SoCal Museums Free February 22
Nearly 30 museums and cultural institutions in Southern California will waive admission fees on Sunday, February 22 for the annual "Museums Free-for-All" day. Participating venues include the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.
- The "Museums Free-for-All" is an annual event that has been running for over two decades, organized by SoCal Museums, a collective of marketing and communications professionals from various cultural institutions. - This year's event extends beyond Los Angeles and Orange County, with participating museums located in a broad area from Santa Barbara to Palm Springs. - While general admission is complimentary, the offer does not extend to specially ticketed exhibitions, and visitors should expect to pay for parking. - Many popular institutions, such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, and The Getty Center, require advance reservations for the free day. - Other notable participating museums include the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, The Broad, the Skirball Cultural Center, and the Museum of Tolerance. - Some cultural institutions in Southern California, like The Getty Center and The Broad, offer free general admission year-round, not just on this specific day. - The Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands participates in the event to show solidarity, though it is always free to the public. - Studies on free museum admission suggest that while it may not directly increase museum revenue, it can boost spending at nearby businesses, positively impacting the local economy.
