Chinese American Museum

The Chinese American Museum, located in the Garnier Building in the Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument area in downtown LA,  is a compact collection of artifacts chronicling the experience of Chinese immigrants to the United States.  Appropriately, the building is a remnant of the original Chinatown in Los Angeles, before it was moved in the 1930s to make room for Union Station.

Visitors find a desk rather than a ticket booth in the entry; instead of a set ticket price, the museum asks for a suggested donation.  The remainder of the first floor features a timeline along one wall.  Visitors can follow major events affecting China and the United States, with an emphasis on how those events influence relations and immigration patterns between the two countries.  Small bowls of rice are placed at intervals along the timeline--the bowls represent the number of Chinese living in the United States, and grow from a few grains of rice to an overflowing bowl by the end.  Visitors learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act and other important milestones in the story of Chinese immigration.

To emphasize the nature of the immigrant experience, one exhibit features a huge stack of vintage luggage.  Visitors are asked, "What would you bring?" as they see examples of what a family might consider valuable enough to pack for a long and permanent voyage. 

Smaller exhibits cover personal stories.  One displays artifacts from a "Paper Son," one of many young boys whose identities were changed to enable them to immigrate as the son of another family.

One room is designed to replicate an area of Angel Island, the entrance point for most Chinese immigrants to California in the first half of the 20th Century, and displays pictures and memorabilia.  Another re-creates a Chinese Herb Store; near the counter, exhibits designed to look like bins and shelves open to displays comparing modern medical cures and medicines with traditional Chinese treatments.

The top floor carries temporary exhibits.  When we visited in the summer of 2011, this area featured a display of art entitled Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration Reform, which is advertised through December 2011.  The artwork here--modern protest posters and similar works--was interesting, but seemed out of sync with the rest of the museum.  For some reason, the lighting was darker on this upper floor, making the disconnect more noticeable.

The museum offers an interesting, informative look at one thread of LA's multicultural quilt.  A visit will run roughly an hour, so it fits in well with a trip to the Pueblo area for tourists or native Angelenos.

From the museum website:

ADDRESS

425 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(The cross street is Arcadia)

Contact Information

Museum Front Desk: (213) 485-8567

Hours 

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 3pm.
Closed on Mondays and the following holidays:
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day

Suggested Admission

Adults - $3.00
Seniors (60 and over) - $2.00
Students (with ID) - $2.00
Museum Members – Free

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

All exhibits are accessible for wheelchairs.

 

"The Only African American Firefighter Museum in the U.S."

I came across this review on The Huffington Post by Ashley Michelle Williams, a senior at USC.  I'll have to put it on my list of museums to visit this summer.

From her review:

Visitors will most likely meet 92-year-old retired firefighter Arnett Hartsfield. Hartsfield is so enthusiastic and lively. It is quite surprising to meet someone who has given so much to society throughout his entire life and yet still keeps giving.
.....................................................

According to the museum's website, Hartsfield was a Los Angeles firefighter during the 1940s and 50's. He led the integration of the Los Angeles Fire Department. As a graduate of USC's law school, he and his fellow firemen known as the Stentorians, the NAACP and the local community, were instrumental in successfully integrating the LAFD.

 Hartsfield is featured on the image display on the museum's website, where you can also follow a virtual tour.

From the museum's website:

1401 S Central Ave Los Angeles, CA 90021-2607 Phone: 213 744-1730

We are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm. We are closed on holidays.

Our admission is free for groups or individuals that have less then 10 people in their party.
Groups consisting of 11-25 people we request a $50.00 donation for a group tour.
Groups of 26-50 we request a $75.00 donation
Groups of 51 and over we request a $100. donation.
All small children must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.

Groups requesting tours must contact our office via email at aaffmuseum@sbcglobal.net.
Please indicate the date and time of your requested tour and the amount of people you intend to bring.

Grammy Museum, Los Angeles

The Grammy Museum, squeezed into LA LIVE half a block from Staples Center, makes the most of a small amount of space.  Visitors enter into a small foyer on the ground floor; the only exhibit here is Janis Joplin's car.  Signs warn that photography isn't allowed inside at all, which is a shame, because everyone here wanted to take pictures next to the car!  You can check your coat or bags here, and an attendant/elevator operator will send you directly to the 4th floor to begin the tour.

The main exhibit area begins with an interactive touch device called the Crossroads (there are several, so you shouldn't have to wait for one) which is designed to teach visitors about the links and influences between various genres of music.  If you touch "Country," for example, you will get images of different sub-genres of music that influenced, or were influenced by, Country music.

The next room carries on this idea; individual booths showcase different genres.  Visitors can sit inside the booths and watch videos of performances or retrospectives.  The outsides of the booths have the usual artifacts--instruments, costumes, posters, etc.  It is interesting to note that classical music is also included here; this is primarily a pop music museum, but it gives a nod to all genres that are included in the Grammy awards. Near the back of the room, more interactive screens focus on geography, as visitors can click on an area of the United States and find a quick audio/visual history of pop music associated with that city or state. Interactive exhibits, in fact, continue throughout the museum, so this is a great place to take older school aged kids who are interested in music.

When we visited in January of 2011, the featured traveling exhibit was the John Lennon: Songwriter exhibition.  The most striking feature of the exhibit was the listening/viewing room--I assume this feature remains and is used for all special exhibits.  It's a great place to sit and rest and take in the video display.

Visitors continue down to the lower floors for exhibits on the Grammy awards show itself.  Jennifer Lopez's famous green dress is on display here, along with a few other notable outfits.  Since the museum is only  three years old, I assume this collection will grow in future years.  A screen behind the display plays performances from Grammy broadcasts.  Tucked away in one corner we found an exhibit on the Latin Grammys, complete with instruments and headphones, and a video screen showing clips from the Latin Grammy awards.  Another area features several large glass booths with recording and mixing equipment.  Visitors can experiment with various effects and techniques for different types of music in each one.

The gift shop is a little small and cramped, out of necessity.  You'll definitely find some t-shirts you'll like, but the rest of the selection is limited.  Also, be aware that there is no cafe or food available in the museum.  It opens at 11:30, so you might want to have an early lunch (or late breakfast at The Original Pantry down the street).  There are plenty of places to eat within a block.  You can also leave and re-enter the museum; just get a wrist bracelet from the attendant at the ground floor.

All in all, a good way to spend 2-3 hours on an afternoon in downtown L.A.

Added July 2012:  According to The Huffington Post, the Grammy Museum will open the exhibit " “Whitney! Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Whitney Houston" on August 15, 2012.  The exhibit will run until February 2013.

From the museum website:

How to Purchase Museum Tickets

General admission tickets to the Museum are available through Ticketmaster and at the Museum Box Office. For program tickets, please see the Public Programs and Educational Programs pages on this website.

Adults: $12.95
Students: $11.95 (18 years and older, valid ID required)
Seniors: $11.95 (65 years and older)
Youth: $10.95 (6-17 years)
Military: $10.95 (Valid ID required)
Groups: $10.00 (10 or more persons, see Groups below)
School Groups: $8.00 Tour and program, $5.00 Tour only
Children: Free (5 years and younger)
Members: Free

Groups

When booked in advance, groups of ten or more qualify for a discounted ticket price of $10.00. For more information, please see the Group Sales page or call 213.765.6800 (ext. 3).

Box Office

Location
The GRAMMY Museum is located at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, at the northeast corner of L.A. LIVE. The Museum entrance and Box Office are located off of Figueroa Street. All same-day sales are available through the Museum's Box Office.

Hours
Monday - Friday 11:30am - 7:30pm, Saturday - Sunday 10:00am - 7:30pm

Contact
Phone: 213.765.6803
Email: boxoffice@grammymuseum.org