The Hammer Museum: Westwood's Free Home for Art and Ideas
By Giovanna Salas
This article is part of Free in Los Angeles, Heart of Hollywood Magazine's series on the museums across the region that open their doors at no charge.
On Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, the Hammer Museum has made a simple promise to Los Angeles: admission is free, and advance reservations are not necessary. The museum describes itself as free for good, with admission underwritten by Marcy Carsey, the Erika J. Glazer Family Foundation and the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation.
From Private Collection to University Museum
The museum was founded in 1990 by Dr. Armand Hammer, then chairman of Occidental Petroleum, in a building designed by the architect Edward Larrabee Barnes. UCLA took over its management in 1994, and the university's Grunwald Center collection moved there in 1995.
Armand Hammer's own collection spans old master and 19th-century European art, including works by Honoré Daumier. The Hammer Contemporary Collection now holds more than 4,500 works, and the museum organizes Made in L.A., its biennial survey of artists working across the region. Zoë Ryan became director in 2025, succeeding Ann Philbin.
On View This Season
Huguette Caland: A Life in a Few Lines, September 27, 2026 to February 28, 2027.
Hammer Projects: Mike Cloud, through January 10, 2027.
Hammer Projects: Vibeke Mascini, through January 17, 2027.
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Plan Your Visit
Admission: Free. No reservation needed; groups of 10 or more should register as a self-guided tour.
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Address: 10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
Parking: $9 for three hours with validation, then $3 for each additional 20 minutes, up to $30. A $9 flat rate applies after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.
Transit: Served by Metro and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus.
Website: https://hammer.ucla.edu
Details were checked against the museum's official website in September 2026. Hours, admission policies and exhibition dates are set by each museum and may change, so please confirm on the official website before you go.
Sources
Hammer Museum: https://hammer.ucla.edu
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