Petersen Automotive Museum

Came here today April 1, 2024. It is a beautiful museum. The architecture and the exhibits are great. There is a good selection of cars to look at over 3 floors. Everything from VERY old cars to VERY expensive cars, concept cars and movie cars. They even had a section of old Harley's and Indians and a room of race Corvettes. It seems like the current theme is Porsche as there were a lot of the spread throughout the museum.

It is great place for a few hours to spend looking at beautiful cars.

I thought I'd be bored but I took the most pictures. lol. .
Our youngest teen wanted to go so badly, we went Thursday after the USC tour. 3 floors of cars. The Tesla floor was waaay too much. It's over kills on the Tesla's when there are so many other cooler cars they could have focused on.
The virtual cars were fun for the kids to drive. Next time we will have to go to the vault.

To be fair I'm not a huge car guy but our friend enjoyed it.

I only gave it 4 stars because it was pretty pricey between the ticket and the overpriced parking (discounted to $17).

Once you checkin and buy your ticket it is best to start on the 3rd floor and work your way down.

I would highly upgrading your visit to include the Vault if you can. While the standard portion of the museum certainly has many memorable and iconic cars, the Vault has hundreds of priceless cars all in one spot. The Vault outshines the main exhibits by a mile.

I'm not really a car person, in the way that I'd go to a museum devoted solely to cars. My visiting brother, however, is a total gearhead and put this on is list of places to go when he was here.

Parking was $17, the ticket was $22, and the vault was an additional $27, which we didn't do. While that would have been much pricier day, perhaps we should have, as the rest of the place felt like a bit of a let down, even according to my brother. The top floor was best, with historic cars, both in terms of the development of the automobile and some cars from historic films and tv shows. There was a bit more of that on the 2nd floor, as well. The first floor was really a monument to Elon Musk, so that felt a bit weird.

Staff was friendly and, as an educator, I got my entrance for free, which was great. Just not my cup of tea.

Peterson Auto Museum is a car lover's paradise! Its a must-visit for anyone who appreciates automobiles and their history. They have an incredible collection of classic cars, vintage vehicles, and even some futuristic and concept cars.

Walking through the museum, you'll be amazed by the variety and beauty of the cars on display. From iconic American muscle cars to sleek European sports cars, they have it all. The exhibits are well-curated and provide interesting information about the history and significance of each vehicle.

One of the highlights of the Peterson Auto Museum is their Vault Tour. It's an additional experience where you can go behind the scenes and see even more amazing cars that are not on display in the main museum. It's definitely worth the extra cost. The vault took me about 40 minutes total.

The museum itself is modern and well-designed, with interactive displays and informative videos. They also have a gift shop where you can find unique car-related souvenirs and memorabilia.

Extensive automotive collections with some wonderfully curated exhibitions which include a nod to Ferrari, Porshe, Hollywood and an extensive Tesla exhibit. Even if you are not a Tesla fan, the exhibit is unique and informative. The most treasured family exhibit which houses the Petersen's most valuable autos is impressive. The museum has many employees throughout the museum to answer questions, etc. Bring your earphones if you want to listen to the audio tour offered on some of the cars in "the vault."

There is a separate fee for what is called "The Vault." The vault has over 300 cars and is worth the ticket price. The adjacent parking structure will cost $17 for Museum goers for the day. There is street parking, however the lot is safer and convenient.

We ate lunch at the cafe attached to the museum which was yummy and a nice intermission to our museum wandering. The cafe offers cocktails and espressos as well as breakfast and lunch. There are restrooms on every level of the museum.

We went during the week and arrived just after they opened. There was no one in line although it did get busier as the day progressed. We purchased our tickets online which I recommend if you visit on a weekend or later in the day, as the admissions line does get busy. There is a separate line for ticketed guests.

This was the first time I've been to this museum even though we pass it all the time. I suggested we go there and see what it's all about. I'm glad we decided to go.

We went on a Sunday and it was pretty busy. The parking lot was crowded. You'll pay about $17-$21 to park in the museum's parking lot. You might be able to find street parking, but we didn't bother with searching.

My entrance fee was free, but a typical adult would pay $21.

Although I'm not a big car person, I did admire the beautiful cars on display. You'll find cars from the movies to classic cars. They had a whole exhibit on Tesla. It was quite fascinating how transportation has changed throughout the years.

When we went over the weekend, they had an exhibition on the Green Book. This was very informative.

Car guy or gal? History buff? Love learning about and seeing beautiful works of automotive art? Yes to any of the above and you'll need to schedule a visit, or multiple visits, to the Petersen.
Not only is it a great museum, they have monthly cruise-in events that focus on different automotive brands or sectors - check their website for the one that fills your heart.
In addition, they rent out space for special events (birthdays, weddings, corporate outings, etc.). An evening at the museum is truly something special.
They have three full floors of displays that are changing often. You can come monthly and find different vehicles to drool over. Plus, for a separate charge, they have the Vault. With around 250 additional vehicles, it is a sight to behold.
If your family is divided between the love for automobiles and the movie industry, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is directly across Wilshire. So let the movie buffs have their day while you wonder from floor to floor exploring automotive history.
If you are an enthusiast, plan on a full day. Starting at the third floor and working you way down is the best experience. Starting with the first vehicle ever to be driven on a long distance journey (history created by Carl and Bertha Benz) to the modern displays as you work your way around.
Hopefully saving time to wonder around the Vault to fill your head with automotive royalty for your ride home.
If you live close enough, becoming a member will save you on future visits and they cost is very reasonable. They have various member status levels so choice the one that fits your budget and desire to return.
They also have a restaurant on the first floor if you want to rest those toes and fill your tummy. Always check on the ticket desk for parking information, discounts and bring very comfortable walking shoes.
Hope you love it as much as we do and...Enjoy!!!

Cars-food-easy parking and accessibility! Such a great experience! They have some cars on display out front so when you're walking in you get some adventure before even reaching the admission desk. Friendly service from the start. They have beautiful cars and trucks on display and even motorcycles. I loved the footage of the movie scenes they were in being displayed! They have photo opportunity displays and even an interactive room for driving experience! We didn't eat there but the food smelled good and they also have bathrooms everywhere-which is great