Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County stands at 900 W Exposition Boulevard in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California. The Beaux-Arts and Spanish Renaissance building opened in 1913 and is among the largest natural history museums in the western United States. Admission is 18 dollars for adults, 14 dollars for seniors and students, 7 dollars for children and free for those under 3. The museum is known for the Dinosaur Hall, where more than 20 mounted dinosaurs and marine reptiles, including a growing Tyrannosaurus rex family, are displayed in lifelike poses. The Gem and Mineral Hall shows glittering specimens, while the Age of Mammals traces mammal evolution and the Becoming Los Angeles exhibits explore the region's history. Natural-world galleries cover African and North American mammals, and the Insect Zoo and seasonal Butterfly Pavilion add live encounters in the Nature Gardens outside. The Nature Lab invites families to explore urban wildlife. Most visitors spend two to three hours, longer with the gardens and a special exhibition. Crowds peak on weekends and during school holidays, while weekday mornings are calmer, though school groups are common midweek. The museum is closed on the first Tuesday of each month and on major holidays. Exposition Park also holds the California Science Center and the Rose Garden, making it easy to combine attractions in a single day. The Metro E Line stops at Expo Park/USC station, a five-minute walk, and nearby lots charge parking fees.