As summer time approaches and students begin to plan ways to enjoy the time off school, one way to pass time is by visiting a variety of local museums. There are hundreds in the L.A. County area that store valuable and interesting items for the public to see and enjoy. Here are four of L.A. counties museums that are close to West Covina.
The Getty Museum
Opened in 1997 and located on Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, The Getty is best known for its architecture, gardens, and views that overlook Los Angeles. The Getty is one of many art organizations that is committed to exhibiting, conversing and understanding the world’s cultural heritage and artistic views. It features a variety of art and architectural pieces from history to present time. Two famous paintings found at the Getty are “Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh and Pontormos’s portrait of a Halberdier. The museum offers free admission to all its guests, with timed entry reservations to keep the museum organized. The Getty is closed on Mondays, but on other weekdays it is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
A museum designed by award winning architect Renzo Piano, it features exhibition spaces, special event spaces, conservation studio, a cafe and museum store. The museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The Academy strives to make the exhibits immersive and dynamic to tell the many stories of how movies are made. It gives its visitors the background information on cinematography in a fun but educational way.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ famous exhibits are their “Stories of Cinema” and also “Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema.” The stories of cinema is a multi-level exploration that shows the art of filmmaking. Secondly the color in motion investigates the role of color in films specifically how colors has been used as a storytelling tool. The Academy offers free admission for students with a charge of $15 starting for ages18 and over. Their opening hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday except on Tuesdays.
La Brea Tar Pits
Located on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, the La Brea Tar Pits aim to create an exciting, educational and enjoyable experience for all its visitors. The tar pits show science in action and allow students to make discoveries right alongside the scientist. They offer live excavation sites that depict real life discoveries. The tar pits and park let people witness “tar” bubbling at the surface through the iconic “Lake Pit.” Inside the museum it offers excavated animals that have been put on display bone by bone for its visitors to see excavated animals.
The museum also offers tours and activities like a live show of “Ice Age Encounters”, a 3D film of “Titans of the Ice Age” and a “Excavator tour.” The ice age encounters is a 15 minute live show that displays a life-sized saber-toothed cat puppet, the 3D film is a documentary that takes its viewers to view the Pleistocene ice age and explore the world of giant mammals. The excavation tour takes guests on a tour of the fossil labs where the real paleontologists work. LA county residents get free admission 3-5 p.m. on weekdays and it’s recommended to request reservation times.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
The Huntington Library, founded by Henry E. Arabella Huntington in 1919, is a world-renowned education and cultural center for its visitors The library supports research and education, and promotes public engagement through its expansive library, the art and botanical library. The Huntington has a collection of resources to note: its art museum, library and art conservation, and the botanical gardens, conservation. The Botanical Gardens are the most notable at the Huntington library because they contain rare and endangered plants. The library has admission fees that start at $13 and is open everyday from 10 a.m, to 5 p.m. except Tuesdays.
With summer around the corner, students who have the opportunity to keep learning and enjoy art are able to go to these different museums to experience art, and beauty. These specific museums are just a couple of the most famous ones in the LA county area, but these museums offer affordable prices for students to visit.
