Here’s the move if you want the dinosaur hall and the gem vault without overpaying or standing in the wrong line. Buy your tickets directly from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, skip third-party resellers, and time your visit around the day’s school groups and game-day traffic from the Coliseum. Done right, you’ll see the only Tyrannosaurus rex growth series on public display and walk straight into a hall of sparkling stones for the cost printed on the museum’s own site, not a penny more.
The museum sits inside Exposition Park at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Regular hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm daily, and the museum closes the first Tuesday of each month except June through August, plus Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. That schedule matters if you are threading a visit between school pickups or a USC game.
If your group is here for “dinosaurs and diamonds,” you’ll spend most of your time in two permanent galleries. The Jane G. Pisano Dinosaur Hall houses more than 300 fossils and 20 mounted skeletons, including the museum’s signature Tyrannosaurus rex growth series presented as a baby, juvenile, and sub-adult. There is also a one-of-a-kind fossil of a pregnant plesiosaur, a display that seasoned museum-goers travel to see. All of this is included in general admission, so there is no upsell at the door for this hall.
Next up is the Robert Procop Gem and Mineral Hall, a darkened suite of cases that present over 2,000 minerals, meteorites, and gems. This gallery is free with general admission. Depending on the season, the adjacent vault occasionally hosts limited-run showcases that require a timed ticket. When a special jewel show is running, you will see stanchions and a separate scan point just outside the vault; more on how to book those slots below.
Beyond the headliners, two add-ons are common upsells. The seasonal Butterfly Pavilion requires a timed ticket and currently runs $10 per person for nonmembers. The museum’s 3D theater, part of NHM Commons, screens titles like T. REX 3D and Oceans 3D at $10 per film. Those two prices are stable program fees published by the museum, and both are on top of general admission, which you still need in hand to enter the building.
General admission pricing is straightforward and posted by the museum: $18 for adults, $14 for seniors 62+ and students with ID, $7 for ages 3–12, and free for kids two and under. Members always get free general admission. Certain special exhibitions have their own price, for example a recent science exhibition priced at $12 weekday and $15 weekends/holidays for adults, and $6–$8 for children 3–12, all as add-ons to general admission. The museum also runs the live puppet performance Dinosaur Encounters as a separate ticket at $10.
There are legitimate ways to lower your out-of-pocket cost without touching a reseller. L.A. County residents get free museum admission Monday through Friday from 3–5 pm with a valid ID. EBT cardholders receive free general admission for up to two adults and four children with ID. California PreK–12 teachers and school staff, active or retired U.S. military, USC students and faculty, and NHM members also qualify for free general admission. The museum now lets many of these free categories reserve timed tickets online, which shortens your check-in and avoids a sold-out time slot for add-ons.
Two pass products also include NHM. Go City Los Angeles includes Natural History Museum general admission on several pass types, and Los Angeles CityPASS lists NHM among included attractions on its current lineups. If you are stacking several paid attractions in one or two days, those passes can pencil out. Another local program, Discover & Go from L.A. County Library, offers free general admission to NHM for up to two adults and four children when reserved through your library account. None of these passes cover every add-on; you still buy Butterfly Pavilion or theater tickets if you want them the same day.
| Option | What it includes | Price signal | How to get it | Gotchas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Admission | Dinosaur Hall, Gem and Mineral Hall, core galleries | $18 adults, $14 seniors/students, $7 ages 3–12 | Buy directly from the museum’s ticketing | Add-ons like Butterfly Pavilion and 3D films are extra at $10 each |
| L.A. County Resident Free Hours | General admission only, weekdays | Free 3–5 pm Monday–Friday with ID | Reserve the discounted category online or show ID in person | You only get two hours inside, and add-ons still require paid, timed tickets |
| Membership | Free general admission year-round, perks, and free add-ons like Butterfly Pavilion | Members pay $0 per visit for general admission, add-ons marked as free for members | Join on the museum’s site or at the desk | Pays off if you plan multiple visits or want seasonal pavilions and 3D films covered |
| Go City Los Angeles | NHM general admission plus other attractions, depending on pass | NHM is included | Show your pass at NHM ticketing | Special exhibits and pavilions are separate; check pass validity dates and activation rules |
| Los Angeles CityPASS | NHM general admission bundled with other LA sights | NHM is included | Present mobile or printed CityPASS | Same-day add-ons still require separate purchase |
| Discover & Go (Library) | Free general admission for families | Up to 2 adults + 4 children free | Reserve through L.A. County Library’s Discover & Go portal | Quantities are limited and must be reserved in advance |
Doors open at 9:30 am. If you are bringing kids who want the 3D film or a seasonal pavilion, the safer play is to book the earliest timed slots so you are not trying to wedge them into the last hour. School field trips tend to crowd the mornings in fall and spring, which makes the 3–5 pm resident free window tempting. The catch is right there in the hours: the museum closes at 5 pm, so a weekday free visit gives you a maximum of two hours inside, less if you arrive late or need to check a stroller.
Special exhibitions and live programs like Dinosaur Encounters use timed-entry tickets and can sell out by midday on high-traffic dates. If you want a clean, one-scan entry, add those items to your cart when you buy or reserve your general admission. The museum lets many free categories reserve online by uploading ID during checkout, which avoids the ticket-desk queue at arrival.
On the logistics side, the museum’s NHM Car Park runs a $20 flat rate from 9:15 am to 6 pm. The nearby Exposition Park Blue Structure runs $20 before 5 pm and $24 after 5 pm. There are no in-and-out privileges. If you take Metro’s E Line, show your TAP card at check-in for a $2 discount on admission, and use either Expo/USC or Expo/Vermont stations, both a short walk to NHM. The museum also flags USC football and other Coliseum events as heavy-traffic days; on those, plan extra travel time or ride Metro to skip surge parking.
Two arrival details to keep your group moving: the NHM Commons Plaza Entrance and the North Entrance are open, and there is a green ticket booth at the east end of the NHM Car Park if you parked onsite. Free Wi‑Fi is available throughout the building under the network name NHM Guest Wifi, which matters if you are wrangling digital passes or mobile library reservations at the last minute.
Food and coffee are easy inside the museum. The Neighborhood Grill on Level G serves sandwiches, salads, flatbread pizzas, kids’ meals, and coffee, and South LA Cafe in the NHM Commons lobby handles grab-and-go drinks and bites. If you want fresh air after the dinosaur hall, step into the museum’s Nature Gardens or head across the walkway to the Exposition Park Rose Garden, which is free and typically open 8:30 am to dusk. It is an easy reset without leaving the park.
If you are stacking attractions, the California Science Center next door offers free general admission to its permanent galleries. That is a strong pairing with an NHM ticket, especially for families trying to spread costs over one day. If you bought a Go City pass or a CityPASS, check which attractions are grouped on your pass type to plan your sequence, since some premium items on those passes use separate timed entries.
For add-on value at NHM, consider the schedule in the Commons Theater. The T. REX 3D film is a tidy way to keep younger kids engaged after the dinosaur hall, and the runtime fits a half-day visit without forcing a rush through the gems. Tickets are $10, and members get daily access as part of membership perks.
Final tip on entrances and wayfinding. If you park in the Blue Structure across Exposition Park, the museum asks you to enter through the NHM Commons Plaza Entrance that faces the park. That avoids a backtrack around the building and keeps you near the Commons welcome center for questions, stroller tags, and add-on ticket pickups.
Yes, but only during a specific weekday window. With valid ID, L.A. County residents receive free general admission from 3–5 pm Monday through Friday. It covers the core galleries like Dinosaur Hall and the Gem and Mineral Hall. Add-ons such as Butterfly Pavilion or 3D films still require a paid, timed ticket.
No. The Robert Procop Gem and Mineral Hall is free with general admission. If there is a temporary vault exhibition running, that may have a separate timed entry, but the main gem and mineral galleries themselves are part of your base ticket.
Two hours goes fast. Since the museum closes at 5 pm, get there right at 3, head straight to Dinosaur Hall, then cross to the gems. Skip add-ons on that visit, or reserve a separate day for the Butterfly Pavilion or a 3D film so you are not rushing a paid extra in a tight window.
Ride Metro if you can. The E Line’s Expo/USC and Expo/Vermont stations are both a short walk to NHM, and you’ll earn a $2 admission discount by showing your TAP card. If you must drive, expect the NHM Car Park to charge a $20 flat rate and the Blue Structure to charge $20 before 5 pm or $24 after 5 pm, with no in-and-out privileges.
Boil it down this way. If you only want the dinosaurs and gems, buy general admission direct at the museum’s posted price and go early. If you want the pavilions or 3D films, add those when you check out, and if you are stacking multiple L.A. attractions, compare a Go City or CityPASS bundle to the museum’s own membership before you lock in.
Published: September 7, 2026