Petersen Automotive Museum

I really liked the old museum, it was more of a family museum. It’s less interactive. There is a children’s room, but they no longer have the books and toys. It’s meant more for adults and older kids. That being said, my kids (ages 10 and 6) were bored and don’t want to return. They liked the old version. That being said, my husband loved it.

To me, this is an fantastic museum. Hands down the best car museum in southern California. Lots legendary French cars from the 1930s. They should have a Citroen ds and Mercedes 600 on display. Missing a few historically important cars in the vault. Too few Japanese cars. I enjoyed every moment at the museum. Bikes are huge here too. Very rich bike history here.

I took my husband and kids here for Father’s Day. This was our first time here and I was pleasantly surprised. Not sure what I was expecting but everything was great. I bought our tickets online and saved time.
My husband is a big car buff and he had such a kick seeing all the cool cars. My daughters and I also enjoyed the museum. We didn’t do the vault tour but I think that it’s okay, especially if you live in town. Now we have something to look forward to when we come again.
I didn’t see where they had food, but we walked down the block and they had a few food trucks to choose from.
It was just the perfect day.

So, as an early Father’s Day gift, I brought my Dad to the Petersen Automotive Museum on Fri. 6÷17÷16. I was able to purchase everything online from the museum tickets to the Vault Tour with ease and when I presented my printed copy to the front desk I was greeted by a friendly staff member who was ready to answer any and all questions as well as accommodate us in any way necessary. We spent over 6 hours (including the Vault Tour) just admiring all of the amazing cars & their history, such a wonderful experience! The staff are super friendly & very informative! We will be back for future events for sure! Thank you Petersen Automotive Museum for such a fantastic day!

As good as it gets!!! Fabulous!!! I’m going to take all out of town visitors to this place!

Pleasant couple hours wondering the three floors of the museum. Top floor was our favorite — classic touring, family cars. Loved the International and VWs. Second floor was packed with racing cars and first floor was vintage.
Took a star off because of the price.

Wonderful collection of Autos!
I went to the Peterson Automotive Museum earlier this year after it reopened and it was a wonderful experience!
It has rich exhibits of all kinds of autos, from vintage autos, motorcycles, racecars and movie cars like bat mobile. The whole collection spans three floors and the place gets packed pretty quickly. It took me around 2 hours to go through the entire museum.
The admission fee is $ 15, with additional fees for parking. There is often a line for tickets and so it is good to get tickets advance online. There is a restaurant inside the museum but I have not tried it.
A must see museum for car lovers and tourists!

Worth the parking fee & entrance fee, especially if you get the VIP tour. Totally worth it, and this is coming from a huge car guy/​geek
Staff is great as well and answer any and all questions you have related to vehicles.

I’m not much of a car person. All cars of the same general shape/​color look the same to me, and I just can’t rile up much enthusiasm about any of them. I am very much a free food and open bar person, though, so I spent my Wednesday night hanging out at the Petersen Automotive Museum, for a fancy company party hosted by someone else’s company.
I guess this museum is relatively new. It’s an attractive, modern-​looking building more or less across the street from LACMA. I’m not sure how big it was because all we did was check in and go to the party room, which seemed to be one of a few party rooms, or at least exhibit rooms active at night. There was a lot of activity. We almost walked into the wrong party, and spied on a group of people in what I think was a public area watching a video presentation. We heard murmurings of a «vault» and also a rumor that somewhere, someone was unveiling the original Back to the Future Delorean. We were going to check these things out, but we forgot.
What I did see of the cars was pretty nice. There were a lot of old/​classic-​looking cars that were probably very important and valuable. They made a nice backdrop for the open bar party. I’m sure my dad would’ve loved them. Maybe one day I’ll drum up enough interest to come back and check out the actual exhibits, but for now, I was happy to hang out at a pleasant party with shiny scenery.

Very nice museum. it has a great collection of nice classic cars, classic race cars, classic movie cars.
The collections were very well put together.
entrance fee is $ 15.00 which is a decent price. I had a great time.
There were two maclarens, a few bugattis, one peogeot, a few ferrarris and porsches.
the batmam returns batmobile is here! :)
A very enjoyable experience.

Probably the most reasonably priced, private attraction in Los Angeles! Had a great time looking at the beautiful classic cars and nice exhibits.
The staff was friendly and helpful, and the facility is very clean.
The restaurant is being remodeled, so bed aware you may have to eat offsite.
AD military get in free!

This museum is across the street from LACMA, we walked here after our LACMA visit, it was convenient and sufficient.
A lot of interesting cars, seriously A LOT, not just vintage cars, ALL kinds of cars, for $ 15 per person we got to see that many cars was actually a pretty good deal, for $ 35 you get to see 100 more cars in the garage, unless you are a huge fan of cars, I think regular entrée will suffice, there is more than enough cars we’d care to take a look for a lifetime!
I loved the 70s Volkswagen van, it’s SO cute! A lot of cars were used in movies, very fun to look at. There is some walking but not too much, benches to sit down and rest throughout the museum. A café on the first floor, they will soon be selling alcohol beverages too!
This museum is a lot of fun and very family friendly, perfect for family days or date days!

The brash new exterior is a traffic jam of silver bands on a simplified bright orange shell lets the world know that the old Petersen museum has been tossed into the scrapyard.
For the most part, the overhaul succeeds in many ways. However, the wild exterior belies a very understated and almost subdued new grey interior. There seem to be fewer cars on display overall but the presentation is so much sharper. It’s more interactive and engaging. The old galleries were clumsy, dark, cluttered, and poorly lighted. The new galleries are inviting and bright. Stanchions right out of security lines at LAX placed around each car made taking photos almost impossible; well, that’s corrected, too. Hurray.
There is no mistaking Peter Mullen’s influence in the design aesthetic here. The layout takes cues from his own car museum up in Oxnard. That’s a good thing. The old campiness and kitsch has given way to curatorial sophistication. It’s far better organized and the new central spiral staircase allows visitors to more easily navigate from floor to floor.
I appreciate the changes but many visitors may not like the inclusion of more foreign and classic cars. The first floor has the waspy feel of a cocktail reception at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach. Luxurious floor-​to-​ceiling grey drapes, spacey visuals projected on a back wall, and soft new age music in the background set the tone for a coterie of mostly French cars from the 1920s and 1930s. All that’s missing are waiters offering flutes of champagne.
Hey, I like this new diversity because these first floor classics could only be seen previously at Mr. Mullen’s museum. However, I couldn’t help but hear a group of scruffy older men look upon this grandeur as they descended the staircase and exclaim in unison: ‘What happened to all the hot rods?’ They were obviously forlorn and didn’t like the new Petersen.
To me, the old LA-​centric museum became moribund and static. This fresh out-​of-​the-​box 21^st century replacement seems willing to take chances and offer visitors reasons to keep coming back. Maybe those old gentleman just have to give the new Petersen a chance to win them over with ever-​changing exhibitions. It certainly has my curiosity piqued.

We visited this museum while on a long weekend in LA for a gymnastics competition. We had been once before, but it had been about 10 years. We really enjoyed our visit. One of my favorite things is the way they weaved video into the exhibits. So the area with the race cars had great race video behind it and the cars from TV and movies had video of the shows behind them. Everything is so nicely presented and the collection really is fantastic. The redesign is beautiful and the presentation spaces are great. Nice little touches included charging areas throughout for cell phones.
My only beef? The typo in the Hollywood display! Seriously, how can they not catch that?

I’ve always wanted to go to the Petersen as I love cars! This Valentine’s Day, my bf and I decided to pay this museum a visit… especially hearing about all the great renovations that had been done. I pre-​paid for tickets online and decided to also buy tix to The Vault Tour. It had been featured on the KTLA News so I figured it would be a good experience. Total for the two of us was $ 70…$ 15/​each for GA and then an additional $ 20/​each for the The Vault. I’d say this is pretty pricey for a museum but overall, I think it was worth it. The museum is broken down into 3 different floors– history, industry and artistry which all featured different types of cars all of which are extremely unique and one-​of-​a-​kind. I appreciate how much care they put into the maintenance of these cars. The Vault Tour was also excellent… it lasted 2 hours which I thought was a bit excessive considering you’re standing for the entire tour but our guide was very knowledgeable and I loved the fact that he was so passionate about cars.
They are opening Drago Restaurant in a few months so that will be cool to have a restaurant on-​site but otherwise, I didn’t see any refreshments available anywhere.
Parking: structure for $ 12

This day was planned by my husband. We went to see Star Wars in the morning, ate lunch then came to the newly remodeled Petersen Auto Museum. This wasn’t our first time to the museum, we had visited years ago. My husband loves cars and so do I. We just tend to appreciate them differently. He knows all of the inner workings and details where I appreciate the design details. We both dreamed of owning a real Matchbox garage. Coming to The Petersen is cheaper! They’ve done a nice job with displaying the beautiful cars and added interactive information screens for history details. If you love cars, you need to visit.

I love the new design of this museum! Military are free, student $ 12, Regular price $ 15. You really get a bang for your buck. There are 3 levels and a special vault for an extra $ 20. This weekend we decided to do the vault as this was the 3^rd time we had been but not yet seen the vault. It was about a 2 hour experience where you literally here the story of each car stored down below under the ground. The tour guy knew his cars and history very well. He spoke clear and made sure to stop for any questions. On the 2^nd floor they had an area for the kiddos which I thought was brilliant! Overall great experience!!! They have done a fantastic job of displaying the old mixed with the new in the car world!

I’m bitter about this remodel – I miss so much from the original Peterson. This place USED to have so much character – but it’s gone now. Yesterday was my first time visiting since the remodel – and I felt like I was in a bland car showroom rather than A museum.
The exterior is fab but the inside is so stark now. And I swear there used to be a lot more cars on view – where are they now? I walked around looking at cars in big white rooms, read the interactive screens, played forza 6 in a gaming chair for the 5 minute limit, and mostly missed all the stuff That wasn’t there anymore.
Bring back the «walk through history exhibit!» My favorite part of the OLD Peterson was the history of cars – it featured well designed «sets» to create the time period. I miss the bulldog café set, the old-​timey market, the props, and the hot wheels exhibit, among so many other things they did away with. NOW, all the cars are just sitting in a big white room. No imaginative sets. I guess maybe they wanted «the cars to shine» but it was missed on me and I was underwhelmed. Neat cars, but no extra mile. It seems this place is now more suitable for «car enthusiasts» that don’t really care about «extras». But it’s the extras that really gave this place its allure for us and I’m not eager to return. Hate to admit, but I teetering on boredom most of the visit.

The «old» Petersen Automotive Museum was demolished in October 2014 and the completely redesigned Petersen Automotive Museum officially opened their doors in December 2015. I had a chance to visit this car museum on the Museums Free-​for-​All Day and overall it was a pretty good experience.
Admission: General admission is $ 15 per adult (free general admission on the Free-​for-​All Day) and you will need to pay additional $ 20 for the Vault Tour (MUST purchase together with the general admission & children under 13 cannot attend the tour). The 90-​minute tour is available at 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM during weekend and no photography is allowed during the tour.
Parking: The parking structure is free for the first 30 minutes and $ 12 flat rate thereafter. If you are looking for free street parking and willing to take a shot, then you can find places to park on Crescent Heights Blvd (one block to the West of Petersen Automotive Museum) with no time limitation (all day on Sat & Sun, but no parking during 4 to 7 PM on Mon to Fri AND no parking during street cleaning).
*** General Admission ***
There are four different levels to explore — a tiny café with a great rooftop view on the penthouse floor, history (e.g. Hollywood gallery, etc) on the 3^rd floor, industrial (e.g. design gallery, customization gallery, etc) on the 2^nd floor, and artistry on the 1^st floor. All 1^st floor doors are locked on the outside because you are supposed to take elevators directly to the 3^rd floor and move your way down to the 2^nd & 1^st floors. Below are some of highlights:
*1925 Rolls-​Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe
*2014 Bugatti Veyron Grant Sports Vitesse «KPM Series»
*1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen
*1900 Smith Runabout
*1979 Volkswagen Transporter Type 2 from Little Miss Sunshine
*1971 De Tomaso Pantera previously owned by Elvis Presley
*2004 Pontiac Aztek from Breaking Bad
*1989 Batmobile & 1966 Yamaha YDS-​3 Batcycle
*1915 Ford Model T Runabout
*Lightning McQueen from Cars
*2012 Fisker Karma (the company went bankrupt in Nov 2013)
*1948 Cadillac Sedanette «Cadzilla»
*2013 Scion FR-​S «Concept One»
*** The Vault Tour ***
The tour was separated into two different groups based on the number written on each wrist band (oh you’ll get 10% discount at the gift shop if you show your wrist band). During the tour, you’ll get to explore the «secret» underground garage level with additional car collections such as the two-​time AMBR (America’s Most Beautiful Roadster) «Golden Star», the «Black Beauty» from Green Hornet, the «Mach 5» from Speed Racer, various presidential limousines (from China’s Hongqi to limousines rode by past U.S. presidents), and many more. Unfortunately, the tour wasn’t always interesting and 90-​minute tour actually extended to 120-​minute tour (with no places to rest /​sit).
***
This is a great museum to check out all these cool & expensive cars as well as to learn more about history & production of the automobile. You should buy a ticket for the Vault Tour if you truly want to explore the entire museum, but the tour is not a must-​see if you are not a car enthusiast.

The «old» Petersen Automotive Museum was demolished in October 2014 and the completely redesigned Petersen Automotive Museum officially opened its doors in December 2015. I had a chance to visit this car museum on the Museums Free-​for-​All Day and overall it was a pretty good experience.
Admission: General admission is $ 15 per adult (free general admission on the Free-​for-​All Day) and you will need to pay additional $ 20 for the Vault Tour (MUST purchase together with the general admission & children under 13 cannot attend the tour). The 90-​minute tour is available at 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM during weekend and no photography is allowed during the tour.
Parking: The parking structure is free for the first 30 minutes and $ 12 flat rate thereafter. If you are looking for free street parking and willing to take a shot, then you can find places to park on Crescent Heights Blvd (one block to the West of Petersen Automotive Museum) with no time limitation (all day on Sat & Sun, but no parking during 4 to 7 PM on Mon to Fri AND no parking during street cleaning).
*** General Admission ***
There are four different levels to explore — a tiny café with a great rooftop view on the penthouse floor, history (e.g. Hollywood gallery, etc) on the 3^rd floor, industrial (e.g. design gallery, customization gallery, etc) on the 2^nd floor, and artistry on the 1^st floor. All 1^st floor doors are locked on the outside because you are supposed to take elevators directly to the 3^rd floor and move your way down to the 2^nd & 1^st floors. Below are some of highlights:
*1925 Rolls-​Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe
*2014 Bugatti Veyron Grant Sports Vitesse «KPM Series»
*1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen
*1900 Smith Runabout
*1979 Volkswagen Transporter Type 2 from Little Miss Sunshine
*1971 De Tomaso Pantera previously owned by Elvis Presley
*2004 Pontiac Aztek from Breaking Bad
*1989 Batmobile & 1966 Yamaha YDS-​3 Batcycle
*1915 Ford Model T Runabout
*Lightning McQueen from Cars
*2012 Fisker Karma (the company went bankrupt in Nov 2013)
*1948 Cadillac Sedanette «Cadzilla»
*2013 Scion FR-​S «Concept One»
*** The Vault Tour ***
The tour was separated into two different groups based on the number written on each wrist band (oh you’ll get 10% discount at the gift shop if you show your wrist band). During the tour, you’ll get to explore the «secret» underground garage level with additional car collections such as the two-​time AMBR (America’s Most Beautiful Roadster) «Golden Star», the «Black Beauty» from Green Hornet, the «Mach 5» from Speed Racer, various presidential limousines (from China’s Hongqi to limousines rode by past U.S. presidents), and many more. Unfortunately, the tour wasn’t always interesting and 90-​minute tour actually extended to 120-​minute tour (with no places to rest /​sit).
***
This is a great museum to check out all these cool & expensive cars as well as to learn more about history & production of the automobile. You should buy a ticket for the Vault Tour if you truly want to explore the entire museum, but the tour is not a must-​see if you are not a car enthusiast.

Over 300 very rare cars on display, everything from one-​of-​a-​kind classics, turn of the century and historical rarities, political cars, famous movie cars and more. Where else can you go to see a classic Mercedes Benz racer worth over 100 million dollars!!!
Well worth the price of admission. The best tip is to pay 20 bucks more and take the private «vault tour» and see a wide variety of cars that the general public do not have access to. This is a guided tour, just under two hours. Anna was our tour guide and she is fantastic — so much detailed knowledge, not just of the collection of cars on hand but of the entire history of the automotive age. Her enthusiasm and love of the art and history of cars is addicting. If the museum had a bar, we would have bough her a drink and talked to her for hours more.
I like cars, but I’m not a gear-​head, speed-​freak, collector or race enthusiast. I don’t love cars but I love this museum. Go!!!

A very neat museum for any car enthusiast!
Their renovation really made a big come back and it’s been attracting so many people!
They have car meets in their parking structure that I have attended and it was a huge turn out! There were so many ladies in exotic cars!
I went here for the free museum day in Jan 30 (aw yeee)
I loved the Hollywood section where they had the actual cars from the movies such as the Batmobile!
I also loved the silver room where the whole room was literally silver with all silver classics.
They also have a driving simulation that has the Top Gear track and scoreboard so check that out!
There are some workshop areas so check those out. I would say it would take about 2 — 3 hours to look through the entire museum plus activities.

—- Not a big car enthusiast.
Actually, I was incredibly mesmerized and entertained by how these sexy slabs of metal can make grown men drool like kids on Christmas morning. I recommend anybody who wants to check out this place to come with somebody who is a car enthusiast so they can give you a self-​guided tour on how to appreciate cars.
On free museum day, we got to experience these 3 levels of vintage, EXPENSIVE, collector’s items. Regular admission is $ 15 and if you want a guide to their «vault» which is an underground level for paying customers, it was an additional $ 20.
Everybody in California apprerciates the value of having a car. Being that I’m not too big on knowing all things car related, I stared at it from an art perspective. It’s gorgeous! Everything is well thought-​out and automotive design is form of art.
I was all too nervous about the kids running around and smearing their clammy fingers on these million dollar pieces. Restrain your children! Oh but there is a kid’s area on the 2^nd floor where they get little ipads to do missions around the 2^nd floor which keeps them busy and steady.
Don’t miss the penthouse floor where it’s a little rooftop view of LA, a little café and very clean restrooms!

We checked this place out during LA’s museum free-​for-​all week. I work in automotive design, so I was like a little kid at Christmas in this place. She didn’t show it, but I’m pretty sure my excitement annoyed the s^#*% out of my girlfriend.
This is a great place for car enthusiasts and casuals alike. Besides seeing the progression of the automotive industry throughout history, there are also displays for cars in famous movies, F1 and racing sports, digital and chassis design, and more. I highly recommend this place if you like cars, movies, or just museums in general. I believe admission is $ 15 for the day, plus $ 12 for parking if you use their garage.
If there’s anything I’d like to see more of, it’s modern cars/​concepts. It seemed heavily devoted to older cars, like the Model T and the pre-​welding phase.

Incredible! What a car collection. Our guide was exceptionally knowledgable and the displays, videos were very impressive. They are documenting the history of vehicles in a manner we’ve not experienced and if you’re a car fanatic, this place does not fail to impress.
We absolutely loved it and cannot wait to go back! Next time we plan to visit the vault :)

I used to not care or think twice about a car, and now I will.
Came here for the first time in years on free museum day this past weekend. Tons of rich history in the hundreds of different car mods from super old, old, more recent, modern and future… Different shells, shapes of doors, all represent different interests and capabilities throughout history. The evolution of thought and of leading engineers into creating the machine we all have now and take for granted. The bat mobile, car from breaking bad, Spectre were there as well. The vault tour include an additional 120 cars in the basement; I wish I did it. It was offered for 20 $ but it’s normally more. The future section was so interesting — I had no idea they were putting future models out haha. Knowledgable volunteers. I believe there was also a simulation secretion to make you feel you’re driving a race car.
Very cool place, I must admit.

The newly renovated museum has reopened and it is beautiful. This museum is fun for kids and adults. The cars are extraordinary, clean, classic, and shiny. They have so many Bugattis on display. Really just candy for the eye. Great place to spend a few hours on the weekend.

I came here on Free Museum Day. The line was already pretty long before it even opened at 10. They did a good job letting people in. The wait wasn’t as bad. There are 3 floors to go through, if you go through it fast it may take about an hour. There are a lot of classsic cars and cars that appeared in movies! My favorite was the car from Breaking Bad! Yay!
This is definitely a must if you’re in the Miracle Mile area!

We used to love this museum before the renovation. Sure, it was a bit dated and cheesy, but the kids loved it, the adults loved it… even those of us who know nothing about cars. Their selection was just amazing, and they had great rotating exhibits.
Well, now we went for the first time after the grand redesign. And I’m so disappointed.
First, all kid friendly aspects are gone, gone, gone. The former third-​floor play area is now a single room on the 2^nd floor, and my kids, who used to be able to spend hours there having a great time, we bored within 5 minutes. That’s not an exaggeration.
The Matchbox car section? Also gone. The «walk through history» where you start with early cars and move through the 50’s? Gone. The kid-​friendly Johnny Rockets? Gone. Replaced with an «opening soon» restaurant named Drago.
Just big open display areas now. Sounds great, right?
Sadly, even those are downgraded. They cut down the number of cars on display significantly. Maybe half the movie cars they used to have. Only one area that seems designed for rotating exhibits (as of this writing, it’s an exhibit of silver-​colored cars, and it was the highlight of the visit).
But overall, the variety seems to have been cut back, the layouts are awkward and strange, and it left me cold and unimpressed. They have fully half of the second floor devoted to car design, but the exhibits are bland and dry.
Overall, it seems they are now catering to real car enthusiasts. The previous museum catered to a larger base, anyone who liked cool cars but wasn’t REALLY into them would still enjoy it. Those days are behind us, it seems.
I’m sad to say I won’t be renewing my membership anymore. But real car enthusiasts will surely enjoy it more than we did.

First time here… Thoroughly enjoyed it! My son is a huge fan of the 007 Astin Martin, Batmobile and Batcycle. We also enjoyed seeing the evolution and story of Bugatti. We had so much fun, he asked me to take him again for his birthday.
Another perk is that this museum is near LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits… Looking forward to visiting these museums as well!

If you’re a car enthusiast it’s a definite must see, but I wish they had more cars! The mister and I arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes before the museum closed and we were able to see everything in that time. We’ve been to a lot of car shows and events and what I found interesting were the concours d’elegance cars as well as the cars featured in a few famous films (i.e. Heisenberg’s Aztec from Breaking Bad). I also liked the BMW artist collection which had cars painted by Jeff Koons, Roy Lichenstein and Andy Warhol. All in all it was a great short collection of the historic to the most current cars that exist.
The gift shop was sort of lacking. Considering all the vendors and parts that are out there, I think it would’ve been nice if the museum carried say, a few choice steering wheels, belts, etc. For the most part it’s your typical books, magnets and coffee mugs, but nothing super exclusive that you couldn’t find online. Definitely a must see if your a petrol head.

A great day at the revamped Petersen Automotive Museum. It was one of the best Automotive Museum I have visited. Definitely worth visiting. Parking is $ 12 for the whole day.
Admission fees:
Adults: $ 15
Kids: $ 7
Senior: $ 12
Students: $ 12
Vault Tour: $ 20 (Vault Tour requires the purchase of a General Admission fees)
Took the 90 mins Vault Tour @$ 20 (11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm slots at their basement carpark).
PROS:
~ Features a huge collection of cars formerly owned by many well-​known people in the early days, with hundreds of vintage/​exotic cars that is not displayed to the public. Definitely worth the $ 20 we paid for. Am impressed that 100 years ago, the level of craftsmanship surprised what we have today!
CONS:
~ We took 3pm session on a Sunday and there is around 100 people going for the tour at that time. It was then split into 2 groups, well 50 people led by 1 tour guide each is still too big of a group. Most of the time I was facing and standing at the back of other people, couldn’t even see what the guide was showing us on the car he was explaining. So be prepared for that if you go for the weekend tour.

After the renovation, this museum has completely changed both exterior and interior! You won’t miss it when you are driving on Wilshire Blvd. The color & bright red lighting at night will definitely catch your attention.
3 floors museum with vault (basement) and penthouse. What an amazing transformation!
The Parking: $ 12 parking structure.

It’s a visually fun place to visit, the awe factor is enough to sustain about an hour of attention. Def start on the third floor and work down as the museum recommends.
Interactive exhibits– there is a xbox racing simulation on the second floor that you need to wait about 15 min in line, almost overhyped. The family center on the same floor has demos interesting enough for adults and taught the layperson like me about car mechanics.
Somewhat pricey admissions but def worth visiting at least once. The line to get into the museum gets super long in the afternoon around 2 or 3pm, so it can’t hurt to get there early.

My boyfriend absolutely loves cars, so I knew that this was a place that I had to take him to, boy was I right. Not only did he enjoy the experience, but I did too! The cars are separated into three separate levels and sections, historical, innovation, and an art/​design level top to bottom. All of the cars were detailed to with dates, what they were made of, name, brand, how many exist, and the significance of the vehicle/​other information.
The Petersen had a large variety of vehicles for people to look at for a fairly cheap price, in comparison to car shows and other museums I have been to. I absolutely loved that they had many older cars to look at, but had newer cars for people that are into those as well.
In addition to the nice cars, the exterior and interior of the building was amazing! Everything was well made, looked stunning, and was clean. Great atmosphere to view awesome cars! And for all those parents out there, yes they have a kids section!

The Petersen has a LA priced facelift that looks good on it. It used to be this old school, quiet museum where car fanatics came to take pictures and admire cars. With the remodel there’s a lot more going on here. First of all, you will pay for parking in the lot-​$ 12. They take credit cards. Second on a busy day expect to have a hard time finding parking, especially right now that it’s newer.
When you walk into the lobby there are some really cool cars and a gift shop. There’s also a screen that shows videos and Instagram feed of people’s posts with the hashtag #thepetersen.
You pay and get your wristband. You can also make a reservation for the kids room on the 2^nd floor. It’s really the only place your kids can actually touch and play with things. So… we didn’t have a reservation but walked in 20 minutes before a one hour session ended and they let us in :). Thank you nice people. Inside the kids room there’s a car track, ipads, art and several learning centers to learn about how cars run. Oh and a Lightning McQueen outside! You know who that is right?;)
The third floor was my kids favorite. Lots of old cars from movies including the batmobile, bat motorcycle, and a Bond car.

We checked out the Petersen over Christmas break. What a great museum — finally one that my dad enjoyed! You can see it all in a relatively short amount of time, unless you want to see every angle and tidbit and detail and then you could spend ALL DAY.
It’s family friendly and enough for everyone to enjoy! Gorgeous cars — who doesn’t love cars?!

Old Petersen sooo much better. This new one is no longer kid friendly. No more Johnny Rockets. No more hot wheels. No more of the things that made this place great for my son. It is now really just for old folks into cars. The new Cars attraction that is supposed to be for kids sucks. Will not be back here again. Such a shame. Only good thing is that at least he got to experience it before the remodel.

Spent the most amazing day at this museum with my grandfather. He’s sort of a classic car aficionado…
We perused through three floors of displays.
He led. I followed.
He talked. I listened.
#makingmemories
Petersen Automotive Museum —
A 100 000 sq. ft of rotating exhibition featuring 150 cars at any one time, while the other 300 are in storage on-​site awaiting the chance to go on display.
From classic cars to one-​of-​a-​kind car to those featured in movies… All are worthy of their place here…
*Paid private parking deck.
*Minimal entrance cost; membership available. Many types of discounts… ask!
*Kid-​friendly zone upstairs; although I wouldn’t recommend this place for kids under 10 … «No Touch» policy.
*Elevator /​cool circular staircase.
*Gift shop.

Visiting son, so decided auto museum would be a nice outing for my husband and son; tagging along I figured I’d tough it out (not into cars all that much). Have to say I really enjoyed the museum. It is nicely laid out with new cars, old cars, the bat mobile, concept cars, Vogue magazine covers (of cars), race cars, motorcycles, such a variety that I truly was interested and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Hard to believe, but true.
$ 15 pp, $ 12 for parking, so set us back $ 57, but worth the money spent. Active military and educators receive free admission, FYI.

⁵⁄₅!
If you haven’t checked out the new renovation you’re missing out! I picked up a membership this year and I’ve stopped by a few times already whenever I’m in the area and have a few hours in between things or I’m waiting for a client.
As an automotive aficionado coming here is Christmas! There’s always something cool to see and they rotate the exhibits and cars from the vault downstairs every once in a while.
They also host some cool events on the weekends every once in a while so do keep yourself posted on that. I usually find out through Facebook.
If you’re big on video games checkout the Forza 6 simulator on the second level. The gift shop on the first level always has some cool automotive gifts. A little pricey but the convenience factor balances it out.
Parking is free for the first 30 minutes or free with $ 100 gift store purchase. Otherwise it’s $ 12. A little on the high side but you can find free parking on the street behind the museum. 2 hours limit though.