Free Admission to Over 30 Southern California Museums on March 23

Free Admission to Over 30 Southern California Museums on March 23
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire and Fairfax during the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences unveiling ceremony, in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 2018. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)
3/8/2024
Updated:
3/23/2024
Over 30 museums in Southern California will offer free general admission to the public on March 23, dubbed the Annual Free-for-All.

SoCal Museums, a group of marketing and communication museum employees, organizes the promotion every year. Free admission does not include special exhibits and events, nor parking fees, and some museums require reservations.

Many of the museums offer free admission in general, or on particular days or times. The SoCal Museums website shows which museums offer free admission on other days and times.
The participating museums are listed below by region, except for the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, which will offer free admission on Sunday, not Saturday.

Pasadena

Armory Center for the Arts

145 N Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Open Fridays 2 to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is always free.
A statue of Gene Autry and his horse Champion are displayed at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California. (Kilmer Media/Shutterstock)
A statue of Gene Autry and his horse Champion are displayed at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California. (Kilmer Media/Shutterstock)

Griffith Park and Glendale

Autry Museum of the American West

Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles. Located across from the Los Angeles Zoo. Open Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. Reservations are required and limited. Visit theautry.org to make a reservation.

Forest Lawn Museum

1712 S Glendale Ave., Glendale. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free.

Los Angeles

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Wednesday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Advance reservations are encouraged. Visit academymuseum.org to make a reservation.

The Broad

221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission is always free. Timed reservations are required in advance. Visit thebroad.org to make a reservation.

California Science Center

700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission to permanent galleries is free and does not require a reservation. Timed tickets are required for the IMAX Theater and special exhibits. Visit columbiaspacescience.org for more information.
A space capsule is placed on exhibit at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2013. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
A space capsule is placed on exhibit at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2013. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Columbia Memorial Space Center

12400 Columbia Way, Downey. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Craft Contemporary

5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Holocaust Museum LA

100 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free on Sundays. Reservations required. Visit holocaustmuseumla.org

Institute of Contemporary Art, LA

1717 E 7th St., Los Angeles. Open Wednesday 12 to 6 p.m., Thursday 12 to 7 p.m., Friday 12 to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 to 6 p.m. Admission is always free.

Long Beach and Carson

Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum

1250 N Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and second Saturdays of the month in March and April 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is always free.

International Printing Museum

315 W Torrance Blvd., Carson. Open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Japanese American National Museum

100 N Central Ave., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Advance tickets strongly recommended. Visit janm.org to make a reservation.
Models at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, illustrate how prehistoric animals became stuck in the tarry lakes. (Photo courtesy of Bill Neely)
Models at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, illustrate how prehistoric animals became stuck in the tarry lakes. (Photo courtesy of Bill Neely)

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Monday to Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Advance tickets encouraged. Visit tarpits.org to make a reservation. Free admission for Los Angeles County residents from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday onsite only.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

LA Plaza, 501 N Main St., Los Angeles. Open Wednesday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free Admission.
LA Plaza Cocina, 555 N Spring St., Los Angeles. Open Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Advance tickets are required. Visit lacma.org to make a reservation. Tickets are free for members and children, and after 3 p.m. Monday to Friday for residents of Los Angeles County with valid ID.

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

250 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission is free, except for special exhibits, but advance tickets are recommended. Visit moca.org to make a reservation.

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

152 N Central Ave., Los Angeles. Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. Open Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Santa Monica

Cayton Children’s Museum

395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 374, Santa Monica. Located on Level 3. Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advance reservations are required. Visit caytonmuseum.org to make a reservation.

Santa Monica History Museum

1350 7th St., Santa Monica. Open Thursday 2–5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. First Sunday of the month is free admission. Museum admission is always free for members, children under 17, seniors over 65, students, active duty military and veterans, and SNAP/EBT cardholders. Visit santamonicahistory.org to make a reservation.

The Westside

Wende Museum

10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City. Located in the arts and culture corridor near the intersection of Culver Blvd. and Overland Ave. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free for all exhibitions and public programs.
One of the many buildings of the Getty Center museum stands near the gardens in Los Angeles on July 10, 2014. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
One of the many buildings of the Getty Center museum stands near the gardens in Los Angeles on July 10, 2014. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The Getty Center

1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday to Friday, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is always free, but timed tickets are required. Visit getty.edu to make a reservation.

Skirball Cultural Center

2701 N Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advance tickets strongly recommended. Visit skirball.org to make a reservation. Free for members and children under 2, and free to all on Thursdays.

Fowler Museum at UCLA

308 Charles E Young Dr. N, Los Angeles. Open Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free.

Hammer Museum

10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is always free.

Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum

610 Lairport St., El Segundo. Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pomona and Claremont

American Museum of Ceramic Art

399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. Visit amoca.org for more information.

Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College

120 W Bonita Ave., Claremont. Open Wednesday to Sunday 12–6 p.m. All exhibitions and events at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College are free and open to the public.

California Botanic Garden

‍1500 N College Ave., Claremont. Open Tuesday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit calbg.org

Malibu and Pacific Palisades

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University. 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Getty Villa

17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free, but reservations are required. Visit getty.edu to make a timed-entry reservation.

GRAMMY Museum

800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles. Open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Guests visit Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 30, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
Guests visit Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 30, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Orange County

Bowers Museum

2002 N Main St., Santa Ana. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laguna Art Museum

307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Orange County Museum of Art

3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. Located on the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus. Open Wednesday to Sunday
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ventura County

Museum of Ventura County

100 E Main St., Ventura. Open Thursday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Inland Empire

Lincoln Memorial Shrine

125 W Vine St., Redlands. Open Tuesday to Sunday 1–5 p.m.

Catalina Island

Catalina Museum for Art & History

217 Metropole Ave., Avalon. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Always free for children.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

1130 State St., Santa Barbara. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Open Wednesday to Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advance reservations encouraged. Sea Center not included. Visit sbnature.org for more information.
Gina Sanchez, a licensed acupuncturist, received a BA from UC Santa Cruz and a MSOM from Samra University of Oriental Medicine.