You’ve seen enough Infinity Room selfies! Visiting The Broad Museum has been on your mind for a while and it’s time for you to go. The new contemporary art museum in Downtown Los Angeles founded by Eli and Edythe Broad is getting more and more popular every day. Before we go any further, it’s pronounced like “brode” not “brawd.”
The Broad houses over 2,000 works of art in its two stories, with a prominent design by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler. If you’ve never been, you’ll know when you see it. The building’s architecture is very distinct. If it’s silver though, you’re looking at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. You’re just one block away, keep walking.
Here are 10 smart strategies for visiting The Broad Museum:
1. Be prepared to wait
Due to overwhelming popularity and the fact that it’s free, you’ll most likely see a line wrapped around the building. There’s a separate line for reserved tickets and stand-by. According to their website, “The wait time in the on site standby line is 30 to 45 minutes on an average weekday, and 60 to 90 minutes on an average weekend. On holiday weekends, wait time in the on site standby line can be up to two or three hours. The on site standby line closes 90 minutes before the museum closes, and may close earlier on busy days.”
2. Skip the line and schedule a group visit
If you have a group of 10 or more and are willing to pay $5 per person, schedule a group visit. You need to make reservations at least two weeks in advance, but you get to skip the line and go through an expedited check-in process.
3. Apply for a press pass
If you’re a writer and have a blog, or write for a blog, apply for a press pass. You’ll get to bypass the line at the front entrance and get to go to the short line for the Infinity Room. A representative will get back to you within two business days if your request is approved.
4. Accept that you’re paying for parking
If you park at The Broad, you’ll pay $12 for 3 hours. You can circle around and find some lots for a few bucks cheaper, but is that really worth the stress?
5. Get tickets for the Infinity Room first
Once you get into the museum, you’ll want to reserve your tickets to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. You can’t reserve these in advance and these tend to book up early. This experiential exhibits allows you to enter “a mirror-lined chamber housing a dazzling and seemingly endless LED light display.” You usually get 45-seconds inside the room and I highly recommend going in there by yourself to experience the magic.
If you’re a planner like me, you’ll make the most out of your 45-seconds by following my guide: 20-sec of selfies (you’ll need a few as it goes dark for a few seconds), 10-sec Snapchat video, and then 15-sec phone-free!
6. Bring the good camera
Yes, photography is allowed, just don’t use the flash. You won’t need the flash because the lighting is perfect. There will be tons of people taking photos for Instagram so be prepared to wait for the right moment to get no people in your shot, the perfect selfie, and the best Insta shot.
7. Bring a great photographer
If you like taking pictures, then fine, go by yourself. If you like being in the photos, bring a great photographer with lots of patience. There’s so many photo opps here, so make sure you bring your Instagram husband or fellow blogger friends so you can take turns.
8. Eat beforehand
There’s no food and drink allowed inside, so make sure you eat and drink beforehand. There are food trucks lined up outside so if you’re hungry, grab some food from the food truck and eat while you wait in line. It’ll make the time pass much faster.
9. Download the app
Take your own guided tour through The Broad’s free app. There are four available:
- “Artists-on-Artists,” a tour featuring collection artists talking about pieces in the Broad collection by other artists
- A collection highlights tour with commentary by founders Eli and Edythe Broad
- Architecture tour featuring Elizabeth Diller, partner-in-charge at Diller Scofidio + Renfro
- “Looking with LeVar,” a family audio tour, narrated by award-winning actor, director, and education advocate LeVar Burton
10. Make reservations for lunch at The Otium
If you’re looking to eat after visiting the Broad Museum, head next door to The Otium. This fairly new restaurant’s chef is Tom Hollingsworth, who came from French Laundry and is said to sometimes walk around helping the servers.
When I went to The Broad, it took about 1.5-2 hours to explore and take lots of photos. There’s a nice outdoor area to take a break at, if needed. There’s also a gift shop in the lobby with cool art books and souvenirs. If you’re looking to explore more of DTLA, you can leave your car there on the weekend, but you may have to pay extra during the weekdays.
The current art works displayed on the first floor will change in May to make room for a new exhibit and the Infinity Mirrored Room will be there until September, so you better start planning your visit. I hope you find these tips useful to get the most out of your visit to The Broad!
