"Museums Free For All" Weekend

I just found out that this upcoming weekend is the "8th Annual Museums Free For All Weekend" in L.A. (This is similar to "Doors Open" days where museums & heritage/architectural sites open their doors to the public for free access.) I am a huge advocate of free arts/cultural things (free anything for that matter, haha) -- one of my favourite things about living in the UK was that the vast majority of their museums/galleries are free of charge (well, technically paid for by the government through taxes, but still) and they have some of the most incredible museums in the world including The British Museum, The National Gallery, The V&A, and both Tates. So I'm very glad to see that a similar initiative exists in L.A.--albeit only for a weekend--and would encourage you all to get out there and wander around a couple of museums!

Keep in mind that a good number of these, such as the Fowler Museum on campus as well as both the Getty museums, are actually free all the time so I would focus on the ones that aren't, like the MOCA, the LACMA, and the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Here is an awesome chart that tells you when many of the museums offer free admission on a regular basis (also in PDF):

Also happening this weekend is the 18th Annual L.A. Art Show at the Convention Center. This is apparently the longest running encyclopedic art exhibit in the country and the largest on the west coast. I'm definitely going to check this out on Saturday and can only hope that the crowds aren't too insane! The regular admission is $20 with a $5 discount if you buy online in advance, or better yet, print your free tickets here, courtesy of Rau Antiques who will be exhibiting at the show! :o)