Don’t miss these favorite spots for art, science, and the rich history of the West
Written bySunsetMay 15, 2012
Share this story
1 of 11
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The museum's enormous collection, from Rembrandt to Jeff Koons, can be a little overwhelming. Check out LACMA’s outdoor Friday evening jazz from April to November or their Sundays Live free year-round classical concerts. They also show special films that relate to the current exhibitions.
2 of 11Raul Garcia, courtesy of Clyfford Still Museum
Clyfford Still Museum
Pollock and Rothko get all the love, but a visit here will convince you that Still deserves to share the stage. There are nine galleries, all devoted to Still’s works, many of which have never been seen before.
Dulcimers, banjos, sitars, tablas, harps and hundreds of other acoustic noisemakers can be found here. Don’t be shy, sign up for a harmonica workshop, ukulele class, or slide guitar lessons. Antique and vintage instruments from all over the world are displayed throughout the store.
JPL is keeping tabs on the final frontier by building and operating the robotic spacecraft that are launched into the far reaches of the universe. It could be here that we’ll discover whether another planet is fit for colonization. The lab has explored all known planets within our solar system with over 50 successful missions.
Check out this very cool gallery with a large courtyard set with sculptures amid palm trees, cactus, and bougainvillea, then wander over to the garden center for plants and pots.
Get a lesson on the history of surfing at this Huntington Beach museum dedicated to the sport. You'll also find surf films, music, boards, and memorabilia.
Why, More scholarly gallery than theme park, the museum suits its 19th-century brick building. Disney geeks will love the Oscar given to Snow White: one regular statuette and seven miniatures.
For all of the area’s simple charms, the Central Coast’s biggest attraction remains Hearst Castle, the grand vision of William Randolph Hearst. Designed by Julia Morgan, it holds Hearst’s assemblage of rare antiquities and art.
Bainbridge Island is home to a planetarium and the largest publicly accessible telescope in the Northwest. The Battle Point Astronomical Association holds monthly star parties, which include planetarium shows and telescope viewings that are open to the public.
Take in the extraordinary glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly in the lobby, a glass-domed conservatory, and the museum-quality art on exhibit at the Gallery of Fine Art. For more eye candy, check out the fountains out front; synchronized to cascade to music, they are best experienced at night, with performances every 15 minutes until midnight.
Located inside City Park, Denver Museum of Nature & Science offers one of the city’s most diverse—and fun—learning experiences. Don’t miss out on the gems exhibit, which highlights some of the state’s most revered possessions, or the Prehistoric Journey, which transports you through eons from the world’s first organisms to the present.