Los Angeles County boasts more than 100 diverse and expansive museums, and while some are free, most charge small entry fees. On Saturday, Jan. 30, however, more than two-dozen cultural institutions will open their doors free of charge as part of the 11th annual Museums Free-for-All.

Museums across Los Angeles joined together to offer free entry to some of the city’s top destinations. (photo by Patricia Sanchez)

For over a decade, SoCal Museums, a group of marketing and communications professionals from museums in Southern California, has organized the annual event during which individuals can visit some of the region’s museums free of charge.

The group is made up of employees from museums who collaborate with each other to celebrate art and culture and promote the vast selection in the area.

This year, participants include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd.; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), located at 152 N. Central Ave.; the Craft and Folk Art Museum, located at 5814 Wilshire Blvd.; The Broad, located at 221 S. Grand Ave; and many more.

“Many locals and tourists aren’t aware of the number of museums available to them around Southern California,” said Alex Capriotti, SoCal Museums’ president and The Broad’s director of marketing and communications. “By highlighting all of the participating museums together for this one day, we are able to shine a spotlight on the diverse and numerous museums available to the public all around the southland.”

Several of the participating museums are also free on the days leading up to the end of the month, and Capriotti said the organization uses the event as a way to let people know about those days.

“The Museums Free-for-All aims to highlight free days offered by museums in Southern California throughout the year,” Capriotti said. “Visitors can check out our Museum Free Days chart to see all of our free days throughout the year.”

On Jan. 14, 21 and 28, the Japanese American National Museum and MOCA Grand and MOCA Geffen will open their doors for free from 5-8 p.m. Skirball Curtural Center will also offer free admission on these days.

On Jan. 15, 22 and 29, the Long Beach Museum of Art will be free. On Jan. 17 and 24, the Craft and Folk Art Museum will have “pay what you can” days, and the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) will offer free admission. MOLAA will also open its doors free of charge on Jan. 22 from 5-9 p.m.

On Jan. 19, Descanso Gardens, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and the South Coast Botanic Garden will be free. The Pasadena Museum of California Art will offer free admission from 5-9 p.m.

Miranda Carroll, director of communications at LACMA said Museums Free-for-All is a great way to reach out, not just to the community, but to all who visit the region.

“The annual Museums Free-For-All is a great example of the unified desire of Southern California’s cultural institutions to be as accessible as possible for both locals and visitors,” Carroll said. “LACMA’s thrilled as always to participate, and we strive to sustain this accessibility by offering ample opportunities for free general admission year-round.”

SoCal Museums is also partnering with Metro to encourage visitors to use public transportation to help reduce traffic when visit museums throughout the city. For information, visit metro.net/discounts.

“Each year, we see that more and more people are aware of the event and the participating museums,” Capriotti said. “We recommend visitors give themselves time to visit participating museums as many museums may have lines due to increased demand.”

Museums participating in the free-for-all day that are regularly closed on Saturday will be free on Sunday, Jan. 31.

For more information, visit socalmuseums.org.