What Is it?: The Long Beach Museum of Art is an art museum. They have free days every Thursday from 3-8, all day Friday, and every 3rd Sunday of the month from 11-3 there is an arts and crafts session for children on the lawn and if the children participate, their admission is free for the day as well.
Fun Tips:
- – Bring a sketch pad for older toddlers and children and encourage them to sit and sketch some of the art they view (just be sure you watch them with writing utensils to make sure they don’t draw on anything but their papers!)
- – Bring a magnifying glass and let your kids look at the different brush strokes on different pieces of art
- – Pack a lunch and eat on the lawn to stretch out the afternoon
- – There is a beach behind the museum and a playground across the street and down a block for additional stuff to do after you visit. (But be sure to move your car from the museum lot to be considerate of other museum patrons.)
Cost: I have posted the hours for the free days, but normal cost outside these times is $7 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and free for children 12 and under.
Hours: See above for free days, normal hours are Thursdays 11 am – 8 pm, and Friday – Sunday 11 am – 5 pm.
Stroller Friendly: You can push a stroller around here, and there are elevators. I would leave the stroller for an older toddler as the museum is not that big and it isa bit cumbersome to push around, however, if I had a younger toddler who is not yet capable of following directions, I would bring a stroller or carrier just so I had something to strap them into so they didn’t run around touching the art.
Inside/Outside: Inside
Alcohol: No – unless you go to Claire’s next door and get cocktails.
Parking: Yes. There is a parking lot less than a block from the museum, and parking is free. There are metered spots along Ocean or at the beach as well if the lots is full.
Active family: No.
Food: You may not eat inside of the museum, however, there is a large grassy patch outside that you can eat on. It would be nice to bring a blanket and have a picnic lunch on the lawn before or after walking around the museum. Additionally, there is a restaurant on site, Claire’s, with great food and amazing Ocean views. It is a nice restaurant with breakfasts, soups, sandwiches, and cocktails. They have a happy hour on Thursdays from 3-6 pm.
Read More: This is an excellent place to take your children to let them experience art and talk to them about what they like/dislike about each piece and how it makes them feel.
The exhibitions rotate so be sure to call ahead to see if they are open because they often close for a few weeks between exhibitions. This rotation makes it a great place to visit more than once.
In addition to exhibitions by many famous artists, they have a kid’s exhibition in the basement where all the work is done by local elementary school students.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and are in no way affiliated with the official Long Beach Museum of Art. The information I provided is based upon my own experience at the Long Beach Museum of Art and the hours, fees, location, and anything else is subject to change in subsequent years. Please call ahead to verify any information given before planning your trip.