The new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) are one of the most talked-about cultural openings in Los Angeles—and for good reason. The building is massive, visually striking, and took nearly two decades to plan. But once you step inside, you may find yourself asking a simple question: what exactly am I looking at, and how am I supposed to experience it? That question gets to the heart of what makes the new galleries both interesting and, at times, frustrating.
Before diving in, it’s worth noting that this perspective comes from someone who holds a PhD in Art History from UCLA and subsequently has spent a lot of time in museums—studying them, working in them, and yes, occasionally getting lost in them. So if parts of the Geffen Galleries feel confusing, it’s not just you.
Breaking down hierarchies to make connections
Let’s start with the basics. The building, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, opened in April 2026 after about six years of construction and a price tag of roughly $724 million. LACMA’s director, Michael Goven, has described it as a bold rethinking of what a museum can be. Instead of organizing art the traditional way—by time period (like “Renaissance” or “Modern”) or by region (like “European” or “Asian”)—the new galleries mix objects of different provenance together. Ancient objects might sit near contemporary works. Pieces from different cultures appear side by side. The idea is to break down old hierarchies and encourage visitors to make their own connections.
On paper, this sounds exciting. In reality, it can feel a bit like walking into a movie halfway through—you’re not quite sure what’s going on, and there’s no clear starting point. Museums usually provide some kind of structure to help visitors understand what they’re seeing. When that structure disappears, it doesn’t automatically create freedom—it can create confusion. You may find yourself wandering from room to room without a clear sense of how things relate or why they’re grouped together.
Interestingly, even though the museum claims to move beyond categories, they haven’t disappeared entirely. Behind the scenes, practical needs still shape the layout—things like how fragile an object is, or which department manages it. So while the galleries *feel* more freeform, they’re still quietly organized in familiar ways, just without clear signposts. The building itself adds another layer to the experience. From the outside, it’s undeniably impressive—a sweeping, elevated structure with large glass panels that make it look open and inviting. It photographs beautifully, which helps explain why it’s already all over social media.
An invitation to explore
But inside, the experience changes. Because many artworks can’t be exposed to sunlight, much of the actual gallery space is enclosed and dimly lit. You move from bright, airy exteriors into darker, more controlled environments. The result is a bit of a contradiction: a building that looks open and transparent from the outside can feel surprisingly closed-in once you’re inside.
This points to a bigger trend in modern museums. Increasingly, museums aren’t just places to look at art—they’re also designed to be *experienced* and photographed. The Geffen Galleries excel at this. The spaces are dramatic, cinematic, and visually memorable. They make you feel like you’re part of something large and immersive. But that raises an important question: is the building helping you focus on the art, or is it competing with it?
At times, it can feel like the architecture is the main attraction. The materials—lots of concrete, darker tones, and low lighting—create a strong atmosphere, but they can also make the space feel heavy. Some artworks lose a bit of their vibrancy in this environment, and your attention may drift back to the building itself.
For comparison, LACMA’s older buildings—like the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the Resnick Pavilion—offer a more straightforward experience. They’re easier to navigate, with clearer layouts and better lighting. You can spend time with a single artwork without feeling overwhelmed by the space around it. The Geffen Galleries, by contrast, lean more toward immersion than clarity. Instead of guiding you, they invite you to explore—but without always giving you the tools to make sense of what you find.
That said, there’s still a lot to appreciate here. Los Angeles is a city built on image and spectacle, and in that sense, the new galleries fit right in. They’re bold, ambitious, and designed to draw people in. Located along Wilshire Boulevard, they also sit near other major cultural institutions like the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, helping create a major cultural corridor in the city. With global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, spaces like this will play a big role in how Los Angeles presents itself to the world. The museum is also becoming easier to access thanks to the expanding Metro D line, which could bring in a more diverse range of visitors than ever before.
The verdict
So, is it worth visiting?
Yes—but with the right expectations.
If you’re looking for a traditional museum experience, where everything is clearly organized and easy to follow, this might not be your favorite place. It can feel disorienting, and you may leave with more questions than answers. But if you’re open to a different kind of experience—one that’s more about exploration, atmosphere, and visual impact—it’s absolutely worth seeing. The building itself is impressive, the collection is wide-ranging, and the overall experience is unlike most other museums. In the end, the David Geffen Galleries succeed as a destination. Whether they succeed as a museum in the traditional sense is still up for debate.
And that may be exactly the point.
