Los Angeles Museums

The history of Los Angeles starts with the Chumash Native American tribes which inhabited the area thousands of years ago and the first European settlers arrived only in 1542. After the city was established, it soon became a commercial center due to the presence of petroleum and later also became a hub of aviation and entertainment industries and was chosen as the venue for two major Olympic events. However, in the twentieth century the city acquired fame for all the wrong reasons like gang wars, police corruption, drugs and racial tensions.

The history of the city is aptly showcased in its many museums, some of which are listed as follows:

The J. Paul Getty Museum is one of the best museums in the city of Los Angeles and is home to a huge collection of art, sculpture and photographs of Europe and America. Located in Getty Center, the original architecture of the museum is still maintained and some of the noteworthy attractions are the Italian manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and some of Rembrandt's religious portraits.

The Museum of Tolerance features interactive exhibits, theaters and research material discussing the feelings of hatred and intolerance which are manifested in the form of prejudice and racism with special focus on the Jewish Holocaust. An added attraction is the Simon Wisenthal Center which provides a deep insight into the killings related to racism through special exhibits which depict violence of this kind.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, as it is called by the locals is one of the leading art museums of the country which is home to art works from all over the world. Some of the exhibits in this museum are as old as belonging to 6000 BC where as some others are as recent as having been made in the twentieth century. In addition, there are film screenings, concerts and special exhibitions on a variety of themes.

The Holyland Exhibition is a museum which focuses on ancient Middle Eastern artifacts and exhibits an array of other items like lamps, bottles and coins which belonged to the personal collection of the explorer Antonio F. Flutterer. This museum was founded in 1924 and some of its displays are more than 2000 years old.

The Autry National Center sheds light on the heritage of the country through permanent collections and rotating exhibits. The various film, radio and television clippings help to educate the visitors about the culture of the Old West, its prehistoric roots and its eventual glamorization by Hollywood.

The Peterson Automotive Museum is dedicated to wheels and cars and features more than 150 models of cars in a permanent exhibit. The models range from classics to the more recent ones and special exhibitions and children's interactive exhibits make this venue an interesting place to visit.

The California African American Museum is devoted to works of African American artists of all ages and features paintings, sculptures, multimedia installations and a display of musical instruments of Africa. A noteworthy exhibit in this spacious Afrocentric museum is titled 'Rhythm of the Soul' and many of the art works here are sold as well.

The Natural History Museum of the Los Angeles County opened in 1913 and is dedicated to the appreciation of our natural and cultural world. The noteworthy attractions among the three floors of permanent exhibits are the rarest shark in the world, the largest necked dinosaur, an insect zoo and some Zuni Fetishes which represent the artistic skills of the Native Americans.

The Chinese American Museum is the first of its kind in the region of Southern California and is located in the oldest surviving Chinese Building named the Garnier Building. The main objective of this museum is to spread awareness about the Chinese community and its culture and traditions and it is for this reason that it celebrates the Chinese Lantern Festival in February every year.