Los Angeles Art Road — From the Getty Center to LACMA

At a Glance

Los Angeles doesn't look like a "museum city" at first, but within a 20-km radius it holds one of the deepest museum clusters on the US West Coast. This is a two-day plan around the Getty Center, LACMA, The Broad, and MOCA.

Day 1 — Getty on the Hill, then Fairfax

Start at the Getty Center: Richard Meier's 1997 white-travertine campus, with free admission (parking $25) and a required tram ride up the hill that is itself part of the architecture. Strengths include 19th-century European painting—Van Gogh's Irises, Monet, Cézanne, Turner—and the Robert Irwin Central Garden. In the afternoon, drive to LACMA on Fairfax. Peter Zumthor's new building is opening in phases. Chris Burden's Urban Light at the entrance is the city's photo signature; stay for dusk when the 202 vintage lamps turn on.

Day 2 — Downtown's Contemporary Axis

• The Broad — Eli and Edythe Broad's collection, free by reservation. Koons, Basquiat, Murakami, Warhol; Kusama's Infinity Room books separately.
• MOCA Grand Avenue — Isozaki's postmodern main building, postwar American art.
• Geffen Contemporary at MOCA — Gehry's Little Tokyo warehouse conversion, ideal for large installations.
• Walt Disney Concert Hall (exterior) — Frank Gehry.

Getting Around

Plan on renting a car or using Uber/Lyft. Getty → LACMA is about 25 minutes; Downtown is walk plus Metro. The Getty opens until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays—combine sunset and night views. Urban Light is free but crowded around dusk; mornings are quieter. For lunch, Grand Central Market fits naturally into the Downtown loop.