Over 30 Museums Are Free Sunday, February 5th

Melissa Luna, Writer/Editor/Outreach Coordinator

Photo of Exhibit Painting Display by Riccardo on Pexels

Museum Free-For-All returns to Southern California this Sunday, Feb. 5. Over 30 museums will participate in the annual event, which was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Although some of the featured museums already offer free admission year-round, this event offers locals the opportunity to explore many that do not. It is also meant as a reminder of the many free opportunities available to museum visitors. 

SoCal Museums lists museums that regularly offer free admission by day of the week here.

“We are thrilled to be able to collectively welcome visitors from across the region on this special day once again,” said Briana Sapp, SoCal Museums President and Director of Marketing and Communications, in a press release announcing the return of the annual event. “The Museums Free-for-All has always been a celebration of the varied and remarkable institutions in Southern California, and it is meaningful to continue this tradition of accessibility and joy.”

Free admission applies only to general admission. Any parking fees or tickets to special exhibits are not included. Some museums require timed ticket entry and ticket reservations to be made in advance.

2023 Free-For-All Museums

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

  • The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be hosting a festival Feb. 3-5 for their new exhibit, Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971. The event is included with general admission.

American Museum of Ceramic Art

Armory Center for the Arts (admission is always free)

Bowers Museum 

Catalina Museum for Art & History

Cayton’s Children’s Museum

Craft Contemporary

Descanso Gardens

Fowler Museum at UCLA (admission is always free)

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Pepperdine University

Hammer Museum (admission is always free)

The Getty Center (admission is always free)

The Getty Villa (admission is always free)

Japanese American National Museum

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

Laguna Art Museum

  • Feb. 5 will be the last day to enjoy The Sea Around Us at Laguna Art Museum. It is the current exhibit at the annual Art & Nature festival.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (admission is always free)

Lincoln Memorial Shrine (admission is always free)

Long Beach Museum of Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) (admission is always free)

Muckenthaler Cultural Center

Museum of Latin America Art (MOLAA)

Museum of Tolerance

Museum of Ventura County (admission is free for 2023)

Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum (admission is free for 2023)

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Santa Monica History Museum

Santa Paula Art Museum

Skirball Cultural Center

The Wende Museum (admission is always free)

The Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum

USC Asia Pacific Museum

For more information, visit SoCal Museums here.