Get into L.A. County's Greatest Places for Free or a Reduced Price
- Jul 15
- 13 min read
Los Angeles County is full of amazing museums, gardens, and destinations. You, your residents, staff, and your kids can visit these places for free or for a reduced price.
Whatever their interests or ages, there is something for your family inside this brochure! Play in huge parks, explore exhibits, or check out one of LA County’s incredible museums!
How to visit for free or for a reduced price
Check dates when admission is free and for whom. At some destinations, admission may be free at all times for everyone.
Make sure you bring ID (California ID, military ID, proof you live in LA County, etc.).
If the Golden State Advantage Card (EBT Card) is necessary to get in for free, make sure you bring it, along with a California ID.
Many destinations are closed on holidays. Before visiting, call or visit the website for up-to-date information.
American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA)
Address: 399 N. Garey Ave
Pomona, CA 91767
Hours: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - 11 AM to 4 PM
First Fridays are pay-what-you-can. $3 admission for individuals and families presenting an EBT card and a valid photo ID. Rate applies to up to 4 individuals per EBT card. Additional free or low-cost family activities or workshops are offered frequently.
Phone: (909) 865-3146
Parking: Free parking lot
Public Transportation: Metrolink, Riverside Line, 2 blocks from Downtown Pomona Station
AMOCA houses five galleries with a rotating exhibition program that explore current issues, illustrate specific ceramic techniques, and/or showcase objects of historical significance. Age-appropriate tours, lectures, family days, and other education and outreach programs complement the exhibitions, and adjacent to the exhibition halls is a 12,000-square-foot ceramics studio, one of the largest in California, offering a range of classes in wheel throwing, hand building, and advanced techniques, along with multi-day workshops led by acclaimed ceramists.
ASU Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum (FIDM)
919 South Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Hours: Only open during exhibitions; Please consult the website to plan your visit.
Web: ASU FIDM Museum
Phone: N/A
Parking: Parking is available for $10 (credit or debit cards only) in the lot beneath the ASU California Center Grand building; the entrance is on 9th Street, just before Grand Avenue.
Public Transportation:
Metro Rail: Take the Red, Purple, Blue, or Expo Line to 7th Street/Metro Center Station (660 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017), located a short walk from the museum.
Discover the ASU FIDM Museum, home to a renowned collection spanning more than 400 years of fashion history. From Parisian haute couture and iconic film costumes to streetwear and rare accessories, the museum offers a dynamic view of fashion's evolving role in culture, identity, and design.
Autry Museum of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours: Tuesday– Friday - 10 AM to 4 PM; Saturday–Sunday - 10 AM to 5 PM; Closed Monday
Free admission for EBT cardholders: two adults and up to four children per card.
Phone: (323) 667-2000
Parking: FREE
Public Transportation: theautry.org/visit
Located in beautiful Griffith Park, the Autry features unique galleries filled with paintings, sculptures, film memorabilia, photographs, historic firearms, and so much more, all related to the American West. The Autry’s more than 600,000 pieces of art and cultural objects include one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American materials in the United States.
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
120 West Bonita Ave
Claremont, CA 91711
Hours: Thursday - 11 AM to 8 PM; Friday–Sunday - 11 AM to 6 PM; Closed Monday–Wednesday. Open during Fall and Spring exhibition seasons.
Free Admission
Phone: (909)-621-8283
Parking: Free parking available through the City of Claremont.
Public Transportation: The Metrolink train station in Claremont is three blocks from the museum. Take the San Bernardino line east from Union Station in Los Angeles, or west from San Bernardino.
Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, County of Los Angeles Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
1816 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Hours: 8 AM - 2 PM Monday - Friday
*Contact MVA for appointment
Free.
Phone: (213) 765-9227
Parking: Very limited parking available due to a small parking lot. Recommend carpooling if possible.
Public Transportation: The Metro Blue Line via Grand Avenue Station is not far. Bus transportation access is nearby.
We are a one-stop shop for veterans, specializing in claims and benefits assistance. We also have other veteran organizations in the facility, and we often host events for the military and veteran community.
California Botanic Garden
1500 N. College Ave
Claremont, CA 91711
Hours: Daily - 8 AM - closing time varies by season
FREE admission during normal operating hours for EBT cardholders.
Phone: (909) 625-8767
Parking: FREE parking on site.
Public Transportation: 1.3 miles from the Claremont Metrolink Train Station; Foothill Transit bus stops throughout Claremont.
California Botanic Garden is a living museum with curated collections of more than 22,000 California native plants, some of which are rare or endangered. Spread across 86 acres in Claremont, California, the Garden offers winding trails with views of the San Gabriel foothills framed by iconic California plants from Joshua Trees to fan palms to spectacular spring blooms of native wildflowers. CalBG also features a retail native plant nursery, an extensive conservation and restoration program, and the largest seed bank devoted to California native plants.
California Science Center
700 Exposition Park Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90037
Hours: Daily - 10 AM to 5 PM
General admission is FREE.
Web: California Science Center
Phone: (323) 724-3623
Parking: $20
Public Transportation: Exit the Metro Expo Line at the Expo Park/USC station.
Embark on a journey of science learning and fun for everyone as you explore interactive exhibits in our FREE galleries like Ecosystems, featuring live animals in living habitats, including a 188,000-gallon kelp forest tank. Complete your all-day science adventure by watching a film in our 7-story IMAX Theater! Experience worlds as small as an atom and as vast as the universe. (IMAX films and special exhibitions require paid tickets) Present your EBT card at our Box Office to save $2 on adult IMAX tickets and $1 on child IMAX tickets. Valid for up to 4 discounted tickets per household.
Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
1250 Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90840
Hours: Monday–Wednesday - 10 AM – 5 PM; Thursday - 10 AM - 7 PM; Closed Friday–Sunday
The Museum is open on select Second Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome! We’re always free and open to all.
Phone: (562)-985-5761
Parking: Street parking on Atherton St. Campus parking permits are available for purchase via the ParkMobile App.
Public Transportation: Long Beach Transit (LBT) lines 41, 45, 46, 91, 92, 93, 94, 121/171, and 175 stop at the center of campus, near Brotman Hall, just a short walk from the Museum. LBT connects to the LA Metro system from the Downtown Long Beach Transit Center on 1st St.
Craft Contemporary
5814 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday - 11 AM to 5 PM; First Thursday of each month - 12 PM to 8 PM
Free admission for EBT cardholders.
Phone: (323) 937-4230
Parking: Metered and two-hour street parking is available within a block of Craft Contemporary. Please carefully read the specific parking times on the street signs. Please note that Craft Contemporary is unable to validate parking for nearby metered lots and garages.
Public Transportation: Metro Buses 20, 28, and 720 all stop within walking distance of the museum. Plan your trip using the Transit app, the trip planner at metro.net or by calling (323) GO METRO (323-466-3876)
Craft Contemporary is an art museum whose purpose is to reveal the potential of craft to educate, captivate, provoke, and empower. Craft Contemporary achieves its mission by exhibiting the artists of our time who favor craft materials and processes. We give a voice to local, emerging, and mid-career artists whose works are often overlooked. The museum strives to achieve equitable access through free and low-cost programs and the inclusion of multiple teaching artists from communities throughout Los Angeles who offer unique art-making workshops, K-12 school programs, senior adult workshops, and art talks.
Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Dr
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Hours: Daily - 9 AM to 5 PM (Extended hours in spring/summer)
EBT cardholders are eligible for free admission for up to two (2) adult daytime admissions and four (4) children’s daytime admissions (for children under 18 years of age) per household.
Phone: (818) 949-4200
Parking: Free
Public Transportation: Glendale Beeline 3
Descanso Gardens sits on 150 acres of cultivated and wild land nestled into a natural bowl surrounded by mountains. Explore our many paths and trails, verdant woodlands, lush gardens, and colorful native flowers. Escape the urban buzz and enjoy the best of the season.
Fowler Museum at UCLA
308 N Charles E. Young Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Hours: Wednesday - 12 PM to 8 PM; Thursday–Sunday - 12 PM to 5 PM
Admission is free
Phone: (310) 825-4361
Parking: Enter the UCLA campus Lot 4 from Sunset Blvd. at Westwood Plaza and turn left into the Pay-By-Plate area of the lot.
Public Transportation: The Fowler is a lovely walk from the UCLA Transit Center at Hilgard and Strathmore Avenues, where several public bus lines stop. Use the interactive map on the UCLA Transportation website to find the best public transportation connection for you.
The Fowler Museum at UCLA explores global arts and cultures with an emphasis on Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the indigenous Americas—past and present. The Fowler enhances understanding and appreciation of the world's diverse peoples, cultures, and religions through dynamic exhibitions, publications, and public programs, informed by interdisciplinary approaches and the perspectives of the cultures represented. Also featured is the work of international contemporary artists presented within the complex frameworks of politics, culture, and social action. The Fowler provides exciting, informative, and thought-provoking exhibitions and events for the UCLA community and the people of greater Los Angeles and beyond.
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
24255 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90263
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday - 11 AM to 5 PM
Admission is free.
Phone: (301) 506-4851
Parking: Free parking is available in the Main Lot, adjacent to the museum, with overflow parking accessible on campus by shuttle.
Public Transportation: Metro local bus stops at the base of Pepperdine’s campus, a half-mile walk from the museum entrance.
The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University was dedicated in September 1992 and has since showcased modern and contemporary art by internationally recognized artists, with a focus on California art.
Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Hours: Tuesday–Friday & Sunday - 10 AM to 6:30 PM; Saturday - 10 AM to 9 PM; Closed Mondays and most major holidays
Admission is free.
Phone: (310) 440-7300
Parking: $25; $15 after 3 pm; $10 after 6:00 PM. Saturdays after 6 PM - Parking is free.
Public Transportation: Metro Rapid 761 stops at the Getty Center entrance at the intersection of Getty Center Drive and Sepulveda.
Getty is the world’s largest cultural and philanthropic organization dedicated to the visual arts. The Museum at the Getty Center is home to pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, and decorative arts; a collection of photographs that dates from the medium’s inception to the present, collected worldwide; and European and American sculptures from the late 12th century to the present day.
Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Hwy
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Hours: Wednesday–Monday - 10 AM to 5 PM; Closed Tuesdays and most major holidays.
An advance timed-entry ticket is required and available for free online or over the phone. Admission is free.
Web: Getty: Resources for Visual Art and Cultural Heritage
Phone: (310) 440-7300
Parking: Parking is $25; $15 after 3 pm.
Public Transportation: Metro Bus 134. Convenient Expo Line connection at the 5th and Colorado stop.
The Getty Villa is a recreation of a first-century Roman country house that offers 7,000 years of art to explore.
Kidspace Children’s Museum
480 N. Arroyo Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91103
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday - 10 AM to 5 PM
Free on the first Friday of every month from 2 PM to 5 PM. General admission for EBT cardholders is $3 for up to 4 guests. Proof of eligibility and a photo ID are required.
Phone: (626) 449-9144
Parking: Free parking available in Rose Bowl Lot I.
Public Transportation: kidspacemuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission
Kidspace is a nonprofit museum designed to delight and engage children emotionally, intellectually, and physically through joyful, kid-driven experiences. We invite all children to play, discover, create, thrive, and to explore the world with curiosity and kindness.
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
501 N Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday - 12 PM to 5 PM
Admission is free.
Phone: (213) 542-6200
Parking: Ample parking is available in public lots in the surrounding area. Parking rates vary. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes’ parking lot is located at Arcadia and Spring Streets (171 Arcadia Street, entrance on Arcadia).
Public Transportation: Metro Station: Union Station
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a community hub where people gather to celebrate Latino culture through transformative exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and multigenerational artmaking and storytelling experiences.
An anchor cultural institution in Los Angeles County, LA Plaza centers the Latino experience and provides a space to uplift, share, and preserve the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinx people in Southern California.
Long Beach Museum of Art Downtown
356 E 3rd St
Long Beach, CA 90803
Hours: Thursday–Sunday - 11 AM to 4 PM
Admission is free.
Phone: (562) 439-2119
Parking: Free parking - lot behind the gallery on Elm Street.
Public Transportation: Highly accessible via Long Beach Transit (LBT), including routes 151 (along 3rd St.) and 121 (along Ocean/CSULB).
The Long Beach Museum of Art is a community-based organization that collects and cares for a permanent art collection, presents changing exhibitions in a variety of media, and provides engaging educational programming for youth and adults.
Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
628 Alamitos Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday - 11 AM to 6 PM
Discounted admission for EBT cardholders through the “Museums for All” program
Phone: (562) 437-1689
Parking: Parking is available onsite at MOLAA
Public Transportation: Long Beach Transit: ridelbt.com
The Museum of Latin American Art expands knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art through its Collection, ground-breaking Exhibitions, stimulating Educational Programs, and engaging Cultural Events.
Museum of Tolerance
9786 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Hours: Monday–Thursday - 10 AM to 3:30 PM; Sunday - 10 AM to 5 PM
Admission is free on the third Thursday of the month, after 2 pm.
Phone: (310) 772-2505
Parking: FREE parking lot under the museum.
Public Transportation:
Metro: Take Metro Line 14 to Beverwil Dr and W Pico Blvd. From there, walk two blocks west on Pico Blvd.
Bus: Take Big Blue Bus Route 7 along Pico Blvd and exit at Pico and Roxbury Dr.
The Museum of Tolerance uses education to promote a more tolerant world for all. Examining prejudice, discrimination, and global human rights issues through powerful multimedia exhibits.
Norton Simon Museum
411 W. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Thursday - 12 PM to 5 PM; Friday–Saturday - 12 PM to 7 PM; Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Free Hours - 4 PM to 7 PM on the first Friday of the month
Web: nortonsimon.org
Phone: (626) 449-6840
Parking: Free, limited parking onsite
Public Transportation: A Pasadena Transit stop is located in front of the Museum. Please visit pasadenatransit.net for schedules. The Metro bus line #180/181 stops in front of the Museum. The Memorial Park Station on the MTA Gold Line, the closest Metro Rail station to the Museum, is located at 125 E Holly St. at Arroyo Pkwy. Please visit metro.net for schedules.
Mid-sized, easily navigable museum with an exquisite art collection spanning the early Renaissance through the 20th century, as well as centuries of South and Southeast Asian art. Highlights include works by Raphael, Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Lovely sculpture garden with a cafe operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, and a Museum Store full of books, art supplies, stationery, and games. Exciting events and educational programs are held year-round. Free parking and easily accessible by public transportation.
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Blvd
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
Hours: 8 AM to 5 PM, daily; Closed Christmas Day
EBT cardholders can receive free general admission to the Garden only. All other events (special exhibits) must pay a fee. Please call the Garden for more information.
Phone: (424) 452-0920
Parking: Free parking available daily
Public Transportation: Please visit metro.net to plan your visit.
South Coast Botanic Garden is 87 acres of lush botanic oasis built atop a sanitary landfill. The Garden has beautiful, newly renovated areas, and a brand-new Children and Family Garden is an 87-acre lush botanical garden on the way. In addition to its collections, the Garden hosts seasonal exhibits, like SOAR - Tropical Butterflies and Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: A Field Study in the spring and summer. Come on the weekend and enjoy a bite to eat or a drink at Dottie’s, the Garden’s concession stand!
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 N. Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 11 AM to 6 PM; Tuesday - Closed; Thursday - 11 AM to 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday - 11 AM to 5 PM
Admission is free.
Web: moca.org
Phone: (213) 625-4390
Parking: Parking Lot 2, 300 E Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, $9 flat rate on weekdays. This lot is closed on weekends and after 4 pm on weekdays. Parking Lot 7, 140 N Judge John Aiso St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, $9 flat rate on weekdays. $7 flat rate on weekends and after 4 pm on weekdays. Metered Street Parking is available on Temple St.
Public Transportation: moca.org/visit
With two distinct venues in Los Angeles - MOCA Grand Avenue, and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA- we engage audiences through an ambitious program of exhibitions, educational programs, and publishing of art created after 1940.
The Museum of Contemporary Art
250 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours: Monday - Closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 11 AM to 5 PM; Thursday - 11 AM to 8 PM; Saturday, Sunday - 11 AM to 6 PM
Special Exhibitions are free to EBT cardholders
Web: moca.org
Phone: (213) 621-2766
Parking: MOCA Grand Ave: California Plaza, 351 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Parking rates at Cal Plaza are $4.40 per 10 minutes, with a $44 maximum (until 5 AM). $15 flat rate for weekdays from 5 AM to 5 PM and all day on weekends and holidays. Visitors can enter California Plaza from Olive Street or Lower Grand, between Kosciuszko Way and 4th Street, near the Omni Hotel. Entrances are marked 1 CAL and 2 CAL; either entrance can be used. Metered Street Parking is available on Grand Ave. Please note that MOCA is unable to validate parking for any downtown lot.
Public Transportation: MOCA encourages using public transportation; please use the Metro Trip Planner to plan your visit.
Established in 1979, we are the only artist-founded museum in Los Angeles. We are dedicated to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. We house one of the most compelling collections of contemporary art in the world, comprising roughly 7,500 objects, and have a diverse history of ground-breaking, historically significant exhibitions. We are committed to the collection, presentation, and interpretation of art created after 1940, in all media, and to preserving that work for future generations. We provide leadership in the field by identifying and presenting the most significant and challenging art of our time, actively supporting the creation of new work, and producing original scholarship.
Transportation Information
Transportation information is available at metro.net or by calling 1-866-827-8646.
Find Other Activities
Find more information about things to do in Los Angeles County at Visit Los Angeles. Find Things to Do in LA. California Travel Guides.