Paul L.
Yelp
The Franklin D Murphy Sculpture Garden, on UCLA's grounds right by Charles E Young Drive East, is five acres of over 70 bronze, steel, iron, marble and stone sculptures from many 20th century heavyweights: Jean Arp, Alexander Archipenko, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Sorel Etrog, George Rickey, Jacques Lipchitz, Joan Miro, Henri Laurens, Francisco Zuniga and, well the list goes on. There aren't any major museums in California that have such a robust and comprehensive outdoor display.
Tourists and art lovers seem to be generally unaware of this garden and it's unfortunate because just a few steps away is the Fowler Museum, another overlooked gem.
There are some really marvelous pieces displayed on this tree-filled green, but you are immediately confronted by the fact that you are not at The Getty because some of the sculptures have been vandalized. (The nipples of William Zorach's elegant polished bronze female torso, Victory, seems to be too irresistible to young male admirers.) A few of the metal captions appear to have been forcibly removed, too, so it's obvious that UCLA is not casting the watchful eyes necessary to fully protect these treasures.
With that said, there is so much here to see that lovers of outdoor art should put this place on their cultural map.