LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Latinos comprise nearly half of the population of Los Angeles. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes honors the past, inspires the future and recognizes the lasting cultural influence of Mexicans, Mexican Americans and all Latinos in the city.  

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a Smithsonian affiliate museum and community hub located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles beside historic Olvera Street. Since opening in 2011, it has become an anchor institution where exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and storytelling bring generations together.

The campus spans two historic buildings and a vibrant 30,000-square-foot outdoor space with a performance stage, edible garden, and LA Cocina de Gloria Molina, a teaching kitchen and event space that highlights the history and influence of Mexican cuisine. LA Cocina also offers cooking classes, demonstrations, and youth training programs.

Through partnerships with artists, curators, historians, and community members, LA Plaza offers free or low-cost programs that uplift, preserve, and share the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latino communities in Southern California.

Special Display: A Great Day in East LA: Celebrando the Eastside Sound | Now-August 23, 2026:

A multi-media exhibition spotlighting the dynamic music scene of East Los Angeles, with portraits and oral histories by Piero F. Giunti, plus 500+ artifacts including rare Ritchie Valens photos, a presidential medal given to Lalo Guerrero, and the original La Bamba script featuring Los Lobos. Watch this memory from Will-Dog Abers, bass player and founding member of Ozomatli, about how the band got their logo.