What to See at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles

Los Angeles draws visitors with its warmth, avant-garde cuisine and proximity to the beach, but the art scene in the city is hotter than the weather. The recently opened, 120,000-square-foot, $140 million Broad Museum is a compact survey of some of the best pieces of philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad’s extensive contemporary collection.

The building itself, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is known as the “vault and the veil,” with mirroring space for exhibition and storage. Admission is free, but lines can get long; avoid wasting time by booking a time slot ahead online. The inaugural installation is arranged chronologically with the earliest pieces from the 1950s appearing on the third floor.

Highlights of the nearly 2,000-piece collection include artwork by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly as well as an 82-foot-long painting by Takashi Murakami. Want to see the much-Instagrammed Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room? Be sure to arrive at the museum early in the day to reserve a ticket to see Kusama’s LED masterpiece as the space only accommodates one person at a time for 45 seconds and books up quickly.

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