Museum of Jurassic Technology
- Museum
- In Los Angeles, California
- 2.7 mi from Route 66
The Museum of Jurassic Technology is a nonprofit museum on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, CA, about 1.9 miles off the old road. Founded in the late 1980s by Diana Drake Wilson and David Hildebrand Wilson, it mixes art, science, ethnography and history with exhibits that fit no category at all. Many of its claims are hard to believe, and that is much of the fun. It is a memorable detour before Route 66 reaches the ocean.
What is Museum of Jurassic Technology?
Despite the name, this is not a dinosaur museum. The museum describes itself as an educational institution devoted to the Lower Jurassic, yet it never explains what that period has to do with its displays, and it leaves the phrase "Jurassic Technology" undefined too. Technology, after all, came along many millions of years later.
Inside, the collection blends artistic, scientific, ethnographic and historic objects with a few pieces nobody could easily label. The effect recalls the curiosity cabinets of the 1500s, the early ancestors of today's natural history museums. Because the factual claims of many exhibits are hard to accept at face value, visitors leave with very different ideas about what they have just seen.
History of Museum of Jurassic Technology
Diana Drake Wilson and David Hildebrand Wilson founded the museum in the late 1980s. In 2001 David Wilson was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, a notable recognition for the person behind such an unconventional place.
A fire on July 8, 2025 left several exhibits with serious smoke damage. Its doors opened again in early August 2025, about a month later.
Visiting Museum of Jurassic Technology: tips
The museum is about 1.9 miles from the old road. Parking and restrooms are on site, and admission is not free. Allow at least an hour, since the exhibits invite slow reading.
The Bhagavad-gita Museum is only about 0.1 miles away, an easy second stop. Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area is about 2.1 miles off if fresh air sounds good afterward, and the Museum of Tolerance is about 2 miles away. The Culver Hotel is roughly 0.1 miles from the door for anyone staying the night.
Practical info
- Address
- 9341 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232, 90232
- Phone
- +1 310-836-6131
- Website
- mjt.org
- Hours
- Th 14:00-20:00, Fr-Su 12:00-18:00
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
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Questions about Museum of Jurassic Technology
Is the Museum of Jurassic Technology about dinosaurs?
No. The name refers to the Lower Jurassic, but the museum never explains the link. Its collection is a mix of art, science, ethnography and history, plus some exhibits that defy description.
Did the Museum of Jurassic Technology reopen after the 2025 fire?
Yes. A fire on July 8, 2025 caused heavy smoke damage to several exhibits, and its doors opened again in early August 2025.
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