Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

L.A. County Residents get free Museum Admission from 3–5 pm Monday through Friday!

The Natural History Museum's mission is to preserve the natural world and the cultural history of the region. The permanent collection is always a hit, but guests should also be sure to check the exciting rotating calendar of events featured on-site. 

There are two enormous halls of dioramas depicting animals from around the world which visitors will most likely recognize from the many movies they’ve been featured in (even museum artifacts are film stars in Los Angeles!). Be sure not to miss the bird rooms upstairs, or the insect zoo downstairs. Learn about minerals and gemstones in one room and the history of the film studios in Los Angeles in another.

Scientists and staff members are dedicated to hands-on teaching of visitors through pop-up labs, which offer a more in-depth opportunity to learn. The museum also routinely hosts “citizen science” projects, asking members of the community to help gather data for them through related ongoing research.

Each Spring, the Butterfly Pavilion opens in the museum’s nature gardens, transforming the space into a magical oasis of color within an enclosed space where these delicate creatures delight visitors of all ages. In the Fall, the same pavilion is transformed into a home for spiders which weave their own spooky web of magic just in time for Halloween. 

• Museum buffs can check out this list of destinations to "get their learning on," together with Metrolink.