PST ART - Exposition Park

Art, science, history and nature converge across 160 acres at Exposition Park. Located across Exposition Boulevard from the University of Southern California (USC) campus, this sprawling cultural and community hub, which was founded in 1872, is currently home to three museums, two stadiums, multiple gardens and more.

For PST ART: Art & Science Collide, the Getty initiative that brings together institutions and galleries across Southern California. The California African American Museum is presenting World Without End: The George Washington Carver Project. Just across the park, the Natural History Museum has opened up a restored diorama room that hasn’t been viewed by the public in decades. Meanwhile, at USC Fisher Museum, a very short walk from Exposition Park, Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation is on view. It’s possible to visit all three exhibitions in one day, plus make time to explore more of what the park has to offer. Check out this neighborhood guide for tips on how to plan your trip.

Numerous hotels are located at L.A. LIVE, just minutes from Exposition Park, including:

• AC / Moxy - Dual property that's home to the spectacular Level 8 dining and entertainment complex.
• Hotel Figueroa - Landmark hotel with an art-driven vibe.
• JW Marriott - Luxury Ritz-Carlton Spa and the on-site Savoca trattoria.

There are multiple parking lots around Exposition Park. The most convenient location is the structure shared by the California African American Museum and California Science Center. The entrance for this lot is on 39th and Figueroa Street. Parking is $20 during the day and $24 after 4pm. NHM has its own parking lot located at 3724 Bill Robertson Lane, which opens at 9:15am and closes at 6pm. This lot is $18. If you’re parking elsewhere, double check the price and hours beforehand.

Go Metro and take the E Line to the Expo Park / USC station - it's a short walk to all of the locations mentioned in this guide. Additionally, there are multiple bus lines that have nearby stops. Use a reliable map or public transportation app to keep track of arrival and departure times for all trains and buses.

A true innovator, George Washington Carver championed sustainable agriculture and plant-based engineering in the early 20th century. He also incorporated sustainability into his art practice, which included weaving and painting. For PST ART, the California African American Museum (CAAM) is presenting World Without End: The George Washington Carver Project, now on view through Mar. 2, 2025. The exhibition features Carver’s art, lab equipment, samples and formulas alongside contemporary pieces from LA-based artist Judson Powell and others.

While you’re at CAAM, be sure to check out the museum's other exhibitions. Simone Leigh’s exquisite sculptures are on view through Jan. 20, 2025; and We Are Not Strangers Here: African American Histories in Rural California (Feb. 2, 2025). CAAM is free and no reservations are needed. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Beloved by visitors and locals alike, the diorama halls at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) are celebrating their centennial. To honor that milestone, the museum has restored and reopened one hall that had long been closed. There, visitors will experience Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness, featuring immersive new PST ART installations that call attention to dioramas as a unique combination of art and science and explore biodiversity, ecology, conservation, colonialism, and changing museum display techniques.

NHM Commons
Slated to open in November, the 75,000 square-foot NHM Commons expansion includes a 400-seat theater, newly landscaped plaza and garden, a grab-and-go cafe run by South LA Cafe; and the Judith Perlstein Welcome Center with new, free exhibits, including "Gnatalie," the green dinosaur skeleton that measures over 70 feet long; and Barbara Carrasco’s 80-foot mural L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective.

Admission fees at NHM range from $7 for children to $18 for adults. Children under the age of 2, U.S. military, California teachers and other groups can enter for free with identification. L.A. County residents can visit the museum for free on weekdays from 3pm til 5pm. For more info on special exhibit prices, visit the NHM website.

Now on view at the USC Fisher Museum through November 23, Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer LA: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation dives into LA history from the 1930s through the 1960s to look at the convergence of science fiction, occult and LGBTQ communities in the city, highlighting groups like the LA Science Fantasy Society and artists like Marjorie Cameron and Kenneth Anger. Admission to the museum is free.

At the Natural History Museum, the Neighborhood Grill has both a made-to-order menu, which includes vegan items, and grab-and-go options. When the NHM Commons opens in November, South LA Cafe will be running a new cafe in the plaza.

Trimana at the California Science Center offers sandwiches, wraps and salads, and a few hot lunch items.

Throughout Exposition Park, particularly around the Rose Garden and near the California Science Center parking lot, you can usually find food cart vendors with snack items, like ice cream or chips. There are benches and picnic tables outside of the Rose Garden.

There are multiple fast casual dining options on Figueroa, particularly on the bottom level of the Tuscany Apartments, across the street from CAAM.

Mercado La Paloma
Located a half-mile from Exposition Park, Mercado La Paloma is a bustling marketplace with everything from mom-and-pop stalls to the Michelin-starred Holbox.

Be sure to carve out time to visit the California Science Center, which offers free entry for its permanent exhibitions. Special exhibits like Leonardo da Vinci: Inventor. Artist. Dreamer. (on view through Jan. 5, 2025) and screenings in the IMAX theater are ticketed.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum offers guided tours on Mondays and Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm. The 75-minute walking tour will take you behind-the-scenes of the century-old stadium, which is home to USC Trojans Football and has hosted generations of historic events, including two Summer Olympics, the 1972 Wattstax Benefit Concert and visits from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope John Paul II and multiple U.S. Presidents.

Gardens
Also take time to roam the grounds at Exposition Park. Stroll through the Rose Garden, located at the entrance closest to the Metro E Line, and enjoy a cool breeze near the fountain. If you parked near the California Science Center, don’t leave without walking through the Roy A. Anderson Blackbird Exhibit & Garden, which features the world's only A-12 Blackbird trainer and a Southern California ecosystems garden that grows on the periphery of the parking structure.

Check the calendars of both BMO Stadium and the Coliseum as you plan your visit. BMO is home to LAFC and Angel City FC; and the Trojans play their home games on Saturdays at the Coliseum. Plus, both venues host concerts and special events, which can limit your options for parking in or around Exposition Park. If you are going to a game or concert at BMO or the Coliseum, plan to arrive early enough to check out the PST ART shows.

The museums at Exposition Park and USC do not have the same schedules. To make the most of your trip, try to find a date and time when all of the facilities are open.

Be mindful of construction in and around Exposition Park. Between expansions at the Natural History Museum and California Science Center, as well as the forthcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, there’s a lot happening on the grounds.