The Broad entered Los Angeles’s art scene with a much needed contemporary bang of curation, commentary and color. The porous white coral-like exoskeleton appears malleable like a Tempur-Pedic mattress and contrasts with the smooth, sturdy steel sails of the neighboring Frank Gehry-designed Disney Concert Hall. Even if you can’t make it inside, this architectural feat is worth viewing from the sidewalk. Upon entering, you are transported into a cave-like environment which is actually the floating base of the middle-level “Vault” where undisplayed works from the billionaire Broads are stored. Unlike most museums whose storage is out-of-sight and out-of-mind to visitors, the Broad is designed with this space at its heart, and you can even get a peep at the inner workings through windows in the central staircase. Natural light filters in to the 120,000-foot loft-like exhibition space, which features two floors' worth of works from prominent artists of our time, including Jean-Michel Basquiet, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and more. In addition to these collections, the exhibit currently includes two must-see experiential art installations: Yoayoi Kasuma’s mirrored glitter LED world and Ragnar Kjartansson’s enchanting nine-screen one-take live music video entitled “The Visitors”. Reserve a free ticket in advance, as spaces are currently booked two months out—or be prepared to wait in the unpredictable day-of line.By Susan Mason, AFAR Local Expert

The talk of the Los Angeles art world when it opened in 2015, this museum in an intriguing, honeycomb-looking building created by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad to showcase their stunning private collection of contemporary art, amassed over five decades and still growing. With upward of 2,000 pieces by more than 200 artists, the collection has in-depth representations of the work of such prominent names as Jean Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Cy Twombly, Kara Walker, and Christopher Wool. The "veil and vault" design of the main building integrates gallery space and storage space: the veil refers to the fiberglass, concrete, and steel exterior; the vault is the concrete base. Temporary exhibits and works from the permanent collection are arranged in the small first-floor rooms and in the more expansive third floor of the museum, so you can explore everything in a few hours. Next door to The Broad is a small plaza with olive trees and seating, as well as the museum restaurant, Otium. Admission to the museum is free, but book timed tickets in advance to guarantee entry.

Opened in 2015, Eli Broad’s blockbuster new contemporary art museum has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. The 120,000-square-foot space, housed in a futuristic white building, is home to 2,000 works of art including classic works by artists like Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha, and John Baldessari, not to mention the rooms full of Jeff Koons pieces. Admission is free, so you may want to arrive early, as the line to get in often snakes around the building.

The Broad's architecture alone is reason enough to stop by, but don't end your visit there. Using The Broad's mobile app, you can get in-depth insights into the exhibits, which draw from one of the world's leading collections of postwar and contemporary art. Free guided tours will enhance your experience of the artwork, or, navigate the museum on your own with a selection of self-guided audio tours—including a kids' tour narrated by Levar Burton.

The Broad reopens May 26, but temporarily without Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. Free, timed tickets are required. We had a chance to visit the museum during a preview week, and while it feels mostly familiar, the Broad has made some notable curation changes for its restart. The ground-floor gallery is hosting “Invisible Sun,” a collection exhibition that features works from El Anatsui, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer and Julie Mehretu, among others, that speak to unrest, loss and recovery. The bigger news, though, is upstairs in the permanent galleries. Yes, you’re still greeted with a whole bunch of shiny Jeff Koons sculptures. But instead of a sort of textbook survey of contemporary art, the Broad has decided to narrow its lineup of artists but really dig deep into its archives for each. That means you’ll find entire galleries dedicated to Roy Lichtenstein, Christopher Wool, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol. In the museum’s most exciting flex, it’s decided to put every single one of its Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings on the walls, all 13 of them. If you’re bummed about the fan-favorite Kusama installations being down for now, we’d say that the curation change-ups more than merit a visit. As for the rest of the visitor experience, we found it smooth and friendly. Our original guide to the Broad appears below. Three words: Infinity Mirror Rooms. Downtown’s persistently popular contemporary art museum has two of Yayoi Kusama’s immersive, mirror-laden rooms. Elsewhere in the free museum, Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection of 2,000 post-war works includes artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger and Jeff Koons. Outside, the museum’s plaza features a lovely olive tree grove that sits in from of Otium, the museum’s signature restaurant from French Laundry alum Timothy Hollingsworth. The museum has been an exciting addition to L.A.’s roster of institutions, though its encyclopedic survey of high-priced gallery prizes can feel a little safe at times. And through the gallery experience is pleasant, its vault and veil design appears much more opqaque and heavier than it should. That said, there’s one design element we just love: the between-floors window that offers a peek into the collection storage. The Broad opened in 2015 with an inaugural exhibition featuring Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and more rockstars of the 20th century—plus a whole lot of Jeff Koons. Standout installations included Ragnar Kjartansson’s beautiful nine-screen video piece The Visitors and an endless field of LEDs in Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room.

LA's newest modern art museum, The Broad is definitely worth a visit for an hour or two – just make sure to pre-book tickets online and avoid waiting in the standby ticket line! It is also recommended that you arrive early – especially on peak-time summer weekends and on holidays – in order to see Yayoi Kusama's famous Infinite Mirrored Room installation. Although the time inside the room is limited to a maximum 45 seconds, you will be left with the quite exquisite feeling of being alone with millions of stars. And that's not all; there's more. One of the city's most popular sights, with its distinctive, metallic, "honeycomb-like" exterior part of the attraction, "The Broad" is an apt name for this attraction as it presents a wide array of modern art pieces. Spanning many decades and various disciplines, there is something for everyone – of almost any age – to be seen here. The famous standard names are all in the collection but check out the multi-media advance offerings and the special exhibits that change on a constant basis. Look out, also, for some of the coolest elevator and escalator rides in the downtown area. Another major – and unique to Downtown – aspect of the Broad is its free general admissions policy for the permanent collection, which has resulted in a far younger, and far more racially/culturally diverse audience than any other art museum in Los Angeles. It is bringing people to Downtown from all over Southern California!