I love that the USC Pacific Asia Museum offers free admission. There is also plenty of free parking on Union St. Fyi~they are only open Wednesday to Sundays from 11am-5pm. It's pretty tiny, so you'll likely finish browsing within an hour. Unfortunately, only the Crossroads Silk Road and Collection Highlight galleries were open when I visited, but I still enjoyed learning about the pieces. Outside of the galleries was the Garden Waves installation. It felt so peaceful, and I felt like I could sit there the whole day listening to it. I would love to go back one day when the other galleries open back up. read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We went today (free in May 2026) and saw "Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry." Very interesting and eclectic mix of old and new, a variety of art forms. I liked the 9-tail fox depicted in a couple pieces. Take time to read the descriptions of pieces which interest you. They are usually not too long. You can take time to relax in the central patio with running water and lily pond. Oh, and free parking on the north side of the building with a remarkable bird mural on the wall. Go! read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

Nice smaller museum with an eclectic mix of modern and older pieces. I loved how they highlighted contemporary Asian American artists. Lovely courtyard/garden between buildings and a super nice staff. Entry price is a little high at $20, but the museum is unique and a nice way to spend an hour in Old Town Pasadena. read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - Nice courtyard garden - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is a small but mighty museum. They have figurines from China that are 1600 years old! It was an educational and a very engaging visit. I loved learning about the silk route. My favorite part was the garden area in the middle with the sculptures, bonsai trees and water displays. read more

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A favorite museum of mine. Always bringing in exciting new exhibits with lots of color, historic (often ancient!) artifacts from across Asia. I've been here a few times already and seen a gunpowder exhibit, a Bali/Indonesia exhibit, a Japanese exhibit, and now an exhibit focused on mythical creatures, and all of them have been expertly curated, beautiful, and give something to art fans and history fans alike. I particularly like that they often offer free entry and host great events, like the lunar new year. Worth the trip no matter where you are in LA. Looking forward to the next exhibit! read more

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I came to see the Cai Guo-Qiang exhibit on a Sunday because parking is free and entrance into the museum was free and I was really interested in his work since his medium is the use of fireworks and gunpowder. Who doesn't love fireworks and gunpowder. He also recently started doing some experiments with AI, which I think is really interesting since I feel that most artist are against the AI trend. I also learned so much about him as an artist, I could probably spoil it by talking so much about everything that he does, but I don't want to do that because there's nothing Better than experiencing it for yourself and I don't wanna ruin it. One of the volunteers or workers recommended me spending some time to watch the video and I was really impressed and glad I took his advice. There's so much of his work that can be seen and experience through video and the stories that that can be told only through video. Did you know that there is a Netflix documentary called sky ladder that highlighted his work with fireworks? Also, as an artist, he spent time in New York, New Jersey, and Japan? read more

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This is a very small museum. I would suggest to research what current exhibition is being featured as when we went today, 90% of the museum was dedicated to a specific artist. I overall enjoyed the exhibit, but it wasn't particularly interesting for my 7 and 9 year olds. We were in and out within an hour. They do have a kid friendly/interactive room that was kind of fun, but also small. Pros: free parking, kids (under 18) free, very clean restrooms. Cons: very small and $20 per adult for admission. read more

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Super cute museum with a fantastic courtyard. As it was Asian-Pacific month, the entrance fee was lifted. I'm really glad it was, as the fee is a bit steep. I think $10 or less is fair, but $20/adult is a bit pricey considering how small the museum is. The exhibit we saw was the Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey, which was really cool. I really did enjoy it. But I was hoping more for a permanent collection - while there were some interesting pieces scattered throughout the museum, it looks like this museum is more of a temporary exhibit kind of place. My favorite room was the Silk road experience room. I suspect it was meant for kids, but I loved it and it's various interactive components. read more

The USC Pacific Asian Museum has art collections from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Pro Tip: 2nd Sunday FREE!! I LOVE FREE!! In addition the 2nd Sundays will have activities featuring art making, live presentation of dance and music, and crafts and accessories. They have a small parking lot that was completely packed, but luckily my boyfriend is familiar with the area and he was able to seize street parking within walking distance of the museum. We started off walking around their permanent exhibits: Ceramic Galleries, Crossroads: Exploring the Silk Road, Art of East Asia, Dr. William W. M. Lo Chinese Art Gallery, Art of the Himalayas, Art of South and Southeast Asia, Art of Pacific Islands. There was this one photograph of a Buddha ice sculpture in ice that spoke to me. The melting of he ice back into the river was conceptually like reincarnation. From nothing to something then back into nothing, water into ice, then back into water. So deep! It also happened to be the very last day of the "Imprinting in Time - Chinese Printmaking at the Beginning of a New Era" exhibit. It was neat to see the printmaking of modern Chinese art and the not so low key propaganda behind some of these. Fascinatinggggggg... The museum is a quick visit. For museum lovers who linger, we only spent about an hour and a half here since there wasn't too much to look at compared to other museums. Nevertheless still a fun visit. Hopefully they can get some generous donors and more art pieces for their collection in the future. read more

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I haven't been excited about art in a very lengthy time. Covid - the pandemic changed my relationship with art. I no longer gravitate towards the European Art (which I still like). No longer had that spark to go into a museum. And when I suffered an injury couple years back - I haven't been the same. However, this solo impromptu trip/walk to the museum - four minutes from my hotel was a pleasantly different experience in this time frame of dealing with my post injury symptoms that largely impact my experiences. The exhibition on display is-- Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey Diya, the museum educator (forgive me if this is not the correct title) was WONDERFUL to say the least in addition to one of the other Museum staff member (didn't catch his name with the yellow/red shirt) that pointed her out to me. - She was respectful, made known that she was available for any questions if I had and pointed out just a little. And I later made it known that although I did not have an specific questions: I was open to any of her knowledge. Which she had plenty! And asked me some thought-provoking questions on my perspective. It was an enjoyable experience. She enlightened me. And she's very respectful with other patrons as well. Definitely a gem! Hope she her more in the art world; the museum is lucky to have her on staff. - I may never experience art with the same intensity as before or the same capacity to observe things but Diya interactions with me made this experience a lovely one and added much more depth. - I went last Saturday a little before 4 and left a couple minutes before the museum closed at 5. You may need additional time, I did not - that is just me in this era of my life. Highly recommend it. Didn't look up any reviews prior or what exhibits that were going on but the one I saw - it's worthwhile. If you can handle spoilers, the artist medium is: gunpowder. read more

Great museum with perfect photo options Parking is on the side of the museum and it's free. I went around 1 pm it was not busy at all. read more

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Free parking , $10 entrance fee & children under 17 is free , for students with Id $7 On Thursday is give what you wish day. Active military & veterans Free admission. Free for all Visitors the Second Sunday of the Month Closed Monday-Tuesday Photography There is no flash photography allowed in any of the galleries. Photos without a flash and for personal use are allowed in the permanent collections galleries. There is no photography of any kind allowed in the changing exhibition galleries. For commercial and wedding photography, please contact info@pam.usc.edu for availability and pricing. read more

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ALL MONTH OF MAY IS FREE ADMISSION due to AAPI month and a very generous donor! We have been wanting to check out this place for awhile! It is a great museum with lots of interesting and educational art!! The courtyard itself is very artsy and representative. Fun for taking pics as well :0) Their bathrooms are really clean too! The employees are very friendly (including the security guard who told us to have a good day)!! They have a cute gift shop too with adorable & beautiful pictures on socks, adorable asian onesies for babies, and all sorts of other cool stuff! It was a great experience and I will definitely recommend to many people and return! read more

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ALL EXHIBITIONS CLOSED WITHOUT NOTICE I checked the website carefully for information on the exhibits. When I arrived, the entire place was closed except for some children's room with crayons and dolls. The woman in the gift shop said there was a big banner announcement of the museums closure on the website, but she was lying. This kind of misinformation is totally unnecessary and avoidable. It's a clear sign that the museum doesn't care about the public. Avoid this contemptuous institution at all costs. read more

I wished this museum was bigger! It's great for young children they had an area where kids can play music and use ancient calligraphy (sort of). I love that there is a museum dedicated to Asian culture...hopefully it'll expand more in the future! Def recommend if you're interested in Asian art! read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - And the kiddos^.^ - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

The beautiful inside court gives a charming and serene environment, and the permanent gallery offers a great but brief glimpse into the many cultures from Pacific Asia. Having its own parking spot so close is already a great sign every visit will be convenient, but frequent free Sundays make this the perfect place to swing by and catch the amazing work from the temporary exhibitions. This museum features Asian Americans doing their best expressive work from film to painting to crafts, and I think the recent years with the pandemic have given it more time to launch new and engaging art exhibits that feature a diverse group of artists. I've been to most museums and galleries in the LA area, but I can't help but keep coming back for more AAPI artwork. Often I find myself surprised by art installations that come and go! read more

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Beautiful museum. Not very big and an easy visit. Art displayed well. Family friendly

Visited the museum during a Lunar New Years Celebration for the first time and we had a good time. Great friendly staff (including volunteers), clean, and decent amount of parking. The museum itself is not that great, but the art pieces were fun and educational to look at. Definitely worth checking out, and since it is near Old Town Pasadena you can check that out as well. Note: They do have a weekly free day, and currently I believe it is on Sundays (however check out their website beforehand to confirm it is still the case). read more

beautiful museum and very friendly informative staff and security. Definitely will be back soon!

It's pretty darn amazing considering the space they were given. You can tell they really want to share very specific cultures and perspectives. I'd love to see displays of Asian American culture. read more

Small museum with a garden and various artifacts in multiple rooms. Free parking for visitors. Like their gift shop. Very kind staff here.

It's a small museum but there's always something interesting or unusual that I see when I come here. The courtyard is relaxing. I took one QiGong class here. I hope they offer more classes like this. They offer different classes (calligraphy, etc) or workshops here from time to time. I bought something during a sale and didn't get a discount so I had to go back to the register to get that fixed. read more

No wonder why I never hear about this museum. There really isn't much of a collection. Just a few objects interspersed in approx. 4 rooms. Come here more simply for the architecture and design of this old Hollywood home. Sit in the courtyard with a nice latter from a nearby coffee shop and stare at the coi pond, walk around, up and down the stairs, imagining you own this house and thinking of the old spirits who inhabited it back in the early 1900s! Thats more of an experience than looking at their exhibits and artifacts, I promise!! read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - Cute courtyard, but museum not worth it - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

Not worth the $10 admission fee. I guess the $10 admission fee basically pays for the "free" parking. If it wasn't for the "free" parking, the admission should really be no more than $5. I finished the museum within 30 minutes. There really isn't much of a collection. You can see very similar things in other larger museums with an Asian section. Nothing impressive at all. The gift shop is cute, but it doesn't really carry much of anything that's related to the museum. Just an assortment of Asian-related stuff, like an upscale millennial Chinatown gift shop. After I was done, I walked a couple blocks down Colorado to grab a bite and a drink before leaving. Like I said, the admission fee is pretty much just paying for the parking. read more

Not a very large venue but a nice collection of Asian art, beautiful courtyard, and a very cool mix of products in the gift shop, probably the best representation of Asian cultures I've seen in one spot in the city! read more

Lovely staff. Excellent and interesting collection. Highly recommend. Spent a lovely afternoon there

The garden is beautiful but the rest of the museum was disappointing. A video about the atomic bomb and a few pieces of "modern art".

This is a nice little museum. I came here for the Nick Dong's divine immersion exhibition. His artwork is pretty cool. The heaven room is pretty unique in the design. Definitely worth checking out. It's a very sensory experience. It's a pretty tranquil museum with a nice little patio in the middle with ponds filled with giant koi's. read more

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This museum has been closed for quite some time so I was glad they finally opened because I've never been here! They have their own parking lot which is free (YAY!). They are closed Mon and Tues but check this out, they are free on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm!! Basically this museum has art from Asia and the Pacific Island, but my favorite area is the courtyard. There is a koi pond and several areas to sit in the courtyard. read more

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I attended the free Lunar New Year festivities, so the odds were against me from the start. The parking lot wasn't available due to programming & the overflow meant that there was no street parking either. The public lot across the street was absolutely traumatic -- itsy-bitsy lanes for what seemed like an endless line of giant SUVs. I drive a compact & turning around was nearly impossible. To be fair, this lot is not part of the museum, but when they use their own lot for programming & you have no choice ... it's something to know. My friends & I did try to go through the museum while the outdoor programing was going on (dragon dancers, drummers, etc.) but I was really very disappointed at the complete lack of signage. There was some sort of machine that looked like it was snatched from the island of Dr. Moreau. Someone nearby said, "What on Earth are we looking at??" If this were in a gallery, I would just shrug, but this is a museum, where we should be helped to learn. The garden was lovely, but the gallery rooms were quite small. Overall, it was a tremendous disappointment. read more

I was just at the museum and I will make a formal complaint on Monday I ordered some tickets online on Everbrite for an event for Dr Ling's exhibition and we were told the reservation was free but you had to pay admission it didn't say anywhere that you had to pay admission so we left my mom had to put a knee brace on in the garden the lady at the first desk followed us with security I felt that we were discriminated against because we were Hispanic I'm a Civil Rights Activist for Hispanic people and I will not tolerate this type of behavior from the museum. You will be hearing from my lawyer. read more

Admission to this small but unique museum is pretty cheap, but it's a particularly good value if you visit on free-for-all-visitors Thursdays from 5-8 pm or on the second Sunday of the month. The galleries enclose a quaint courtyard that takes you out of everyday Pasadena with koi ponds and stone statues. It was a lovely place in the evening. I most recently came to see the Oscar Oiwa exhibition. After seeing the exhibition, he is definitely a new favorite artist of mine. There is a little souvenir store which connects to the main permanent collection gallery. The parking lot can be a little confusing, depending on where you come from. I came from the 210 freeway so I had to make a loop around the block because there's no turning lane into the museum (just hold up traffic if you like, but I don't). Warning: tires may be damaged if you exit the wrong way. read more

My husband and I visited this Museum for the first time since the Pandemic and we were in for such a wonderful surprise! We were greeted by Evelyn, one of the nicest museum gift shop employees you'll ever meet. She's personable and the perfect face of this institution. The exhibitions themselves are new and exciting. They cover areas such as Bali, China, S. Korea, and many more. They are curated in a complete and fascinating way. I left wanting to know more about each country. And the courtyard. New, huge sofas and chairs. Plush. Beautiful koi. Architecture out of the 20's. I can hardly wait to return! read more

Made arrangements for a 3-hour work retreat and everyone we worked with was so helpful! We enjoyed the beautiful garden, borrowed a lovely conference room and got to explore part of the permanent collection. Our team admired the art and architecture, as well as the treasure that is Lorenzo, our amazing docent who took us on a tour! read more

Visited the museum several years ago and was very impressed with the collection and atmosphere, so I deliberately returned to Pasadena to visit it today. Unfortunately, 90% of the museum space was turned over to a special exhibition of a contemporary abstract artist known for using gunpowder. Except for a few small pieces of traditional art in one small room and some traditional ceramics in a children's area, the wonderful collection was completely unavailable to see. I left feeling very disappointed. I knew the museum was presenting a special exhibition, but failed to understand that that was the only exhibition. Since I live 3000 miles away, I doubt I will make a return journey. My suggestion is that before visiting the museum, call and ask if what you are going to see there will actually be on display. It's also $20 for entry into the museum. Had I known, and if the person at the entry desk told me that it wasn't just one gallery but the entire museum for the special exhibition, I would have passed. read more

Had to come here for a class paper, first time here, it was nice, a bit small, there was alot of Buddhist and Hindu art and sculptures. They had an entire section dedicated to pottery. Enjoyed looking around at the different things they had. My favorite thing about this place was the open area in the center with a little pond trees and koi fish, it seemed like a chill spot to come and study. They offer free parking and have a gift shop with cool things. It's free for USC students staff and faculty and students from other schools get a discount. read more

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This place is beautiful. I would love this art & artifacts in my home too. Luckily, they have a small store to take home replicas , and hand made arts. read more

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Pacific Asia Museum is free the fourth Friday of every month. Here are future dates so you can put it in your calendar: August 24, 2012 September 28, 2012 October 26, 2012 WEBSITE: http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org ADMISSION INFO: $9.00 for General Admission $7.00 for Students & Seniors Free for Children Ages 11 & under HOURS: Wednesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. SUMMARY OF MY VISIT: Stephanie C., our Yelp intern for L.A. East, posted an event to let us know that every fourth Friday is free, so I decided to go last Friday with my teenage son. I wanted to go to this museum for years and hearing that it was free was all the incentive I needed. I was very impressed with the current collection because there were many exhibits (see below) in addition to permanent exhibits as follows: Gallery for The Art of Asia, The Gallery of Korean Art, The Gallery of Himalayan Art, Art of the Pacific Islands, and many others. PROS: Parking is free in their lot on the corner of Los Robles Avenue and Union Street, directly north of the museum. It is not a large lot. EXHIBITS AS FOLLOWS: Masterpieces of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi until August 12, 2012 There is approximately 100 woodblock prints on paper. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=SQItQdWuppXR7jKHaV6l-Q&userid=o8Lo2pvM19nyYPBBycgSVg Kimono in the 20th Century until March 10, 2013. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rTXkcH-Rp36J8FErUMfypQ&userid=o8Lo2pvM19nyYPBBycgSVg Gajin Fujita: Ukiyo-e in Contemporary Painting CONS: They do not provide a map which would have been nice. They basically just tell you when you walk through the front door that you are on your own to go through the galleries. I think a map, audio tour or docent led tour would have been a nice touch and that is why I am taking one star off. Yes, I know it was free, but I am sure they could get many people who would love to volunteer to do this, especially for kids who walk in. I would volunteer to do this. read more

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The museum: Good collection of Asian art works and "treasures". Very informative and educational. Very small museum compared to other museums in LA. Admission: $15. The Parking: Private lot (FREE) or Street metered parking read more

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Nice little museum for an intro to Asia Pacific cultures. Free parking available in lot next door. read more

USC Pacific Asia Museum - Courtyard - Museums Near Me - Pasadena, California

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