12 Best Museums In California
While many associate California with its beaches, national parks, and Hollywood glamor, its museums are notably some of the best in the country. The perfect addition to any itinerary, these art galleries, natural history collections, and architectural marvels excite and inspire millions each year. Whether touring an abandoned island prison, exploring an enchanting 20th-century castle, or whale watching from an oceanside observation deck, these California museums offer the perfect blend of education and fun.
The Getty Center, Los Angeles
A campus of the Getty Museum, the Getty Center in Los Angeles is renowned for its architecture, landscaping, and world-class art collection. A 6-building complex, the Getty is itself a work of art. With a 1-billion dollar budget, Richard Meier designed a masterpiece of sleek, squared buildings centered around the area’s natural scenes. This fusion is visible in the museum’s Central Garden. Designed by Robert Irwin, it features iconic landscapes like an azalea hedge maze.
After strolling the garden, visitors can recharge with a drink at the Garden Terrace Cafe. Then, the artistry extends inside the museum. Over 1 million people visit the Getty’s exhibits every year to see some of the world’s finest pre-20th-century European artworks, decorative arts from the Middle Ages, and photographs spanning the 19th and 21st centuries. Much of the collection, which includes works by Renoir and Van Gogh, was previously owned by the museum’s founder, J. Paul Getty.
Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles
A short drive from Downtown LA, the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) also attracts over 1 million visitors every year. Located near the California Science Center and LA Memorial Coliseum, with such heavy foot traffic, the grand building captivates all who pass through. First opening in 1913, its growing collection led to various expansions, although the original building remains the museum’s centerpiece. The skylit dome and three-wind rotunda, lined with Italian marble walls and tiled with mosaic floors, give visitors a glimpse at its significant past.
Today, the NHMLAC houses over 35 million artifacts and specimens spanning 4.5 billion years, making it the largest natural and cultural history museum in the Western United States. Among the three floors of permanent exhibits, the most popular include: the Age of Mammals, the Gem and Mineral Hall, and the Dinosaur Hall. The latter features over 300 prehistoric fossils, including skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachiosaurus.
California State Capitol Museum, Sacramento
For history buffs and architecture enthusiasts, the California State Capitol Museum is a bucket-list landmark. The museum, also a working government seat, is located in Sacramento, California’s state capital. Its striking building, constructed from 1860 to 1874, is one of California’s finest architectural feats, symbolizing the Golden State’s hard-earned journey toward prosperity.
Modeled after Greek and Roman temples, the Capitol’s entrance grabs attention with its vertical columns and intricate carvings. The inside can also be toured hourly on weekdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, showcasing the opulent domed ceiling and rotunda, which blend Neo-Classical features with intricate Victorian details. Right next door, California State Capitol Park is a perfect prelude or finale to your visit, welcoming a stroll through its scenic forty acres.
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco
History lovers are equally drawn to Alcatraz, a former maximum security federal penitentiary with a spine-chilling past. Located on Alcatraz Island, around 1.5 miles from shore in San Francisco Bay, it is widely considered the most famous prison in the United States. It first rose to prominence after housing high-profile criminals like Al Capone, many dubbing it “escape-proof” due to its remote and rugged setting. However, in 1962 this proved to be untrue when three inmates escaped, fooling guards with decoy dummy heads left in their beds.
After closing the next year, Alcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 1972. Today, reservations are required to tour the prison and island grounds, with tickets covering an audio cell house tour and ferry transportation. Once you return from your tour, the Alcatraz Landing Pier is a short stroll from Pier 39, a bayside tourist site known for its sea lion docks and seafood joints like the Fog Harbor Fish House.
The Queen Mary, Long Beach
Long Beach, a Southern California city famous for its coastline, also attracts visitors to its iconic maritime museum. The Queen Mary, a legendary relic of trans-Atlantic travel, now serves as a floating museum, hotel, and restaurant. Permanently moored near Harry Bridges Memorial Park, the ship overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Docked across from the Long Beach Shoreline Marina, guests can enjoy views of the city’s distant skyline.
Onboard, guests can also dine at one of three award-winning restaurants or spend the night in one of the ship’s original staterooms or suites. While parts of the museum can be explored freely, many prefer taking the Glory Days tour to learn more about the vessel’s history and heritage. In the early 20th century, weighing 81,000 tons at 1,019 feet long, it was one of the world’s leading luxury passenger ships. Starting in 1936, the Queen Mary made over 1,000 crossings between New York and England before retiring in 1967.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino
Southeast of Pasadena, San Marino spotlights the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, home to some of the greatest literature, art, and flora in the world. Founded by railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington in 1919, the Huntington began as a retirement passion project, housing his collection of rare art and books. Welcoming over 1 million visitors since 2023, it is one of California’s greatest academic and cultural feats.
The Huntington Library is renowned for its collection of historic writings, including several early-edition Shakespeare plays and a Gutenberg Bible. In the art gallery portion, guests can also discover more than 45,000 pieces spanning over 500 years, including famous works like Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy. After refreshing with a drink at the nearby Red Car Coffee Shop or 1919 Cafe, the grounds are a serene denouement. Among its various landscapes, botanical highlights include the Chinese Garden, Shakespeare Garden, and the Conservatory.
Maritime Museum of San Diego, San Diego
Returning to coastal California, the Maritime Museum of San Diego illuminates “500 Years of Seafaring History.” A fun follow-up to Waterfront Park, this open-air museum first opened in 1948 with one historic ship: the Star of India. The museum has since expanded to include nine permanent exhibits, although the Star remains its anchor. Celebrated as “the world’s oldest active sailing ship,” this 1863 vessel invites guests to step aboard and learn about its legendary past.
Differing from the Queen Mary Museum, the Maritime Museum of San Diego also offers countless excursions. While the Star of India is mainly home-ported, vessels like the San Salvador offer historian-led cruises. The 4-hour San Salvador Sailing Adventure, set aboard a replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s flagship, transports voyageurs back in time to the sixteenth century. The museum also hosts special events throughout the year, including the Star of India Family Overnight Experience, allowing guests to “Step Into the Life of an 1800s Sailor.”
The San Diego Museum Of Art, San Diego
Ten minutes inland from the Maritime Museum, the San Diego Museum of Art is another bucket list-worthy gallery located in the heart of Balboa Park. After exploring the park’s landmarks, gardens, and world-renowned attractions like the San Diego Zoo, the art museum awaits with its wonders. First opening in 1926, it has since amassed an exceptional range of showpieces, namely its collection of Spanish and Italian Old Masters.
A wonder in itself, the museum entrance takes inspiration from the Cathedral of Valladolid and the University of Salamanca in Spain. Adorned with intricate sculptures, the eye-catching façade is a favorite amongst architecture enthusiasts. Inside, its exhibits display over 32,000 artworks and relics, from Japanese Buddhist sculptures to oil-on-canvas Renaissance paintings. With works ranging from 3,000 B.C. to more contemporary Warhol displays, the San Diego Museum of Art is all-encompassing.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon
Encompassing 250,000 scenic acres on a hilltop in coastal San Simeon, Hearst Castle is truly “a museum like no other.” Built in the Mediterranean Revival style, the historic mansion is famous for its grandeur, resembling a historic European estate. Much like the San Diego Museum of Art, its façade contains Spanish influence and ornate elements, including parallel bell towers and carved details. Inside, the opulence extends to the castle’s 115 rooms, which house lavish antiques, neoclassical sculptures, and vibrant baroque tapestries.
Tours of the Hearst Castle grounds are equally enchanting. Outdoors, guests can discover lush foliage and native plants surrounding the estate. Tours also allow a look at the Neptune pool, once the setting of Great Gatsby-esque parties. Constructed from 1934 to 1936, it is characterized by its magnificent statues and colonnades. Although swimming is not permitted here, visitors can drive to nearby William R. Hearst Memorial Beach for a dip in the San Simeon Bay.
Filoli Historic House & World-Class Garden, Woodside
History and elegance are equally intertwined at the Filoli Historic House & World-Class Garden. Located in Woodside on the San Francisco Peninsula, much like Hearst Castle, this former estate is frozen in time. Built as a private residence in 1917, American heiress and philanthropist Lurline Roth donated the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975. Today, the immaculate Georgian revival-style mansion, its 16-acre gardens, and its nature trails are all open to the public.
For first-time visitors, the Discovering Filoli tour offers a professionally-led look at the house and grounds. Alternatively, the Insider's Garden Tour is preferred by horticulture enthusiasts, guiding guests through a gorgeous English Renaissance garden with “exclusive behind-the-scenes access.” For self-guided visitors, the mansion’s ballroom, drawing rooms, servants' quarters, and libraries are a treat to explore. Back outdoors, the Fioli’s Natural Lands features two scenic hiking loops, explorable at your own pace. Afterward, the Quail Café is a cozy spot close by to relax and catch your breath.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the country’s most popular aquatic museums, attracting around 2 million visitors annually since opening in 1984. Overlooking Monterey Bay on California’s central coast, the aquarium offers a “diver’s eye view,” with a mission to inspire ocean conservation. While it has since grown to feature more than 200 exhibits with 80,000 plants and animals, the aquarium originally gained notoriety for housing the first living kelp forest exhibit in the world.
Each minute, 2,000 gallons of seawater is pumped into the aquarium for exhibits like the Monterey Bay Habitats. The 90-foot-long exhibit showcases five habitats below the bay, with reef fish and sharks meandering throughout. The Splash Zone & Penguins exhibit is equally popular, displaying tuxedoed African penguins, giant green anemones, and the clownfish popularized by Disney’s Finding Nemo. Back outside, above the bay, visitors can enjoy wildlife spotting from the ocean-view decks, which often feature playful sea otters and majestic humpback whales. Afterward, the nearby Sea Otter Shirts gift shop is the perfect follow-up for an ocean-themed souvenir.
The Museum of Western Film History, Lone Pine
Although most visit rural Lone Pine for its hiking trails in the Alabama Hills and Mount Whitney, cinemaphiles and Western enthusiasts also flock to the Museum of Western Film History. A lesser-known museum well worth a trip off the beaten path, it is one of California’s most underrated attractions. Honoring Western cinema in all forms, it features an impressive collection of artifacts and exhibits depicting the genre’s influence on American culture.
Founded in 2006, the Lone Pine museum focuses primarily on 19th and 20th Cowboy Cinema with movie posters, costumes, film props, and cameras. Visitors can view memorabilia linked to iconic Western stars like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne while learning about the genre’s history of filming in the Alabama Hills, Owens Valley, and Sierra Nevada. Each year, the museum also hosts its annual Lone Pine Film Festival, a three-day event with screenings, movie site tours, and informative panels.
Discover California’s Best Museums
California may be synonymous with its sunshine and palm trees, but its museums are without a doubt some of the best in the nation. Welcoming art connoisseurs, history buffs, and nature lovers from around the globe, these museums invite visitors to slow down, reflect, and appreciate. Whether relishing creativity at the Getty, admiring Mother Nature at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or glimpsing humanity's darker side in Alcatraz, these California museums offer a memorable addition to any beach day.
