The museum's Dinosaur Hall is unique for mounting skeletons in 'active' poses rather than the traditional static museum displays.
The rotunda features a stained-glass dome and Italian marble columns original to the building's 1913 opening.
The museum operates an on-site 'Nature Lab' where visitors can view live insects, reptiles, and local urban wildlife.
It holds one of the largest collections of gems and minerals in the United States.
The 'Becoming Los Angeles' exhibit uses a scale model to track the city's transformation from a Spanish pueblo to a global metropolis.
The museum grounds include an 'Exposition Park Rose Garden' that is maintained separately but shares a boundary with the museum campus.
The institution conducts ongoing research into the 'BioSCAN' project, which studies insect biodiversity in urban backyard environments across LA.
The iconic 'T. rex' exhibit includes three specimens representing the growth stages from juvenile to adult.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is home to the Dinosaur Hall, which features over 300 real fossils and 20 complete dinosaur skeletons. The museum houses a massive collection of nearly 35 million specimens spanning 4.5 billion years of history. Its Gem and Mineral Hall displays thousands of rare specimens, including gold nuggets and meteorites. The institution focuses on the biodiversity and cultural history of Southern California through dedicated exhibits like the Nature Lab and the Becoming Los Angeles gallery. Its architecture combines a 1913 Beaux-Arts rotunda with modern glass-enclosed wings. Outdoor research gardens cover three acres and demonstrate native landscaping practices. The museum serves as an active research institution with on-site laboratories and paleontologists. It is part of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, which also manages the La Brea Tar Pits.
The rotunda entrance featuring the massive suspended whale skeleton and the grand marble staircase.
Download the museum app or check the website before arriving to see if any temporary galleries are currently closed for rotation.
Visit the Nature Gardens behind the museum to observe local wildlife and native plants that are difficult to find in urban LA.
Prioritize the Dinosaur Hall early in the day as it is the museum's most popular permanent exhibit.
Attempting to see the entire 35-million-item collection in one visit; focus on 2-3 specific wings to avoid fatigue.
Closed on certain major holidays; check for rotating exhibit maintenance closures.
No food or drink allowed inside exhibition galleries; refrain from touching display cases or mounted specimens.
