Family Sundays at LACMA
Recently we took our family day on the road to explore LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Four kids, three adults and two cars made it through rainy LA streets to arrive for a morning of art. We were welcomed with open arms and activities for all at our local kid-friendly museum.
Tips to make the most of your family day at LACMA
Enroll each child in Arts for NexGen. This is LACMA’s free youth membership for anyone under 17 years old. My daughter became a NexGen member when she was about 6 months old. I know crazy right! I was walking with her around the LACMA grounds when a lovely staff member suggested we let her experience their outdoor art activity and then within minutes she was a member. Pretty cool!
Once all the littles in your family have NexGen passes, they are allowed to bring one adult guest in per visit. Thanks to LACMA and your little, the whole family can enjoy the museum for free. Can’t beat that!
This room is a parent’s dream because you can let your kids get messy and it’s not in your home! I watched as the art room attendants guided our kids to tables filled with paints, brushes and paper. They were free to make whatever they wanted. I appreciate the details in this room that add to the ease of a museum trip. Cubbies for family items, bags, etc., wash station and even a drying station to leave your mini Picasso’s work while you explore the museum. Just remember to pick up the masterpiece before you trek home.
Visitor Tip – The Boone Children’s Gallery is practically a hidden treasure tucked in a corner of the 2nd story of the Hammer Building. The room is well marked but be sure to ask a museum attendant when you walk into Hammer. It was quite difficult to find on our own with four kids, a stroller and all our gear. Once inside it’s heaven!
Artist-led workshops, activities and tours that will inspire the whole family. Sadly, we missed the activity that day due to hunger pains for all but we did check out one of the exhibits.
My child yelled vroom vroom for the rest of the day after seeing more than a thousand miniature cars zooming through Chris Burden’s kinetic sculpture, Metropolis II. A definite must see during your next LACMA visit.
Remember you are in a museum. Yes, they are kid friendly but you’re still in the presence of the finest collection of art in LA (in opinion) so please watch your littles. It will be greatly frowned upon by all if you try to turn the museum into your local playground.
I forgot to mention that our kids ranged in age from under a year to 10 years old. My daughter and her best bud are fun and feisty three year-olds and while they went skipping and exploring the gallery, we were reminded by staff of the rules. So to avoid a little embarrassment, escort your littles with care.
Food – the rare LA rain day kept us from having a picnic but on a sunny day you’ll find us enjoying the beautiful gardens and sculpture areas. For those not wanting to set-up a picnic, the museum offers a few lovely dining options to accommodate a wide budget range.
Parking – be prepared to pay $12 for the convenient underground lot or drive around a bit for metered parking on nearby streets. I opted for the $12 lot due to the rain so my free museum day wasn’t exactly free (this time).
There’s so much more of LACMA I haven’t explored, follow Urban Beach Baby on Instagram as I continue our museum visits and check out LA’s hidden gems for family adventures.