While not as big as some of the more well-known art museums in the city, the heart of the museum is in the robust event and screening programming. Perhaps because it’s associated with an educational institution, the Hammer curates events like a curriculum, unpacking the history, the present and the future through the lens of art. From exhibitions to lectures to film screenings to musical performances, the Hammer exudes intellectual creativity (it helps that half the people working at the museum are DESMA—Design Media Arts—students). Most importantly, the museum is free. The free admission makes it accessible and welcoming as a public education haven that lends itself to regular visits and revisits to fully soak up the everchanging programming (and the annual Made in L.A. exhibition).

In terms of the art, it spans a wide range. There’s the original Armand Hammer collection, with a lot of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings from Europe and America. There’s the Contemporary Collection, filled with art from the 1960s onwards, and a special focus on LA-based artists. There’s a UCLA Artists Collection, filled with works by artists who studied or taught at UCLA. There’s the Grunwald Center Collection, focused on works on paper extending from the Renaissance to the present. In addition to the gallery spaces showcasing the art, there is the Billy Wilder Theater, a 300-seat theater, Audrey, a full service restaurant and bar with California vibes, and like any museum worth its salt, a store filled with curated books and design stuff. The Hammer Store is big, or rather, there have been bigger museums with smaller stores.

All in all, the Hammer Museum might be one of the more underrated art places in LA.