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Los Angeles: Unusual Museums
What is a museum?
A museum, as defined by dictionary.com and merriam-webster.com, is “a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and exhibited.” It is “an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value.”
Many people only think of a museum as being a place in which to see paintings or sculptures created by individuals who died long before the viewer was born. They’re incorrect about museums in general, and they’re certainly incorrect about art museums.
Museums are fun places to visit! There are many unusual museums around the world, including in Los Angeles, California and the surrounding area.
1933 Jefferson Drive
Pasadena, CA 91104
Telephone: 626-798-8848
Admission: Free
Parking: Street parking
The Bunny Museum
View more than 28,000 bunny-related items in this private museum founded and operated by Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski.
The museum is in their home in Pasadena and is open every day of the year, by appointment only.
9341 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles (Culver City), CA 90232
Telephone: 310-836-6131
Open: Thursday 2:00pm – 8:00pm; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12:00N – 6:00pm
Admission (the most comprehensive list of fees I’ve ever seen for museum admissions): ages 21 to 60 — $ 5.00, ages 12 to 21 — $ 3.00, full-time students — $ 3.00, ages 60 years or older — $ 3.00, unemployed persons — $ 3.00, disabled persons — $2.00, active duty service personnel in uniform — $ 2.00, children under 12 — free
The Museum of Jurassic Technology
This museum, founded in 1987 by David Hildebrand Wilson and Diana Drake Wilson, is an educational institution dedicated to advancing knowledge of the lower Jurassic period of the earth’s evolution. It is also a repository of obscure artifacts and relics of natural history, science, and technology.
One of the museum’s permanent exhibits is The Unique World of Microminiatures of Hagop Sandaljian. The exhibit consists of a collection of micro-miniature sculptures, with each sculpture having been carved from one human hair. Among Sandaljian’s sculptures, every one of which fits in the eye of a needle, are Snow White, Goofy, Napoleon I, and Pope John Paul II.
6045 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Telephone: 323-344-9445
Open: Monday – Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm and third Saturday of the month 9:00am to 3:00pm
Admission: ages 13 to 61 — $8.00, 62 and older — $7.00, children 12 and younger — free
Parking: free parking is available on the east and west sides of the building
Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum
The Los Angeles Police Department’s museum is housed in a former LAPD station built in 1925. The collection features bullet hole-ridden police cruisers, decades-old classic squad cars, handcuffs, and historical weaponry.
5801 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-934-7243
Open: Daily 9:30am to 5:00pm
Admission: ages 5 to 12 — $5.00, students with valid ID — $5.00, adults — $11.00, 62 and older —$8.00, children 4 and under — free
Parking: underground parking garage
Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
The George C. Page Museum is dedicated to researching the La Brea Tar Pits and exhibiting the objects found. The museum, situated at one of the world’s most famous fossil locations, displays Ice Age fossils from 10,000- to 40,000-year-old asphalt deposits.
Asphaltum or tar seeped from the ground in the vicinity of the museum for tens of thousands of years. The tar was often covered by water, leaves, and other debris. For centuries, animals that came to drink the water would fall into the water, sink in the tar, and would be preserved as bones.
In the museum, you can see fossils of saber-toothed cats, mammoths, bison, horses, dire wolves, and other animals that have been excavated from the tar pits. At the tar pits, you can observe the scientists at work.
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-390-CARS
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Admission: adults — $10.00, age 62 and older — $8.00, students with ID — $5.00, active duty military with ID — $5.00, children 5 to 12 —$3.00, children under 5 — $3.00
Petersen Automotive Museum
Margie and Roger E. Petersen, founding benefactors of the museum, donated more than $30 million dollars during the period between 1994 and 2000 so that a museum “dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture” could be established.
The first floor of the museum has permanent exhibits covering the history of automobiles. The second floor has five rotating galleries containing displays of racecars, classic cars, vintage motorcycles, concept cars, celebrity and movie cars, and auto design and technology. The third floor houses the May Family Discovery Center, a hands-on learning designed to teach children basic scientific principles by explaining the fundamental functions of a car.
Comments
Not sure why this is a lonely hub since it contains useful info. I've been to Jurassic Technology, Petersen and the Page. I'll have to check out the Police and Bunny museums. Voting this Up and Interesting.
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Aurelio,
Of the five museums on my list, I've only been to the Page. It was the first museum I visited when I moved to Southern California. Now that I've written this article, I'll have to visit the other four.
Have you been to the Armand Hammer Museum in Westwood? We were there a few months ago.
Good work. You have done a good research on the subject.
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Thank you, Mala. Los Angeles has so many museums from which to choose. So does San Diego.
I'm very fortunate...I live half the distance between Los Angeles and San Diego.
I hope to visit that area one day. Very interesting and intriguing. Voting up!
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Tammy,
Thanks so much for commenting. Of the five museums that I've discussed in this article, the only one I've visited is the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. A friend took me there shortly after I moved to California.
If you ever find that you're going to be in the Los Angeles area, please contact me. We'll visit the unusual museums together.
Great hub... love museums... the only trouble is when I look around I remember seeing most of the stuff there... lol... maybe they will find a dusty corner for me someday.
Hugs
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Rolly,
Thanks so much for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my article...I hope you're not saying you're a museum relic!
Have you read my article about the USS Midway Museum in San Diego?
No but I will be... thanks for letting me know... me a relic... I have been busted...
Hugs
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Rolly,
I appreciate your stopping by again. Enjoy your virtual visit to the USS Midway Museum.
Very interesting hub! I hope to go there soon. Sharing this one!
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Kelley,
Thanks for reading and sharing my Hub. After you visit Los Angeles, please post another comment and tell us which museums you visited.
Again a great hub Daisy! Being a art lover, I really like visiting Museums. I have been in Los Angeles for last 8-9 months but haven't visited many og them.Yesterday, I went to National History Museum near University Southern California and I must admit it was very informative & interesting.I will certainly try to visit other museums mentioned in your hub!
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Sunita,
I'm glad you enjoyed reading my Hub. After you have visited some of the museums I've discussed, please stop by again and tell us what you thought of them.
One of my favorite museums to go to as a kid was the La Brea Tar Pits! I haven't been there since. Now I want to go back and visit again. I also love the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History.(again, haven't been there since my childhood) Great Hub Daisy!!!! Voted up and shared! Lisa
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Lisa,
Thanks for reading my article and commenting in it. The La Brea Tar Pits was the first museum I visited when I moved to California.
Have you ever visited New York City? I recently published two New York City museum articles. Writing those brought back memories for me.
I love museums, so much history to learn there. The Page museum looks really interesting. I will make sure we visit them if we are in that area. Thanks for the info. Love it!
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LaThing,
It's nice to meet you. There are so many great museums in the Los Angeles area. The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits is one of my favorites. I hope you get to visit the museum soon.
Good Hub Daisy. My town of Worcester MA used to have a museum of the history of plumbing fixtures. I regret that I missed it before it closed.
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Bill (billdo1603),
Thanks for reading my article and adding your comment. A museum of the history of plumbing fixtures is not something the general public would flock to visit. Why had there been such a museum in Worcester?
I guess there was a big plumbing supply company in Worcester and they established the museum
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Bill,
Thanks for stopping by again. The museum doesn't like sound like something people would pay money to visit.
Very interesting and helpful information Daisy. Each nutshell description of each museum is just enough to peak interest.
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
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Mary (tillsontitan),
Thanks for reading my article and posting your comment. I thought it would be fun to research and write about the more unusual museums in the Los Angeles area. They're a fun group of places to visit.
I absolutely love Museums Daisy, I try to get up to London at least once a year to visit the Natural history and Science museum, and last time it was the Victoria and Albert, so to visit these would be great! voted up and shared, nell
Very cool and unusual Daisy! I love museums and tend to poke around in them frequently!
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Nell,
Thanks for reading my article and posting your comment. Thanks, too, for sharing my Hub.
I really don't think of Los Angeles as a "museum city." I visit the museums in San Francisco and San Diego more frequently than I do the museums in Los Angeles.
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Audrey,
Thanks for reading my article and commenting in it. You're a California resident...Have you visited any of the museums I discussed? I've been to the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, but none of the others.
Great hub, enjoyed reading about these amazing museums that you have showcased. Voted up, interesting and informative.
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Nithya (Vellur),
Thanks for reading my article and commenting in it. Thanks, to0, for sharing my Hub on Facebook.
I've still only been to the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. I sometimes wish I weren't so busy writing. I'd like to find time to visit some of the others.
My sister lives in LA and I have seen the Tar Pits. I am not sure if I was fascinated or disturbed by them. I need to tell her about the Bunny Museum. :)
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Paula,
Thanks for reading my article and posting your comment. Please write again after your sister visits the Bunny Museum. I'd like to know whether it's worth visiting,
@Daisy I sent her the link. I will let you know when she answers me.
So glad this hub was brought back as I missed it the first time.
They all sound like great museums. Some, like the bunny museum, we would probably never know about.
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
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Mary (tillsontitan),
Thanks for reading my article another time and posting your comment. The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits was the first museum I visited when I moved to California.
I need to visit some of these museums. The Jurassic Park would be thrilling! Just popped in to review the list of great places to visit.
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Dianna (teaches12345),
Thanks for stopping by. Visiting my Hub gets you one step closer to visiting the museums!
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