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Petersen Automotive Museum

The Peterson Automobile Museum on Los Angeles Wilshire Boulevard is one of the largest museums of its kind and must be visited by any car fan. The four floors of the former retail building house more than 300,000 square feet of exhibit space. In total, there are 100 cars in 25 categories.

For 20 years, the Petersen Automobile Museum has remained a must-have destination for car enthusiasts from both near and far abroad.

Car Museum in Los Angeles

His exhibitions and expositions depict not only the history of the car itself, but also the automotive culture of Southern California. It was always a damn cool place to visit, but in the fall of 2014 everything was closed to undergo a massive reconstruction. In 2015, he returned, and became better than ever.

Petersen Automotive Museum — Best Los Angeles Museums — American ButlerLocated at the end of the Miracle Mile and at the third traffic intersection in Los Angeles, the museum makes good use of the city as a prime example of the impact of the car on American life and culture.

The Petersen Museum is located in a historic department store building, built in 1962. Its facade was redesigned by the architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox in 2015. The reconstruction of the interior cost $90 million. Currently, 25 exhibitions are presented here, where you can see more than 150 cars.

As soon as you enter the door, the changes become completely obvious. Externally, the building may be the same, but inside it really looks like a completely different place.

Although some automobile museums are nothing more than a collection of cars with several lights above them, this was not the case with the old building, and, of course, this does not apply to the new one. In general, all this looks more like one of the big beautiful European museums than what you usually see in the USA.

Photographers will appreciate the attractive way to present all cars. Yes, it’s good when a bunch of cars are put together, but much better when they can be appreciated and enjoyed from all sides. Lighting is also at the highest level — there are no dark rooms with harsh lighting.

Story

The museum was originally housed in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and then moved to the historic department store, designed by Welton Becket. The building initially served as a short-lived branch of Seibu department stores in the United States, and then from 1965 to 1986 it operated as Ohrbach's store. Six years after Ohrbach’s closure, Robert Petersen chose this space as the perfect place for a museum to exhibit without the harmful effects of direct sunlight.

In 1994, the building was adapted for use as the Petersen Automobile Museum, and high fins resembling car washes of the 1950s were installed on its facade.

In 2013, the museum carried out reconstruction for $20 million, which completely transformed the facade. And in 2015 there was another reconstruction, already for 125 million. The renewed museum opened to the public on December 7, 2015.

In fact, to say that Petersen was just renovated is a huge understatement. The historic building was completely rethought from scratch and transformed from the inside out.

What to see at the Petersen Car Museum

Petersen Automotive Museum — Los Angeles Auto Museum — American ButlerHere you can admire more than 150 models of rare and classic cars, motorcycles and trucks, filled with magnificent dioramas that bring you back to the history of cars. You will find everything from early roadsters to modern sports car concepts.

Among the models that are in excellent condition, you will find the Bentley, built in 1919, the Lincoln Continental in 1942 and even the Ferrari, first released in 1961.

In addition to traditional models, you will see original Batmobiles here - one from the series, another from Tim Burton's movie, a taxi from Blade Runner and the Pontiac Aztek crossover from Breaking Bad. On the 2nd floor are temporary exhibitions and special events.

On the 3rd floor, the Family Discovery Center stimulates interest in science, teaching the basic scientific principles with the help of car functions. His practical seminars are very interesting for both adults and children.

On the 4th floor there is a conference center, lounge and kitchens that can be rented for special occasions, parties and other events.

Additional Information
The address 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone + 1-323-930-2277
Mode of operation Mon — Sun: 10:00 – 18:00
Cost
  • Children: $11;
  • Adults: $16;
  • Senior Citizens: $12.
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  • 1.Receiving discounts and bonuses
  • 2.Comments and ratings
  • 3.Secure payments
  • 4.Payment history
  • 5.Subscribe to news and updates
Login | Registration
Registration via social network
Registration advantages:
  • 1.Receiving discounts and bonuses
  • 2.Comments and ratings
  • 3.Secure payments
  • 4.Payment history
  • 5.Subscribe to news and updates
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