02/23/09

Noteworthy

by jwpraus

Nestled in the quaint section of Westwood, Los Angeles near the UCLA campus is this contempory museum the "Hammer". I enjoyed my experience here. I believe there was four different display areas with various art mediums. Rotating selections of paintings, architectural models, sculptures and video at the time that I visited. I was disappointed a bit in the lack of energy surrounding the museum, too little people and not much of a court yard cafe'. If I remember correctly there was validated parking. Hammer has obtained an impressive collection.

12/30/08

wonderful both inside and outside

by manoble

This smaller, less known museum holds a marvelous permanent collection and over the years had held some of the more interesting exhibitions I ever saw. I love the architecture of the building, and the lovely courtyard. Unlike most museum shops that offer very pretty but very pricy pretty things, the Hammer’s store has an impressively comprehensive collection of books.

11/26/07

Great small museum in the heart of Westwood

by jhoolko

I love the Hammer for its size, and because it's always free for UCLA students (it's free for everyone on Thursdays). I got hooked after their Societe Anonyme exhibition and have been going back ever since whenever I need a quick culture fix. The permanent collection houses some surprisingly impressive pieces, and the smaller size of the museum makes it a pleasantly manageable activity. There's always a great installation in the lobby, and one of my favorite parts of the whole place is the gift shop, which has a dazzling array of great books and beautiful gifts. They also play host to great speakers and the Billy Wilder Theatre shows a number of preview screenings and old classics. If parking's got you down, there's a lot about two blocks away on Broxton that allows two free hours of parking if you enter before 6:01 pm.

• Pros: Overall great experience!
• Cons: Probably parking