Los Angeles for Car Lovers at the Petersen Automotive Museum

Los Angeles is one of those destinations where family travelers get treated to the sight of beautiful cars cruising around the city. That being said, for a true car afficionado visiting the city, be sure to plan a trip to Petersen Automotive Museum.

From race cars and luxury cars to rare historic vehicles and concept cars for the future, the museum’s various collections offer something for everyone. While history buffs will love seeing the first Cadillac, the Model A Runabout from 1903, kids will love taking their picture with Cars’ Lightning McQueen.

© Eugenia Lazaris

The museum also features an impressive collection of recognizable cars for movie buffs, such as the Delorean from Back to the Future, the IOI Transporter from Ready Player One, the Batmobile and the car from Ghostbusters: Afterlife. There is even an entire exhibit devoted to the iconic James Bond franchise, with cars, motorcycles and boats from movies like Die Another Day, Tomorrow Never Dies and The Spy Who Loved Me.

In addition to the Bond exhibit, there is another special exhibit currently on display. Andy Warhol: Cars – Works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection features five Mercedes-Benz vehicles used in the artist’s final commission, along with 40 original pieces of artwork from Warhol’s Cars series depicting these incredibly rare and valuable vehicles in the artist’s signature style.

© Eugenia Lazaris

The museum isn’t just home to historical and well-known vehicles. A collection of fascinating car accessories gives insight into the evolution of our relationship with our vehicles, with items like a child car seat from 1942, a car radiotelephone from 1965 and adaptive household devices like a razor, baby bottle warmer and hair dryer for the car.

The museum, located on Wilshire Boulevard along the city’s Museum Row, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $19 for adults, $17 for seniors and $12 for children ages 4–17. Parking for museum visitors is $17 in the attached parking structure, which has some beautiful specimens from the museum’s collection on display.