- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Petersen Automotive Museum
Rating Details »
Categories: Museums, Venues & Event Spaces
Neighborhood: Mid-City West6060 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 964-6356
Petersen Swap Meet & CARnival 12/5
Bring the family to our Garage Sale and Swap Meet and CARnival Family Fun Day on Saturday 12/5! Visit our website for more info.
Announced 1 week ago- Hours:
Tue-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
60 reviews for Petersen Automotive Museum
Little known factoid: The Notorious B.I.G. got shot right outside of this museum. Crazy huh?
The museum itself is pretty cool. I don't care to much for cars and their history, but if you're stoned on a Saturday this place is rad! You can definitely kill a few hours here and learn quite a bit. Great place to take kids.
I am a classic car buff, and I did not find Peterson's interesting at all.
I always see advertisements and TV commercials promoting the peterson museum, so I finally made the trek to Wilshire and went to check it out. The museum itself seemed small, there were only a couple of cars that actually caught my attention. Most of the cars at Peterson's are things that I have seen and actually touched before at other shows.
It was a waste of time and money because i could always find much cooler automobiles the Pomona Swapmeet or at my local cruise night or car show.
I like my Cars like I like my Lovers: Fast, Easy, and with Stylish Class. OK, actually, I'm just happy if my car has a good sound system, as I'm not what one calls "A car guy," by any means. But, I do have a deep appreciation for autos of yesteryear. There's just something so powerful about the cars from the 20's, 30's and 40's. Their sleek, curvaceous lines, sofa-like seating, and tasteful colors speak to me in a way that a fine painting or a well written novel does. It says "I am art AND I am functional." I think this line of thinking can get lost in our modern day society sometimes.
While attending the LACMA MUSE 2009 Artwalk, my main goal of the walk was to come here to the Petersen Automotive Museum. Their priceless collection of vintage cars, trucks, gas pumps, and other auto paraphernalia is displayed in the most intriguing fashion. On the ground floor, whole dioramas are on show, with the cars as the main viewpoint. But the scenes are art as well. Complete with scarily human-looking mannequins in period attire, mock buildings, and tromp l'oeil backdrops, the vehicles are displayed in a very realistic setting. Guests can even walk down a recreated vintage street.
The second level displays are mostly just the cars themselves. Here they have their rotating displays, as well as a motorcycle exhibit, famous autos from the movies, and my personal favorite "What were they Thinking?" This contains highly unusual contraptions, such as amphibious cars, cars with propellers, and autos with highly disastrous problems (no, the Pinto is not on display here). They also provide convenient parking, and a great gift shop. Its also great for people of all ages. I found that the kids visiting the museum were enthralled with the cars, and the exhibits are definitely stroller friendly for those with newborns. Also, Tom Bergin's Irish Pub is nearby, if one is craving a Guinness or Corned Beef. I highly recommend everyone visiting this outstanding museum. I will most certainly be taking people here soon.
For those of you that think that model cars are not the funniest and coolest things to past your time with, you are absolutely wrong. I just got into putting these things together, and I feel like a doctor doing open heart surgery when I am invovled in the task. It looks easy but they really are not. Go to this place if you want to get some interesting cars.
Years ago I was here with my young nephews and we had fun. It was great when we walked into the ARCO shop and they thought it was just another exhibit, not a real live place to buy stuff.
I don't think the ARCO shop is there anymore, but will find out tomorrow when I attend the BEAUJOLAIS PASSIONS event which will feature French culinary delicacies, dozens of exhibitors, live French music, a fantastic DJ, a fabulous silent auction, and great raffle prizes. Lucky attendees will not only be able to taste the Beaujolais Nouveau 2009, but also explore many other wines, sample food, dance, have fun, and network.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
from 7:00 PM to 12:00 midnight
at the Petersen Automotive Museum
http://www.beaujolaisp...
though i'm an urban planning+design+alt energy+high speed train-iac, i also love me some classic cars, and still rue the day i let go of that dynasty green-striped '65 Falcon, yo! Arrggggghhh :O(
unfugginbelievably, it's taken me til this past weekend to traipse into the Petersen and maaaaaaannnnn...i am blown away.
not only is the collection impossibly beautiful, and of great historical importance, it proves that the automobile, in its most bold, daring, adventurous, and fearless progressiveness, is truly a work of art.
ummm.duh...but we alll know this already, right?
the collection is not only wide in breadth, the exhibits are mondo cool, especially the reconstructions of early to mid century businesses, not only auto-related ones, but other storefront/officefront relics of eras gone by. the period reconstructions, even down to the bomb-ass human mannequins, are done totally artistically and never cheesy, and also with some level of humor involved. the 1930's Bugatti showroom is a sublime set piece that truly transports you back.
the cars were heavily weighted to the 1920s-1940s period, which initially disappointed me slightly, being traditionally fascinated with 1950s-1970s cars (slightly underrepresented at the museum, to my surprise). HOWEVER my eyes opened wide, and i gained a HUGE respect for and gaped in awe at the handcrafted, meticulous futuristic funkadelic nature of that exciting 1920s-1940s era when vision and manufacturing were conjoined.
one cannot help but look at today's cars, and, even with their on-board computers and high tech blabbity blah, lament the loss of no-rules audacious styling, surprising considering the socially conservative times back then. And equally, the lost opportunity at making these amazing machines energy efficient...
ELECTRIC CARS? We had 'em back in '97....ummm....1897 to be exact!!!
FUEL ECONOMY? How about 50 mpg for a sleek 1927 sedan!!
HOLY FUCK THIS PLACE FUCKIN' ROCKS!!!
But don't take my verbose blabber-ass word for it.
Next time you think Museum, shake it up a bit and cruise on down to the Petersen.
...And lemme know if you find the super-secret vault of where the rest of the 50s-70s cars be at!!!!!!...
DONE.
What a great place. I love the streetscape exhibit on the main floor. It really gives you an idea of what early automotive history was in Southern California. I thought the storefront facades really added to the picture of life in the early 20s and 30s.
The rotating exhibits upstairs were cool. Right now they have one that is "what were they thinking." I saw cars with only two wooden wheels, model only cars that never saw production, etc. The alternative fuels exhibit was interesting too. I never had heard of a wood burning furnace to help fuel a vehicle before, but there was during World War II in Europe.
Whether you are a car fan or not, you'll definitely find something cool that appeals to you. Heck, there was even a Hot Wheels exhibit.
I have NEVER EVER seen my dad happier and more ecstatic than when I took him here. That phrase, "he looks like a kid in a candy store" perfectly describes my dad the moment he stepped into this museum, and he wouldn't stop talking about this place for weeks afterward!!
My dad is a BIG BIG car lover, and I am not, but when he came to visit me in LA I found this place online and he was a little apprehensive....he is not really a museum person, but The Petersen Museum changed his view for the rest of his life of museums.
There is a student price here so bring your ID, although my dad said he would have paid double of triple to come here! There are three floors full of all kinds of cars on exhibit and the cars on display change periodically to keep you coming back for more. They even had cars here from 1904!!!! My dad was just in plain shock and he has been a subscriber to every car magazine since he could read. A huge collection of classic cars, all shown with what awards they have won, who owned them before if previously owned by a celebrity, a hollywood car section of favorite cars from the screen, past car models that have failed, race cars and hot rods covered with those awesome flames on that shiny purple background....
All I can say is that coming from a person who doesn't really know too much about cars, this place even put me in awe. Seeing cars that are that old and kept in such good condition, their "vault" section of their best cars is a definite must see. Next time you are in the museum district, even if you aren't a car person, I promise you will learn something. They have docent led tours too, where even my dad learned some things!!
The next time my dad comes to visit I know where to take him, and since he couldn't help but buy himself a Petersen hat afterward, I know he'll be a walking advertisement for as long as that hat lasts!!
LOTS of photos.
I always get excited when the exhibits rotate but no matter how many times I see them, the Vault exhibit gets me every time.
The collections and rotations are almost always worth seeing and there are typically 3 rotations going on at any given time. There are 4 other areas that are pretty stable through the year (historical walk through automobiles, rare items, the artist wall, and the Hollywood Collection), and they are always a sight to see.
I've had the luck in seeing several exhibits on display at the Petersen over the past few years. The first time around showcased the history of the Ferrari and the Treasures From the Vault. The second time around greeted me with low-riders and concept cars. The third time covered me with goosebumps. Hot Rods of world-class competition status and the Vault was out once again.
I can't say much about this museum that hasn't already been said, but I will restate that it is worth the hour drive and fighting through traffic to get here. Parking and admission is cheap. The grounds are clean. The collections are beautiful. The captioning is informative. The history is enveloping.
I'm looking forward the the next rotation.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/2/2008
Came here with a friend after finding out that he's a car freak. Last I came, there was an amazing… Read more »
This museum has a vast collection of very unique cars. My dad, being a total gear head, turned me on to cars at an early age, so I have a love for cars unlike most women.
I highly recommend taking a guided tour because they give you a history of the cars and the different ways that the automobile has shaped our society, which you will otherwise miss if you do not take the tour. I know it sounds totally geeky, and maybe it is, but I thought it was really informative.
The museum has a gift shop and a small snack area (but they only have vending machines, no real people to take your money, so take your dollar bills people).
Ladies this is a great place to take your husbands, boyfriends, dads, brothers, etc., for a great afternoon that you will both enjoy (or if you are anything like me, treat yourself)!
An early Fathers Day brought the family together. A hurt shoulder caused us to cancel our golf tee times in search of something less physical. My dad, my son and I had come to Peterson when my son was about 5 years old. At that time, he was a Hot Wheel fanatic but now, at 12, he is into Ferrari, Lamborghini and the like.
The three of us made our way inside, but not before being treated to a parking lot full of Rolls Royce's, Ferrari's, Cobra's, a rocket car, and the like. Some appeared like regular customer's cars while others were overflow from the displays inside.
The actual exhibits inside were nicely laid out, well lit, in front of cool facades that captured the essence of the times. I was expecting the museum to be a bit larger but we had a good time.
Finally got the chance to visit during Muse Walk '09. Years of car-obsessed RiCeRbOi friends have turned me into somewhat of a car fan myself. Being so, I soaked in the exotics like the SLK, the ($1.25 mil) Bugatti Veyron, and the Ford GT 40. Hot!
Even if you aren't a car freak, it's still fun to take a look at other design flops, alternative energy cars and the "loaner" hydrogen-fueled 7-series bimmer. What a great blend of old and new. They should have more old pics of the freeways, i loved how the rotating pic of the "old 405" had the "freeway end" exit on the sign!!
Parking here is a bit more expensive at LACMA but come on, it's covered!!
Awesome!
Even if you aren't crazy about cars, the exhibit is just so neat. And interactive. They have a whole section for kids.
And even if you've been before, it's worth going again because the cars on the 2nd floor change. They highlight different themes, convertibles, minis, etc...
And of course, if you are into cars, of any era, well then this is your Meca.
Ladies,
The gift shop.
They had a purse made out of the upholstery of Cameros. You could pick by color or year.
Hint*** Christmas idea for me. Anyone? Anyone at all?
I want it in red.
Most museums are pretty boring and so snotty I can't stand going to them. The Petersen does not fall under this umbrella.
In a freeway-centric town like LA, this museum is a must for anyone interested in just how this machine came to be so revolutionary to the world. There's also quite a bit on the history of LA's car culture and why we became a model (for better or worse) for everything from freeways to strip malls to anything centered around the car.
Though I do like to repair my car when I can, I'm certainly not a gear head, but I still found this museum to be really interesting/educational. If none of that has hooked you yet, there are plenty of gorgeous cars to look at.
I'm not a car nut, but this place was damn impressive. Outside I was able to see a Tucker (from the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream) and I believe there's only a handful in existence. It's known for its third, centered headlight. Inside this place is HUGE and has everything imaginable, large and small, old and new, domestic and foreign. If you have a friend or relative who likes cars, take them here immediately, then make them buy you dinner.
I spent about two hours here on a Saturday afternoon and it was a very good time. After wasting about 45 minutes at LACMA I figured I had nothing to lose taking the short walk down the street after having already overpaid for parking in their lot.
They have a huge selection of autos depicting the evolution of cars from their earliest beginnings all the way to the most modern rides out there. Most amusing things were the hybrid that came out in the 1970s and the prototype of the nuclear powered car that was supposed to roll on one wheel (never quite made it).
Great place to bring the kids as they have a whole showroom of hot wheels that they will flip over (at least I would have about 20 years ago).
It was a good feeling walking away from there after having a good time and having learned a few tidbits of useless info...
5 bucks for students!
Last weekend, my brother, sister-in-law and I decided to have a museum filled Sunday afternoon to celebrate the sunshine and holiday weekend. Although we all loved the Hearst exhibit at LACMA, dragging my brother through the Vanity Fair photos meant that we'd compromise and come with him afterwards to the Peterson.
There was a special exhibit on camping vehicles that he was just dying to see..... yeah I will be the first to tell you how different he and I are, believe me!
The whole first floor is an adventure through he history of LA and the evolution of cars and freeways and how our city was built upon the convenience of cars. It's really interesting and the exhibits are very cool. There's an audio tour available by dialing a number on your cell phone but most of the commentary was a little too long-winded for our taste. It's a very cool concept for people who want that option but we found that the info on the accompanying signs was plenty informative for us.
The second floor is where special exhibits (including the shockingly interesting camping vehicles) are shown. There was also a whole section on some very cool roadsters and of course, the LA-requisite movie cars (either seen in movies or previously driven by some pretty big movie stars). The cars all have fun little stories and descriptions that accompany them and are pretty damn cool to look at. There was also a Hot Wheels exhibit that made my sister in law and I feel like we'd just taken shrooms and stumbled upon a foreign land made of tiny cars so that was the only section that I wasn't so into.
Overall, the Peterson is a great museum for older kids, adults, and anyone who has a weakness for cars or California history. There are too many things you can't touch to amuse the really little ones but it's definitely great for the little boys who just want to see some cool cars!
When my husband suggested visiting this place on a Saturday afternoon I was less than thrilled. But then I thought about the countless Saturdays he has spent with me at the mall, and my guilt kicked in... So I say, "Okay, that sounds like fun!" (Hello, liar, your pants are on fire...).
BUT, I have to admit, this place was really interesting. Its amazing to me that they've been able to acquire so many ancient cars, and that they're literally in pristine condition. I loved the old Rolls Royce cars (They are enormous!) I'd definitely take some out-of-towners there for a visit, I know they'd have a fun time like I did. I still can't believe I did!
Was visiting West Hollywood with some time to kill and was hoping to see the elusive 1966 Batmobile which was on display.
Unfortunately the Batmobile had been rotated out and been replaced by other Hollywood Movie Gallery cars.
Fortunately they had the Green Hornet's Black Beauty was still on display and a host of really great Hot Rods.
They also have a cool but small Hot Wheels Hall of Fame wing located on the second floor.
The museum is three stories with most of the exhibits on the first and second floors. The third floor is for kids hands on exhibits and hosting kids B-Day parties.
The docents give guided tours as you can see a herd of people collected around them.
Parking is easy as the entrance is off of Fairfax which is an exit off of I-10. It is on the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire. The price of admission if you have an AAA card was $9.00. This does not include the price of parking, and many mistake the stub they give you as a parking pass. You have to pay on the way out so you can exit with any delay. Cars were stuck at the exit gates as a result.
Cars are terrif. I like cars. My man loves cars more than I love bagels.
Next time, we'll actually end up here in the daytime and go in to check in out.
For this trip, I wanted only to swing past and pay my respects to Biggie.
Love the Petersen about once every couple years when i'm visiting LA. Will make another trip this summer to see the fine selection of autos... Amazing.
Brought my dad here on his birthday and we both really enjoyed it. ($5 for over 62!)
There was so much to see, the two floors were almost more than we had an interest for, and my dad is a real 'car-buff.'
I wish the audio tour had been available in another format. We called in and it seemed interesting, but my dad couldn't get reception on his cell phone and i could, which didn't seem like a fun way to walk through the place, so neither of us ended up listening.
Good thing he's a car buff, he had lots to say about everything. :)
If you had to come up with a museum that embodies the cultural evolution of the city we call Los Angeles, then the Peterson is that place. Even the
"motor city" I do not think has had quite as much impact on the aftermarket, design, and racing history of the automobile over the last 100 years. Now I must confess that I am kind of an accidental gear head. I had the misfortune of owning a 1970's GM product that was put together by monkeys. The good news is that I acquired the skills to rebuild multiple motors, swap a trans, and I am proud to say that I have never paid a mechanic even for an oil change, because I always do the work quicker and for considerably less money. I am not quite making a $100 an hour so I guess I am still ahead. So the museum? Do you need to know what a piston return spring or muffler bearings are to appreciate the Peterson? I can barely draw a stick figure but seeing a Van Gogh or Seurat always fills me with awe. The French designs of the 30's and the recent exhibit on early 20th century camping vehicles would give any curious person some eye candy. This place is a great value and worth an afternoon to gawk at some of the most interesting pieces of mobile art.
Excellent in every regard! A great place to take anyone who has even a little interest in cars and an even better one for a car nut. It is very interesting even if you have been there before because it is an evolving display. $10.00 to get in and you have to pay for parking too. A cheaper alternative is the Nethercutt museum in Sylmar, free admission, free parking. Still, this place is well worth the price of admission, if you haven't been there its worth seeing, even if you have no interest in cars, highly recommended!
While most everything that can be said about this place, has been said. I would like to add.... What's up with women not being into cars mostly?
There was a time when cars and boys and girls were just about all that was on my mind. Related? Perhaps. But I still love cars. Then again, I'm a Cubs fan. So I guess I might just be a hopeless romantic.
If there is anything cooler than a lowrider? Please let me know.
I love this place. Vroooom.
Great collection of matchbox cars--you know those intricate little machines that ended up under foot (ouch!) or flung across the room in a childhood tantrum. When you walk under the Matchbox Arch (TM), the lights go crazy, and the wall (?) makes zroom zroom sounds. Way cool!
Plus, there's a tv that plays old school circa 70s Matchbox commercials. Apparently in 1971, there were only 73 different Matchbox cars. Although that will probably never come up on Jeopardy!, it's still a cool piece of random trivia. Okay, maybe not.
I love this museum. Unlike the Louvre, this one can be visted in one unhurried afternoon. Nothing against the Louvre. Actually, something indeed against the Louvre. Share already.
Even if you're not a huge car person, you can enjoy the variety of roadsters on display here as well as the fact sheets that give you just enough background information without being overwhelming.
I had never really thought of a car as a work of art, but the Petersen has convinced me of my naive former ways. These vehicles were made with much love, sometimes over the course of many years, and with great attention to detail.
Any time I have a surgical patient's family (especially husband and children) seeking a few hours of entertainment I suggest a visit to the Petersen at Fairfax and Wilshire. The permanent displays on the first floor are elegant and appealing "to the entire family" and will return you to several eras of the last century. The upstairs exhibits vary from chic and elegant to Hollywood glitz depending upon the nature of the display. Anyone with even a passing interest in cars and automotive history will find a visit to be very worthwhile. Parking is plentiful and easy in the covered garage ($).
I was raised by wolves. Well, my uncles are all old Hot rodders, Lowriders and Bikers and that's pretty much the same thing in my book. So turning a wrench has always been in my blood.
What I like about the Petersen is you don't have to be a complete gearhead to appreciate the exhibits they have. I've been to the Petersen a ton of times and always invite friends along that aren't really car people, but they end up having a great time. For example, I took a musician friend to an exhibit of musician's cars and their guitars. Another friend that collected Hot Wheels as a kid, I took the Hot Wheels exhibit.
The last time I went was for the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth / Rat Fink show which also had an after hours lecture... pretty much mecca for Kar Kulture enthusiasts.
I decided to let traffic die down and get there just before the exhibit rooms closed for the night. I couldn't have planned it any better. A lady friend and I had the entire place to ourselves, then out of the corner of my eye, I saw 2 other people viewing the cars in the distance. As we got a little closer I whispered "Oh shit, ...that's Robert Williams". For those that don't know, Robert Williams is the father of LowBrow. I don't get starstruck, but fuck, I have to admit, he gets all my love.
I got to shoot the shit with Mr. Williams and his wife for about a half hour before the lecture started. He's one of the coolest, down to earth people ever and it turned out to be on of the most memorable nights of my life.
Thanks Petersen Museum.
Check out their website for upcoming events and I'm sure you'll find something that interests you.
For better or for worse, the automobile is tied intrinsically to LA's history and present. So its mandatory that if you want to really learn and understand a stigmatized and stereotyped city like LA, you need to know the history of its automobile culture that it globalized. The best place to get such an education and experience is LA's very own Petersen Automotive Museum.
I've never been a car person. Yes, I drive almost on a daily basis, but I very rarely get excited about seeing a rare and expensive car. I see cars as a necessary evil to get me from Point A to Point B. However, my bf likes looking at display cars and several Yelpers and friends recommended that I visit this museum.
The building itself from the outside is not all that impressive. It looks like a large multi story parking lot. For a museum dedicated to the automobile, it lacks a lot of bling and pizzazz an eye-catching car would, especially when it has to compete with the more glamorous faade of LACMA directly across the street.
Then there's the entrance. You can't enter from the Wilshire side, you have to go inside the parking garage and enter from within. I guess its makes sense that for a museum that is dedicated to cars, they don't want you to walk into the museum, they want you to drive in and pay the $7 parking fee.
Upon entering we saw an outrageously tricked out ice cream truck titled something along the lines of the Candy Man. I didn't realize it at the time, but they had a temporary exhibit on LA's subculture of low riders and so naturally they would have low-rider vehicles on display. I mentioned before that I'm not a car person, but I am attracted to bright and shiny things and this ice cream truck mesmerized me.
I also noticed a well-stocked and visually eye-catching museum store to the left, but resisted the temptation to step in just yet. We walked over to the ticket desk and I was about to fork over $20 to pay for 2 adult admissions, but my bf had his student ID, so the price of admission was knocked down to $15 for the 2 of us. Not bad.
I noticed they had exhibits on the Pixar Cars movie as well. It's a good move since it makes the museum that much more engaging to children. This way they aren't bored as their parents (usually fathers) drool over the sports cars on display.
The first floor showed a lot of history of the beginning of car culture and what people envisioned autos would be capable of doing in their future. There are some rotating tri panels highlighting the so-called importance of LA's freeways. They pointed out that LA's freeways are the largest and most expensive structures of the city. I don't think that's something to be proud of.
Many of the exhibits were donations from the big 3 American automakers, but there were exhibits on Farmers Insurance, ARCO gas stations and even an original Helms Bakery delivery van. What impressed me the most was the various display settings used to recreate specific time periods. Some of those displays almost made me feel like I was walking into a time warp.
The second floor was filled with more recent cars. It had exhibits on various cars powered by steam, coal, electricity, fuel cells and even solar. I was really disappointed that they only highlighted mostly the good things about each technology. I really think they should have had a specific exhibit detailing how the USA govt. and the automakers purposely obstructed the development of alternative energy powered cars since the 60's in favor of gas guzzling autos. However, I doubt most of the automaker donors to the museum would like to see such a display.
The second floor also had more display that I considered a lot more fun and endearing to me like vehicles from cartoons and superhero shows and movies. They had the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, along with the Green Hornet's car and the Batmobile. They also had a really exhibit on Hot Wheels. That gave me childhood flashbacks of me and my younger brother playing with those toy cars. Ah the good old days.
I thought we had completed the museum exhibits, but my bf reminded me there was a 3rd floor. There wasn't an escalator to head up to the 3rd, so we took the elevator up instead. We didn't expect much since we noticed it was the children's section. I must say we were also impressed by all the displays for that were very kid friendly, many of them were hands on, so that the kids could interact wit them. We found out that you could arrange to hold a private party up her for the kids to enjoy.
So overall, I would recommend this museum to everyone, including the non-car loving people like myself.
We have been wanting to come here for months once i found out that the hot wheels was here. We are a big car family. muscle cars that is. There wasnt one here, so that was alittle disappointing. There was some pretty cool cars here though. We got some cool pics. The hot wheel's setup was stupid. It was nothing like i was expecting. It was just a few cases of hot wheels on the wall. one of each casting. not much info about them at all.
This Museum has a fantastic collection of cars and unique exhibits - hot wheels, the Pixar movie Cars, motorcycles, gas pumps, movie cars (Grease!), alternative fuel, etc.
Why not 5 stars? Well its $10 to get in, $8 to park and has the worst cell phone audio tour I have ever had to listen to.
This is a fun place to spend about an hour. They have two floors. The first contains mainly cars from the 1920s and the second floor has celebrity cars( aka Herbie bug, Clark gable car, batman returns etc) and low-riders. They have an early hybrid car here too. I just wish they had some more modern cars but I see those driving around la anyhow.
It is pretty big, very clean and well maintained. However, the cafe only has vending machines and could do well with some snacks.
Automobile museum, education, not very interactive, $5 w/ student ID.
Entertainment book discount.
Saw the following exhibits:
1. Lowriders
2. Early american cars
3. Green vehicles
4. Hot Wheels
5. Cars from movies/TV
My 17 month old boy was going crazy. He loves cars and couldn't get enough of all the sweet rides.
The lowrider exhibit was the shizzle fo'nizzle. There was a bitchin tricked out ice cream truck.
Being that LA is the car capital of the world, I was expecting more. There were some cool cars but honestly nothing special. Perhaps I am spoiled because I live near and have been to the Behring Auto Museum in Danville several times, but I was expecting more cars and an exclusive collection.
I liked the cars of Hollywood exhibition, but the fact that this place is literally down the street from Hollywood I anticipated more film cars on display. The Cars animated move drawing exhibit was cool though. The best part of the Hot Wheels exhibit were the older commercials (late 70s, early 80s) they were showing on a TV set.
I don't think I would go back, nor recommend unless there was a significant collection on exhibit. And as one reviewer mentioned for $8 parking and $10 entrance fee I want more.
I love cars, but the overall feeling of the museum was neglect and lack of interest. It was very disheartening to see what could be an AMAZING museum be so average. Granted I went at an off time (Friday early afternoon), but I only saw 10 other people in the museum the whole time I was there.
Some amazing cars, both new and old. They have some great southern california car cultture bits and stories. The permanent collection was interesting enough. Heavily favors hot rod customs. There is also a large section with hollywood vehicles. I thought the most interesting part of the museum was their recreation of city streets and cars parked along the roads that you can saunter by. Most exhibits allowed you to get right up to the car, but you can't touch (of course).
I think the special exhibit at the time were all the campers and trailers. Not sure if this was temporary or permanent, but it was pretty humorous to see what a recreational vehicle used to look like, and how they were assembled.
Some pretty nifty bikes at the museum, most notably an Indian once owned by Steve McQueen.
The alternate fuel exhibit they had was tiny, and dated even at this point of the game. I can be a sucker for expensive cars, and I liked seeing a 2006 Bugatti Veyron as well as a couple of Ford GTs new and old.
Oh forgot to add, I don't really care how much a museum costs... but this one was $10 and $8 to park, but I found free street parking a couple blocks away no problem. I would not go back to this museum unless they had something special come up. On the other hand, it was worth going once.
Its cool and they have alot of cars. The place is clean and well organized.
BUT.... 90% of the cars are modified or hot-rodded or messed with.
I wish they could have all original cars or cars as close to original as possible - rather than cars that anyone with money can piece together from NAPA or order car parts from catalogs.
I AM a car person. My last name is even a car make from the 1920's and 30's and they have atleast one of my namesakes on display most of the time. It won an Indianapolis 500.
The last time I went to this fine collection of automobiles and what not, they had a Hot Wheels show as well as a few of the cars on display they modeled the toys after. Cool!
The other room was Shelby car designs... oh, sexy! There is nothing better than horsepower and sleek design to make this girl drool.
Come early and take your time. It's a nice way to spend a rainy day.
Mind you, I'm not a car person. The way I notice cars goes something like this, "oh, it's yellow." That's about as deep as I go, but the Petersen manages to keep my interest, and I'll give a 5-star crash rating.
Last weekend, the father-in-law was in town, and what to do between him and husband, because you know they're not planning anything. So, I whisked them off to the Petersen where all, myself included, had a magnificent time and lingered longer than I imagined we would. I'd been there in 2004 and had seen the much-praised Hot Wheels exhibit, which was really amazing. Did you know the most valuable Hot Wheel is worth $100,000? That's right - so, keep your eye peeled for that VW bus with the surfboard when you're cruising garage sales.
Returning to the present, still had fun there 3 years later. The first floor exhibits stay the same as you follow this sort of trajectory from the roots of the car to the present (more or less). Being an old movie buff, I always love seeing Fred Astaire's Rolls Royce, and this time an amazing docent swung by to give us a little history - there's an A on the front of the car for Astaire - hmm, who knew?
The father-in-law was going gaga over the Offenhauser motors (you remember, I said "yellow" was the extent of my car recognition), but the little signs translated things nicely for us folks who live in a car world defined by color, and I emerged a few strokes smarter.
Who knew car museums could be interesting? I learned a lot, and my friend mentioned that after my visit, I started noticing specific cars on the street. (Normally cars are just a means of transportation for me.) Not only does the museum feature automobile history, but it also shows the history of the Los Angeles area and it's relationship to the automobile.
Worth a look.
