Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California
- Museum
- In Los Angeles, California
- 0.7 mi from Route 66
Los Angeles's Museum of Contemporary Art, known as MOCA, stands in downtown Los Angeles, CA, less than a mile off the old road. Its main building on Grand Avenue was designed by Arata Isozaki, and a second site, the Geffen Contemporary, sits in Little Tokyo. The museum focuses on contemporary work from the United States and Europe made since 1940 and holds close to 8,000 pieces.
What is Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles?
MOCA runs two locations. The main museum stands on Grand Avenue, close to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, in a building by the architect Arata Isozaki. The second, the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo, was MOCA's first space.
The collection covers art from 1940 onward, mostly American and European, and numbered nearly 8,000 objects as of 2026. From the start, the museum has mixed art forms in its programs rather than sticking to painting and sculpture alone, so a visit may take in film, performance or design alongside the works on the walls.
History of Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
MOCA was founded in 1979. While its Grand Avenue home was being built, the museum used a space in Little Tokyo that was meant to be temporary. That space stayed in use, and it now operates as the Geffen Contemporary. For almost two decades, from 2000 to 2019, MOCA also ran a satellite gallery at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.
Visiting Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles: tips
The museum is marked as free to visit and is listed as wheelchair accessible. Allow about two hours for the Grand Avenue building, and check the museum's website for current exhibitions before you go.
The Broad is only about 0.1 miles away, so plan to see both. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, about 0.6 miles away, and the Chinese American Museum, about 0.7 miles away, extend the day into the city's historic core. If time allows, the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo is a short trip across downtown.
Practical info
- Address
- 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3007
- Phone
- +1 213-626-6222
- Website
- moca.org
- Hours
- Tue, Wed, Fri 11–5 · Thu 11 am–8 pm · Sat, Sun 11–6
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
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0.6 mi from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
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0.6 mi from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
0.7 mi from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
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0.7 mi from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
0.7 mi from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Questions about Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Who designed the MOCA building on Grand Avenue?
The main building was designed by the architect Arata Isozaki.
Does MOCA have more than one location?
Yes. Besides the Grand Avenue museum, MOCA runs the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo, its original space.
What kind of art does MOCA show?
Mainly contemporary art from the United States and Europe, made from 1940 onward.
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