California African American Museum

A very sleek museum with multiple changing exhibits all exploring different aspects of the African American experience in California. Came here for the Ode to ‘Dena exhibit highlighting the culture and history of the historic black American community of Altadena, the devastation from the Eaton Fire and attempts to preserve and rebuild. Very powerful! The museum is free! Give them a visit!

Perfect space for exhibitions, featuring well lit, large and open rooms. Shows change regularly. We saw Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, the George Washington Carver show, and the Simone Leigh retrospective when we were there. All strong, thought-provoking work. Friendly staff, FREE admission, large shared parking lot with museums and coliseum.

Had a tour hosted by the WGA’s Committee of Black Writers. The exhibits were educational, insightful, and surprising. Made me realize I really don’t know shizzz about George Washington Carver. I was shocked at how small the museum is though

Came here with friends for a free summer music night to celebrate Juneteenth. Had an amazing time

Good place for history surrounding the African american community. The exhibitions change. Loved the diversity of the artist.

I love this museum and the rotating installations. They also have amazing free programs. My favorite is the soundbaths. I will say on my visit this past Saturday that I attempted to ask a question at reception, and the tall gentleman was dry, short, and rude when engaging. It was offensive. I left and opted not to return for the 2:30 program.

The California African American Museum is one of the many museums placed within the USC campus area. This location primarily focuses on works or art and history that are integral to the experience of African Americans, as well as art created by those of that rich ancestry. The museum is large and spacious and is easy to navigate throughout. With an ever changing variety of different artists and histories to view. Definitely worth a trip to see.

Don't miss this museum! It's an experience that will stay with you long after you leave.

My dad, stepmom and I had a lovely time during our visit to the museum. I had never been here before - never knew about it to be honest - but one day when my fiancé and I were going to a LA women's soccer match, we walked about the area to get to the stadium and saw this museum and the California of Science museum nearby. I thought these museums would be great to explore when family came to visit and so we did just that. I loved all the exhibits, but it was particularly cool to learn more about George Washington Carver, his life, and all his wisdom. While the museum itself is not very big, I found it to have a good amount of information without feeling overwhelming. I will say it is quite chilly in the exhibit rooms so be sure to bring a sweater. I also wish they had a gift shop, but maybe that is something they will work on having in the future.

I'm a fan and here's why: 1. Parking - this is not why, but important to share up front, it's $20 for a regular car for the day. No way around it. Be prepared, or take the train or bus or ride with a friend and split the cost and save some cash. 2. The museum is free. Love that, thank you taxes. 3. Once a month they hold a really good free yoga class at 11am on either a Sat or Sun. The instructor is really good. I work out quite a bit and was feeling it! More like power Yoga vs Zen low key Yoga but I loved it! You can register on Eventbright. 4. The We are not strangers exhibit re original Black California settlers is super informative! Learned that 40 acres of land near Red Bluff that some friends bought is historic and tied to the Coffey Family! 5. The Simone Leigh exhibit was also fantastic. With so many artists of all kinds in LA this venue should never lack content! Will definitely be back.

I'm writing this review in hopes that CAAM will read it. I'm not sure if they will since it doesn't appear that they've made any comments on previous bad reviews. I really didn't want to give CAAM a 1-star review because the event that I attended this evening could have been great. I'm grateful that the panelists were able to remain professional in such an embarrassing situation. I attended the "To Right a Wrong: The Story of Ballard Mountain" on 7/11/25. Having witnessed and participated in many events such as this in the arts world and in a corporate environment, I assumed that the film portion had been tested. Everyone soon became aware that there were technical difficulties. After several failed attempts to play the film a CAAM representative appeared and stated that they were having technical difficulties and promised that it had worked previously. I doubt that very seriously. I know this had to make things very uncomfortable for the panelist and Curator, Susan D. Anderson. It made things uncomfortable for the audience as well. I enjoyed the discussion that Ms. Anderson was able to manufacture, however not her intended plan. This should NEVER happen at an organization of this magnitude! I have been witness to employees being reprimanded severely for incidents such as this when executives were presenting and the audio visual portion of their presentation was flawed due to equipment not working. So should the case be in this situation. Here are some suggestions for improvement as I want to support the hard efforts of the curators at CAAM. - Test and Re-Test the equipment multiple times prior to an event. - Find a different place to have media presentations as there were 2 things that I noticed. -- a. The acoustics were not ideal for listening to audio media. Very muffled with echoing effects. -- b. The screen was extremely too High - Have someone to greet guests as they enter for special events such as this. - It would have been nice to also visit the exhibit related to the film but those doors were locked. Sorry CAAM but I was extremely disappointed by the flaws in this event. Large efforts had been made by the participants and this felt very disrespectful accomplishments. Thankfully, Ms. Anderson was able to craft, on the fly, a way in which to provide important information even with the awful acoustics.

I have been here a couple of times with my daughters and we always have a great time. The staff is very nice and friendly and the facility is nice and calming. I will continue to visit.

August 4, 2023/Downtown LA: CAAM & KCRW Summer Nights definitely knows how to curate a phenomenal event! Last night was so much fun w/a group of friends! Music, food, art, and so many people! Oh, my! Great vibes all around, loved the energy, as it was shining bright, both inside and outside and around the museum! Museum: The exhibits were amazing in each room, as well as many being larger than life & colorful as ever, including films to watch! One of my favorite exhibits was Black California Dreamin; reading the stories, seeing Bruce's Beach, a Black Artist (Yrneh Gabon) Surfing Installation, surfboards & just so much to see was exciting! Scenery/Atmosphere: Great Art, a wonderful variety of music, amazing DJ, incredibly stylish people, great vibes, and everyone's excitement was a sight to be seen! The event was incredibly organized with long lines stretching all across the lobby in an orderly fashion! Music played and kept everyone entertained inside, as well as outside and I also enjoyed dancing along with the crowd in the patio area!! Fun times! Food Trucks: It was great seeing two of my favorite places, Dulanville (Fish Sandwich) & Harold & Belle's(Catfish Nuggets!). The event was incredibly popular, and the lines were wildly long, so I didn't get a chance to try it either! Parking: $18 & plenty of parking spaces! Overall: What a great event! Looking for more exciting things happening at CAAM, as it's always a great time! When you combine, art, music, food, and great vibes, you can't help but have a great time & this event truly did it up!

Paula Wilson: Toward the Sky's Back Door Exhibit. A nice introduction to black art and great storytelling of California history and culture.

Disclaimer: The exhibits were closed for renovations so the entrance fee was waived but parking was a non refundable $15 hence I am rating it as such. The museum is located across from USC and other museums are nearby. I am being generous with 3 stars. The place has good potential but we didn't get to see much of anything. Due to construction, visitors can only hangout in the atrium where there was a small, abstract exhibit by Roberson & Mohammed. The exhibit was interesting however it felt like more context was needed. I also felt like the art curator could've done more the space to attract visitors during the renovation. I hope to visit again, once the renovations are complete and increase my rating.

I am a fan. The exhibits are always great it is next to parking and all the employees/volunteers point out interesting, easily overlooked parts of the artwork! This is simply a great place

One of my FAVORITE Los Angeles museums, I am happy they have reopened after being closed since early 2023. The $5M renovation and new exhibits were superb. I attended the opening - Summer Nights edition on 8/4/23, with KCRW playing music outside, various food trucks and an beer outdoor beer garden. Great cross section of attendees and the docents were knowledgeable & friendly. if The California Beachin' exhibit was my favorite with photos of families at various Southern California beaches in the 1920s and even earlier. Parking in the adjacent Exposition Center lot is $15 with plenty of parking available.

All the exhibits are closed until renovations are done! The front desk said they would reopen this spring/summer. When I checked the website I hadn't noticed the small sentence at the top eluding to exhibits being closed. The only things to see are in the main area which took 15 minutes.

We've been here several times and have really enjoyed each visit. This time we're here for the CAAM CON. This is a great place to bring the entire family. We love the art exhibits and the activities they have for kids.

I am so glad this museum has opened up since Covid. I made it a point for my family and I to visit this museum when visiting Los Angeles and it was a great idea! As soon as you walk in, there's a great big beautiful open vestibule. The young lady who sat at the desk was so kind and greeted us warmly. We were able to visit the 4 exhibition rooms uninterrupted. The sign's were clear. Certain exhibition rooms had signs to let you know how many people were allowed at a time. We picked a good time to go because we were able to view the rooms we wanted without restrictions. They had great exhibitions, exhibitions with detailed narratives beside them all. One room even had a short film playing so that you could stand and view. It was 2 to 4 minutes long. I would definitely recommend this museum to anyone visiting this area, it's definitely a gem.

Honestly I am infatuated with this location. I took myself on a self care date and I enjoyed every minute! I wish the museum was bigger. They offered so much history and artifacts I was completely upset when I toured only three rooms. Overall the staff is friendly, facility super clean and overall has a welcoming atmosphere when you arrive. I look forward to returning. I would love to check out the library inside of the museum. It definitely gave me the kool-aid smile when I noticed that classy touch. I believe this location is a must see! Definitely worth the experience!

I attended the black comic festival which included panel, discussion, food vendors and comic booths. I enjoy the space because it's plenty room outdoors, and indoors to host an event. It's also a great place for weddings and network and events.

The images of Ernie Barnes pervaded a portion of popular consciousness in the 1970s and 80s. How many albums covers featuring his work are sitting in homes across the country? For me, his iconic painting titled 'Sugar Shack' is what kept him in my mind for decades. Seen in the closing credits of the television show, 'Good Times,' I always wanted to know more about the painting. (As an aside, 'Good Times' jumped the shark once John Amos left the show but that's a rant for another time.) It's in a private collection so seeing it in art museum's permanent collection won't happen. When I realized this painting and many other works of Mr. Barnes are on display in the final days of an exhibition at the California African American Museum, I had to go. Yes, it's true, people are proudly having their photos taken next to 'Sugar Shack.' See for yourself. That's a testament to Mr. Barnes' long reach into our collective culture. A literal long reach is also on display in his images. Athletes stretch into distance, dancers sensually and joyously stretch toward each other and almost into the sky. Layered into his paintings are also displays of strength and determination. This is clearly evident in his works featuring athletes in competition but, for me, is rings most clearly in his painting titled 'My Miss America.' A muscular woman fills the canvas as she walks toward the viewer carrying two large heavy bags. It's a quietly simple image but its power resonates throughout the large gallery.

Friendly and helpful staff. Very welcoming environment. Interesting and FREE educational exhibits related to history, art, and politics. Parking is available in the same lot as the California Science Center. It seems as if everyone always visits the California Science Center and the Natural History Museum, but no one visits the California African American Museum because it was so empty inside yet there were a lot of people in the parking lots walking towards the California Science Center and Natural History Museum. The California African American Museum is a must visit and it's free! Support ALL of these very important museums and Center!

The museum is small, but impactful. The exhibits were interesting and informative. I learned so much about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers today. And some of the paintings and sculptures in other exhibits were breathtaking. The art was displayed beautifully. I highly recommend this museum. Did I mention that admission is free?!!!

Amazing local museum featuring California movers and shakers in the African American community. I really enjoyed the unique and creative art pieces - a lot of the artists are fans of mixed media which I love. I wished more of the pieces had more detailed explanations, but other than that it is curated well. You can learn the history of saggy/baggy pants from the fashion exhibit. There was a "Black Mammy" exhibit that was really insightful into American history. It was neat to see a video montage of some samples of minstrel shows, etc. It may seem uncomfortable to watch, but it is an important thing to know that this is what happened in our dark past as a country. So this place does provide free admission! Woohoo! You do have to pay $12 cash only for parking. I would suggest maybe spending the whole day here and visiting the other museums in the area to get your money's worth!

Thought provoking exhibits I wanted more! However, admission was free. There were 4 exhibits: L.A. Blacksmiths, Cross Colors: Black Fashion, Making Mammy, and L.A. Artist Timothy Washington's 'Citizen/Ship' Collection. Very intriguing to consider these eras in the form of art exhibits. As an active participant in the Cross Colours Fashion craze, I was oblivious there was a conscios philosophy fueling the movement...I was just Stylin' and Profilin'! But its all good, I know it now. I went with my 19 year old daughter and her best friend, they were just as engrossed as I was and very receptive to the history. My reccomendation..GO and bring young people with you!

Great small museum. Five galleries but I spend at least 20 minutes in each. I've been here twice and love how many artists comment on social history. The Hip Hop clothing exhibit is great and now I know there is a difference between Hip Hop and Rap! I was amazed at the creative media used by the artists, such as junk metal, blue jeans, and chicken wire. They had craft tables for children last time I went. Near the bathrooms are photos of President Obama. Wish they had a longer video (It's 2 minutes). On my first visit I was thrilled to see paintings by Ernie Barnes, best known for "Sugarshack", seen in the closing credits of Good Times. I love the exaggerated movements, especially in his sports paintings. There was also a great, informative exhibit on civil rights activism in Los Angeles. Learned W.E.B. du Bois was an early activist of the suffrage movement. Free admission, parking is $8. I plan to come back every few months!

Loved the exhibits they are showing. Such interesting concepts and different mediums used. One artist focused on houses, and used many different ways to express herself through the loss of her family home. The other was an artist focused on sports and a newspaper from a time when blacks were treated unfairly. I had no idea he was a former football player who painted the photo in the TV show good times and the marvin Gaye album. Very cool! Very interesting artists displayed! Look forward to seeing more!

Small rotating museum. Staff is friendly and Non aggressive. It's free. It can take you 10 minutes or two hours to visit the 4-5 different exhibits. It's all depending on what you take from it. My granddaughter loves stopping in here on out way to the Science Museum and Natural History Museum. I'm glad I can expose her to different cultures at such a young age and that she enjoys it! Her favorite to date is the hair weave art and the little house with a heart in the entrance.

Beautiful museum showcasing a rich and powerful culture. The exhibit not available for viewing was the "Dust My Broom" collection due to a gala/event setup taking place. However, it's part of the museum's permanent collection and will be available later. The Cross Colours: Black Fashion 20th Century was the most fun and inspiring exhibit. There was black board for patrons to write creative fashion quotes. A video segment explains how the fashion designers inquired if television's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Will Smith character would wear their Cross Colours fashion. Will agreed and this helped the brand skyrocket. The bold and bright fashion colors scream high energy, African and U.S. urban culture. The clothes are also functional, physically not restrictive and fun. The making mammy: a caricature of black womanhood exhibit is also worth a view. There was a song "My Mammy" performed by Al Jolson. The album cover and lyrics are on display. This stereotype and imagery of black women can still be seen in modern media. The mammy stereotype also has echoes on the origin of "drag queens" with hand on hip, finger waving and neck rolling body language...an imitation of a "black woman". I would have loved to purchase some items from a gift shop. Not sure I passed the shop or if there is a shop or if it wasn't open until after the gala event. I will visit this museum. It's a beautiful experience.

Great contemporary museum! Loved the welcome, the space and the galleries. Admission was FREE and they weren't even taking donations (which was a bummer because we wanted to support the museum). The black feminism pieces were beautiful and I loved the paintings and portraits- discovered some new artists here that I had never heard of. We also really enjoyed the exhibit on Chinese immigrants in Trinidad and how they influenced the art scene. Although admission is free, only viable parking is in a lot and $12 (cash only!). If we weren't in a hurry we would have tried to find street parking and walked over instead. We got through the entire museum in a little over an hour. Definitely worth a visit when in LA!

It was interesting. Wish it was bigger with more content. It was so small we forced ourselves to read the posts and hang around as long as possible

On the first Saturdays of the month, CAAM has a session with a docent for one of their exhibits. When I visited in late January, they had 5 exhibits. I really enjoyed the session on their Making Mammy exhibit. Although the exhibit itself was smaller than I expected, I recently learned there is a film that will be shown later this month regarding the subject matter of this exhibit. Relating the history and exhibit to today in a group experience is a great thing to share in and I wish it had been longer!! I would definitely recommend the CAAM. It's free, interesting, and in a great area to explore other things as well!! So much of American history has been built on the American Black experience and continues to do so in insidious ways. This space that centers and celebrates that Black perspective is rich, needed, and a gift to everyone who visits.

The museum is super small and not school group friendly. Only 10 people were allowed in each exhibits (which there were barely any). One of the workers was hovering so much and pretty much harassing my students when they weren't doing anything wrong. I would not recommend this place for school trips or even just in general. It's boring and the employees are too knit picky.

It was blah. I've been to the African American museum in Charleston SC some years back and it was a beautiful and educational museum. Everything you would expect from a U.S museum. I've past this local museum many times as a kid and always wanted to stop but always ran out of time after being in the adjacent museums. Finally got the chance to check it out and wow, not what I was expecting. Maybe I'm not a contemporary art fan, but geez. I was disappointed. Funny enough, it was the weekend of Juneteenth by chance and I noticed black people walking into the art rooms and were as confused as I was. Maybe I, like those families were expecting history??? Idk.

Free , air-conditioned. Educational. A must-see. There are 5 exhibits including one with civil war and other historical artifacts. You can visit the rose garden for free also at the museum complex.

This museum was beautiful! We were able to go the weekend of MLK jr. birthday, which was a treat. Walking through I stumbled upon a piece of my own families history. There was a display about a man named Frank Calloway that was able to leave Missouri, and live as a free man in California. Missouri tried to recapture him as a slave, but in the courts ruled against the slave owner and Frank remained free. This led to stronger legislation for the slave owners to recapture their who they claimed were slaves unfortunately. But, in this record, one of my family members was able to make it out. It was a moment of mixed emotions, but ultimately happiness...he made it out.

I can't believe this museum is free! It's tucked away near museums that get a lot more traffic, which is a shame. It has one of the only exhibits I've ever seen dedicated to the history of black Americans settling in LA after the abolition of slavery. We visited during an installation by Adia Millett; the piece pictured below is called Expansion, and guests were allowed to step onto the dais and sit in the sofa, with calming noises piped in above

This Outstanding museum is FREE. The exhibits and staff were awesome. If you haven't considered this museum you are definitely loosing. Culturally for everyone, this is something you never knew you needed.

I am highly impressed with this museum! They have a beautiful collection, great staff but do not forget to check out their additional program with lots of free presentations and workshops that are well worth visiting.

Extraordinary exhibit of the African American life in California. Beautiful exhibits of visual, video and audio. Though the galleries are small they still have quite a bit to see, learn and experience.

History.. history. Never enough. Information on the start of gospel music and the beginning of African American churches. Different art from the area and a room on surviving on the streets, packing and carry garments of meaning and a donation center Another room with use of a projector describing social issues within the African American culture. Ohh and it's free, learn something besides fake news

Great museum w/ a contemporary, post modern touch that is well designed & somehow feels luxurious in a minimalist fashion. The front foyer was impress, vast & large w/ walls & floor showing of giant pieces of art. It felt like a great cathedral to the glories & triumph of art w/ the reception desk centered like some table of worship. An appropriate object there would have been a statue of an African Aphrodite & Apollo. We could only visit 3 of their rather large rooms & had to miss the more purely historical section due to time restraints, but I was impressed w/ the quality & variety of art produced by talented, creative African Americans. Some of the art pieces show the African American social struggle past & present to counter racism & classism, others honor people, music, poetry, writing, history, inventions of, by, & possibly initially for African Americans. Of course, many African American innovations were copied by non-blacks through cultural diffusion. A good example would be Elvis Presley from the Delta area copying African American musical styles. Good things generally leak out & flow throughout the world no matter who invents it. The rooms are intelligently organized so that there is a nice thematic approach when viewing the various objets d'art. When we entered the room featuring over 40 contemporary African American Artists, a genial man w/ a charming Gallic/French accent magically appeared & took us around the room pointing out his favorite objects in the room & giving us his explanations & interpretations. It was like having a personal docent tour by a most knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide. He proudly pointed out a "cannon" made of a crutch on wheels & perhaps a cannonball or a globe surrounded by a wire halo, and said that it was his art piece. His name is KARL PÉTION, & he also happens to work at the museum. Come to the African American Museum to see his rather whimsical looking, but rather dark view of weapons of war. . Perhaps he is a practitioner of a form of benevolent Voodoo since he seems like a friendly, happy apparition. Maybe he will appear magically for you. In order to carry on the theme of African American, we went to Chef Kim's Soul Food Kitchen on Crenshaw near 30th Street to have some tasty Friday Gumbo to put into our famished stomachs. 4 Yelp stars for the Museum, but Mr. Pétion's willingness to go out of his way & present us w/ his unique hospitality is a gift that I will remember of the California African American Museum for a long, long time. Monsieur Pétion, Merci Beaucoup pour votre bonté et hospitalité. Bon Chance avec votre entreprise.

You folks need to mention the price of parking! $15! Really? How affordable is that. I thought I would pop down for the free yoga... I am here but I can't pay that!

This is a really beautiful museum that's free to all. I enjoyed viewing the art and learning about African American history. It's not too big so you can view everything in 30-60 minutes. Make sure to stop by here if you're in the exposition park area.

Insightful, well-designed layout that's easy to navigate, and courteous staff. I liked all of the exhibits and learned a lot. I'll definitely visit again and recommend it to all. Spacious and not at all crowded, which is a positive given COVID (but a bit sad it's the least frequented compared to the Natural History Museum and California Science Center next door). My one complaint is the $15 parking. As my friend said, it'd be nice to at least know if the museum receives this money. That being said, I just parked on the street for free. Pro tip: A lot of parking in the area is free on Sundays, so try to plan around that if you can/want to.

Lovely space. I was able to catch the Flash Tag exhibition which consisted of painted artwork from a group of extremely skillful graffiti artists. With only 3 days allotted to them, they transformed an otherwise empty gallery into beautiful allegories, portraits, and simply epic displays of raw talent. I feel blessed to have been able to be in the presence of these artists that were capable of manifesting such a synergistic effect which I'm sure was felt by everyone in attendance that day. I loved speaking with these men and hearing them discuss the finer details of their work. A second gallery included photographs in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Photos from the marches in Selma, Alabama provided visitors with a look back in time to "Bloody Sunday" which occurred on March 7, 1965 drawing national attention to the illegal segregation tactics that remained a problem throughout the South. Pictures were not allowed to be taken by visitors, so I stayed even longer trying to hold on to the faces and stories that were temporarily fixed to those walls. I cannot wait for the opportunity to return to this museum to see what else they have behind their closed doors.

While on my quest for eliminating boredom for my daughter during summer break, I decided to take her and my mom to the museums in Exposition Park. We started first with CAAM and needless to say it was a great experience. The museum is not as large as is the other museums located nearby but it packed some great and interesting exhibits. My favorite was the Flash Tag exhibit. Graffiti artists were given the challenge of rendering art on the gallery walls using brushes instead of aerosol paints. The outcome was nothing short of amazing. (P.S. I was told this was the only exhibit in the museum that visitors could photograph) If you haven't visited here before, put it on your To-Do List. If you have visited here before, be sure to come visit again!! Exhibits are constantly changing and you are bound to expereince something new :) Admission: FREE Parking: $10 cash Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm

I came to Exhibition Park to check out the science museum. As I was walking from the parking lot to the science museum, I noted the African American Museum. I made a mental note, The science museum was ok for a moment. . .so I then walked over to the African American Museum. I'm sure glad I did. The place is a treasure. The Mammy exhibit should be part of every school curriculum. It was interesting to watch the children (field trip) watching the cartoon that shamefully depicted black folk. Over the sound of the children's laughter, the teacher attempted to explain how racist this cartoon is . . .I'm not sure she got through to the kids. The mixed media exhibit of Timothy Washington was very cool. The Cross Colours exhibit is the show stopper.

*** CAAM is more mature than CSC. *** There are about 5 themed galleries here. We walked all of them. Themes were on: African Artifacts, Dance Theater of Harlem, Harlem of the West (Fillmore District of SF), Ideas of Tomorrow, and a modernistic show on the slavery trade (most interesting imho). These galleries require much reading in order to capture the full essence of them, so I'd recommend 2hrs to walk and study. I really enjoyed Toni Scott's modernistic sculptures. They are beautiful yet really disturbing. I couldn't stop staring at them. *** Free and open to the public daily. ***

Small, but mighty museum! I visited this museum for the 1st time this weekend and I'm so glad I did! I work in the fashion industry so the Cross Colours exhibit was right up my alley! It was really cool learning the history of a brand I had watched black actors wear on TV growing up. However my favorite exhibit was by the artist Burmudez Silverman. I don't want to give away too much about it, but def stop by her exhibit and be sure to get the run down about it by an employee so you can understand. So dope! I can't wait to stop by again once they have new exhibits!

Decided to go to this historic museum that sits adjacent from USC which is in the heart of the GREAT city of South Central LA(Los Angeles). The staff is knowledgeable and the exhibits are phenomenal. If in the great city of LA this is a must se...

I like this little museum. It's gotten better over the years, but it's sometimes still a hit and miss for me. For the museum that represents my African diaspora, sometimes I am enthralled at the exhibits and displays, and sometimes I am disgusted that they missed so much. Sigh. Nevertheless, I appreciate the efforts. Thanks to Target for supporting free events, I discovered they have series of educational events for the community. Yay! Films, political discussions, craftworks, etc. Gotta keep visiting to see what's new.

I used to work next door and would come occasionally; last time was two days ago. For the record, it's a small museum that features 3-4 rotating exhibits. Some are regulars; exhibits with photos, videos, and other objects that are owned by CAAM but kept in storage. Others are traveling exhibits, and the ones you should keep an eye for. You can probably see everything in about a hour, but luckily you have the rose garden and the California Science Center next door. Also free. Parking is normally $12 cash only for the day. Of the three museums in Exposition Park, this is my favorite. It's not crowded on most days, you can learn about black history in California, including their achievements and struggles. Since the exhibits rotate, you can go different times a year and won't be bored. They also have a research library if you want to learn more about what African Americans brought and contributed to our society. Only thing I don't like is that they're closed on Mondays. If you're in the area, don't hesitate to check it out.

The museum is very bare and there are a few things you don't want to miss. I visited and oddly enough there was an exhibit about the Holocaust and how it affected African American athletes. The space is really big and it'll take you about 30 minutes to an hour to visit the entire place.

My visit to the California African American museum was surely a pleasant and insightful visit. I love every second of it. First of all, entry is free and it's located right next to the science center. The staff is very welcoming and helpful and the museum is full of space and well lit. Each room has a different exhibit and some are even interactive. From portraits, paintings sculptures, videos and music you're really sucked into the history and the beauty of African American history. I like how the exhibits change every so often. It's a really cool experience.