Gallery Tour: Modern Art at LACMA

Some art is easier to appreciate when a person who knows the collection walks you through it. On Monday, November 9, a LACMA docent leads a one-hour Gallery Tour of the Modern Art Galleries, a good weekday pick if you are scanning upcoming events in Los Angeles for something unhurried and cultural.

When: Monday, November 9 at 2:30 PM (until about 3:30 PM) Where: LACMA, BCAM, Level 3, 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles Price: Free with museum admission Length: About 60 minutes

What the tour covers

The tour stays inside the Modern Art Galleries on the third level of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM). An hour gives the docent time to stop at a number of works, explain what the artist was after and point out details you would likely miss on your own. Sculpture on low platforms, framed paintings and early twentieth century design all sit in the same open rooms, so the route moves easily from one piece to the next.

If you have wandered through these galleries before without much context, a guided pass changes how the room reads. Questions are part of the experience, and a group tour is a relaxed way to ask them.

Good to know

LACMA notes that these tours are volunteer-led and subject to cancellation. If you are making a special trip, ask a member of the museum team on the day to confirm the tour is running. The listing does not describe a reservation process, so plan to arrive a few minutes early at BCAM Level 3 and ask where the group meets.

The tour itself costs nothing once you are inside. Your only expense is general admission, unless you already have access through a membership or a free-entry program. Check LACMA's own event page for current admission details before you go.

Getting there

LACMA sits on Wilshire Boulevard in Mid-City, and the Metro D Line now stops directly at the museum at Wilshire/Fairfax Station. Taking the train spares you the hunt for parking around Museum Row. You can plan your trip at Metro.net. Leave extra time to cross the campus and find BCAM before the tour begins.

Make an afternoon of it

A Monday 2:30 PM start suits a slow afternoon off. After the tour, you can keep exploring the rest of the museum, and if you want more ideas for things happening in Los Angeles this month, browse our arts and culture listings.