<- Back

The Broad Museums Artistic Time Capsule

The Broad Museum
Tracy Givens
Tracy Givens
November 17, 2023

As you're planning your trip to LA, consider adding the Broad Art Museum to your itinerary.

Like most contemporary museums, the Broad offers a rotating roster of exhibits. The ones you'll find here are especially thought-provoking, especially if you're a fan of modern art. Better yet, the museum is located in a prime section of the city, so you can easily fit your visit into an exciting day of sightseeing.

Let's take a virtual tour of the Broad Art Museum to learn more about it before your trip.

The Broad: An Overview

The Broad Museum with Lights

The Broad Art Museum showcases a variety of art dating from the 1950s to the present. The museum, founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, contains nearly 2,000 pieces, making it one of the world's top collections of contemporary and postwar art.

The two-story building was designed by Diller Scofidio & Renfro in collaboration with Gensler and sprawls over 120,000 square feet. It's the headquarters of the Broad Art Foundation's lending library, an organization that's been loaning out works to museums around the globe for nearly four decades.

What's New and Exciting

At the time of this writing, the Broad was offering expansive presentations of the following artists:

  1. Jean-Michel Basquiat
  2. Andy Warhol
  3. Roy Lichtenstein

Also on display is Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror Rooms, along with the artist's piece Longing For Eternity. Note that if you want to experience the Infinity Mirror Rooms, you must procure separate paid tickets and enter at a designated time.

Where to Eat

Otium

You probably don't think of fine dining when you envision visiting a museum. Your dining experience at Otium, The Broad's onsite restaurant, just might make you a believer.

The name Otium has Latin roots and no specific English equivalent. In essence, it means a place where one can relax and enjoy leisurely social time. The chef, Timothy Hollingsworth, serves up an eclectic and scintillating menu that makes the most of whatever ingredients are in season.

Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 2 PM. On weekdays, a regular lunch menu is offered during those hours. The dinner menu is available from 4:30 to 10 PM Tuesday through Saturday and from 4:30 to 9 PM on Sunday.

The restaurant, like the museum, is closed on Mondays. Note that while you can make a reservation for dinner at Otium, brunch and lunch are walk-in only.

What to Know Before You Go

As we've just established, the museum is not open on Mondays, so be sure to plan ahead. Regular operating hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 AM to 5 PM. On Thursdays, the museum opens at 11 AM but keeps its doors open until 8 PM. The Saturday and Sunday hours run from 10 AM to 6 PM.

Light exhibit at the museum

Admission to the Broad is free, which is all the more reason to add it to your itinerary. Same-day tickets are released daily, and monthly ticket releases take place on the last Monday of every month at 10 AM PST (for admission the following month). If you want to visit the Infinity Mirrored Room, you'll need to use the monthly ticket release.

Large bags and backpacks are prohibited inside the museum, so leave those at your accommodation or in your car. Food and beverages are also prohibited. If you bring a set of headphones, you can access the mobile museum guide to access audio tours, visitor guides and maps, and family activities.

Masks aren't required for now, but the museum recommends that guests wear them indoors. The staff will be on hand to alert you to any other policies and directions that you need to follow.  

Final Thoughts

Did you enjoy your time at the Broad? Check out the Los Angeles County Museum of Art while you're in the area. The building alone is worth seeing, but the exhibits inside will further delight the senses.

Have a marvelous time in Los Angeles, and be sure to return again soon!

Blog Archive

Recent