Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The largest art museum in the western United States just got a little larger, thanks to an ambitious long-term transformation programme which began in 2004 and is still ongoing.The Los Angeles County Museum of Art boasts an impressive collection of Japanese and Islamic art, artefacts from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, American and Latin American art, and modern and contemporary paintings. More commonly known as LACMA, this world-class gallery occupies an eight-hectare site on Wilshire Boulevard’s famous Museum Row and is spread across several buildings. More than a million visitors every year come to view the permanent collection, which comprises over 100,000 objects from ancient to modern, including sculptures, photography, prints, decorative arts and design, costumes and textiles.As well as redesigned public areas and renovated grounds, the transformation programme will ultimately add more exhibition space. One of the most notable improvements is the creation of the three-storey Broad Contemporary Art Museum, which provides 5,600 square metres of new space to display post-World War II art, including priceless works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, among other famous names from the highly influential contemporary scene.LACMA is building audiences of the future with an exciting range of tailor-made activities for youngsters, including art classes and special exhibitions. Free live music sessions also broaden the museum’s general appeal, with jazz on Friday evenings and classical music on Sundays, as well as a programme of films. A series of high-profile temporary exhibitions complements the permanent displays past subjects have included Van Gogh paintings on loan from Amsterdam and the Treasures of Tutankhamun.LACMA is 11 kilometres west of central Los Angeles, and is open every day except Wednesdays. Pay parking is available on nearby Sixth Street.