5 Best Museums Los Angeles

Why it made the list: A hilltop campus of travertine pavilions by Richard Meier, reached by a tram, with European paintings, gorgeous gardens and a sweeping view from downtown to the sea. Admission is free, and the architecture and setting are as much the draw as the art.

Why it made the list: The largest art museum in the western US, with a sprawling encyclopedic collection and, out front, Chris Burden's 'Urban Light', the forest of vintage lampposts that's become a symbol of the city. It anchors a whole museum row on Wilshire.

Why it made the list: A free contemporary-art museum downtown in a striking honeycomb building, with a blockbuster collection of Warhol, Basquiat, Koons and Yayoi Kusama's endlessly photographed Infinity Mirror Rooms. It's one of the hottest tickets in the city, and it costs nothing.

Why it made the list: The film industry's own museum, a Renzo Piano building on Wilshire devoted to the art and history of the movies, from original props and costumes to an immersive Oscars experience. In the city that invented Hollywood, it's the perfect only-here stop.

Why it made the list: A former railroad baron's estate in San Marino that's part art gallery, part rare-book library, part 120 acres of themed botanical gardens. The Japanese and Desert gardens alone are worth the drive, and it's one of the most peaceful places in greater LA.