Petersen Automotive Museum

This museum of car culture has an appropriate setting in a former department store because Miracle Mile was the first commercial development in Los Angeles created specifically for the benefit of drivers. Since undergoing a renovation in 2015, the automobile history museum has evolved into more of a high-tech showcase with 150 vehicles on display. Although there is a brief peek of Southern California's emerging automotive culture, the emphasis is primarily on the automobile's advancement, supremacy, and stunning good looks.

The museum's tale starts at the third floor gallery with a brief overview of automotive history. There are parts there that are devoted to Hollywood vehicles and Southern Californian road culture, including the Batmobile from the Tim Burton era and Walter White's Pontiac Aztek. You may discover the entire industrial design process by going down a level; the nearby Art Center design studio gives the motif a particularly lively vibe. The showroom on the ground floor, which is devoted to sumptuously swooping vintage cars, highlights the artistic nature of automobiles. But make no mistake: regardless of how they are presented, each floor is really about the automobile's art.

The museum's renovated gallery areas are infused with interactive and automotive technology; most significantly, wordy didactics have been replaced in numerous locations with tablets. On the second floor, there are Forza 6 driving simulation stations, a Cars-themed exploration center, and an augmented reality experience that sends visitors on a car-building scavenger hunt throughout the area. 96 tablets are available at the museum for the Cars experience, however we advise booking a time slot in advance.

Google Rating: 4.7/5.0

Location: 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Contact: www.petersen.org

Phone: 323-930-2277
Price: $15; seniors $12; students (with ID) $12; children $7; children under 3 free; active military (with ID) free; parking free for the first 30 minutes with validation, $12 flat rate after
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm