Today over 30 museums across Southern California, including prominent spots such as The Getty and The Museum of Tolerance, are opening their doors to visitors free of charge.
None of the local museums in Long Beach were among the listed participants, but there is an array of cultural experiences one could have right here in town. Unlike many of the museums that are participating in this “free day,” these Long Beach locations drop the entrance fee at least once a week year-round.
These are the top five best museums in Long Beach, according to Yelp reviewers:
Museum of Latin American Art
628 Alamitos Ave
The MOLAA exhibits modern and contemporary works by Latinx, as well as other local artists. It aims to expand the knowledge and appreciation in its visitors for the cultural works through events, collections and classes. There are free drop-in workshops available monthly, and free entry every Sunday, with a tour starting at 2 p.m. Upcoming exhibits include a retrospective collection of LA Chicano artist Frank Romero, and “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray.”
Long Beach Museum of Art
2300 E Ocean Blvd
Founded in 1950, the Long Beach Museum of Art is one of Long Beach longest standing art collections. The museum opened in the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson House, which was later permanently changed to be the Long Beach Museum of Art. Overlooking the water on Ocean Boulevard, the view alone is a pretty sight. Inside, visitors will find the Museum’s permanent collection, diverse with more than 3,200 works encompassing 300 years of American and European art in all media. Doors are open to the public free of charge every Friday.
Rancho Los Alamitos
6400 E Bixby Hill Rd
The location of this landmark is on a sacred Tongva village of Povuu’ngna, known for its rustic beauty. The site includes traces of the ancestral village, an adobe-core ranch house, four acres of lush gardens developed during the 1920s and ‘30s and the restored working ranch barnyard of the early-mid-20th century. Admission is free all week, but public hours and tours are only on Wednesdays through Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
Rancho Los Cerritos
4600 N Virginia Rd
This historic ranch preserves and interprets its diverse inhabitants from the period when Native Americans controlled the land to the Spanish settlement and through the development of the Long Beach area. Free one-hour tours are offered through work areas such as the blacksmith shop as well as living spaces such as the parlor and master bedroom. Tours are led by third-person docents or first-person interpreters Wednesdays through Sundays from 1-5 p.m.
University Art Museum
1250 Bellflower Blvd
The UAM’s mission is to “blur the boundaries between visual arts and design, technology, music, and contemporary culture” through exhibits and educational programs. The current exhibit, “Frank Bros.: The Store that Modernized Modern,” will be available through April 9. The exhibition takes visitors through the history of Southern California’s most prominent mid-century retailer of modern furniture and design. The museum is open for free to students and the public alike Saturdays through Thursdays 12-5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Wednesdays.