Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 47 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.)

Spend 2 to 3 hours exploring the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. See Oscar artifacts, film displays, temporary exhibitions, video programs, theaters, Fanny’s restaurant, the museum store, and Hollywood Hills views from the Dolby Family Terrace.

“This was an excellent experience. Very easy to use. Very user friendly. I will use you again. !!!!!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Hollywood: Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting - Wax figures and devices of punishment
Hollywood Tours, Los Angeles Ghost and Haunted Tours, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Hollywood: Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting

12.Hollywood: Medieval Torture Museum Ticket with Ghost Hunting

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 35 reviews · 365 days · from $31

At Los Angeles’ 7,000-square-foot Medieval Torture Museum, you’ll follow an English or Spanish audio guide past wax scenes and historic torture, restraint, and execution devices. Use your charged smartphone and headphones for the included ghost-hunting activity, then explore at your own pace.

“The .Museum had a lot of interesting things to look at. However for the price the bathrooms were disgusting! No toilet paper and filthy.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Demystifying Art at The Getty - 90 minutes - Starting at 1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Tour Reviews

Demystifying Art at The Getty – 90 minutes

13.Demystifying Art at The Getty – 90 minutes

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Explore the Getty Center with private guides such as Ellen Greenberg or Sasha, who connect European art, John Paul Getty’s story, and the museum’s architecture. The 90-minute English tour suits families, first-time visitors, and anyone who wants clear context without wandering through the collection alone.

“The Getty museum was so huge and could have been overwhelming. Ellen's private tour gave us an overview of each of the art periods and then pointed us to the most significant pieces of art. She made the tour interesting and conversational. We learned a lot and had a great time. Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Los Angeles: Holocaust Museum LA Admission Ticket - The museum’s historical journey
Los Angeles Attraction Passes and Tickets, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Los Angeles: Holocaust Museum LA Admission Ticket

14.Holocaust Museum LA Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 30 reviews · from $15Best value

Visit Holocaust Museum LA in Pan Pacific Park for a survivor-founded account of the Holocaust. Use the English or Spanish audio tour narrated by Mayim Bialik, view rare artifacts, and speak with a holographic survivor. Free docent tours run weekends at 1:30 PM.

“It was so moving being there . It was my first time in the country and I was looking for activities to do for free. It was fascinating to see how the museum integrates the AI as part of the experience which leads you even to interact as in real life with one of the survivors asking her from simple to complex questions about what she went through. You can also see the exhibitions in the way you want, always listening a tour guide from the app you download and you get free wifi. I wish I had stayed longer to see it in more detail.”

Check availability →Read our full review

LA: Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour - Two hours at the Getty Center
Griffith Observatory Tours, Guided, Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours

LA: Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

15.Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 23 reviews · from $480

Spend six hours with a private English-speaking guide at the Getty Center and Griffith Observatory, linked by a narrated drive through Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, and Hollywood. Guides such as Gregory and Bryan add local stories, while free time lets you explore at your own pace.

“Our tour guide Gregory was knowledgeable, entertaining, and funny! He made the tour so enjoyable. Our bus driver Tony got us to each destination safely and he was friendly as well. Wonderful sights at Getty and Griffith. Loved it!”

Check availability →Read our full review

New in Los Angeles Museums and Getty Tours

★ 5.0Getty Center Tours for KIDS and FAMILIES!5 reviews
★ 5.0LA Icons Full-Day Tour: Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, Getty CenterFrom $12010 reviews
★ 5.0Museum Row Tour The Fast & The Fossilized on WilshireFrom $345 reviews

Keep browsing

Food & Drink17Wine Tours15Museums13Walking Tours35
Scroll to Top

Explore Los Angeles

Pick a neighbourhood, a set of wheels or a stretch of sand.

Hollywood

Hollywood ToursThe Hollywood SignCelebrity HomesWarner Bros LotUniversal Studios

On wheels

City Bus ToursOpen-Air BusesHop-On Hop-OffBikes and E-BikesSupercar Drives

On the coast

Santa MonicaVenice BeachSurf LessonsMarina CruisesWhale Watching

Out of the car

Downtown on FootWalking ToursCanyon HikesMuseumsFood Tours