LA Museums Enter Golden Age

A trio of nine- and ten-figure museum projects are reshaping the city's cultural landscape in 2026 alone. The long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a $1 billion project from filmmaker George Lucas, is set to open on September 22, 2026, in Exposition Park. The futuristic, spaceship-like building was designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. After years of delays due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, the 300,000-square-foot Lucas Museum will house a diverse collection of over 40,000 works. The galleries will feature narrative art in many forms, from ancient sculptures and Frida Kahlo paintings to children's book illustrations and *Star Wars* memorabilia. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will debut its own massive, $750 million overhaul in April 2026. The new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Peter Zumthor, will feature 110,000 square feet of gallery space in a striking building that floats over Wilshire Boulevard. This influx of new construction follows several other major recent expansions. The Hammer Museum completed a two-decade-long, $180 million transformation that added 40,000 square feet of new space and redesigned its public-facing entrances. In late 2024, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened its $75 million NHM Commons, a new wing and community hub designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners. The broader cultural energy extends beyond individual institutions. PST ART: 'Art & Science Collide,' a region-wide event involving over 70 cultural institutions, launched in late 2024. Supported by nearly $20 million in Getty grants, the five-month series of exhibitions and programs features more than 800 artists exploring the intersection of art and science.