Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen is a Miracle Mile shrine to the progress, dominance and dazzling good looks of the automobile.
The Petersen Automotive Museum at 6060 Wilshire Blvd anchors Miracle Mile at Wilshire and Fairfax. Opened in 1994 and renovated by Kohn Pedersen Fox in 2014-2015, its stainless steel ribbon facade wraps the original brick structure. Inside, one of the world's largest auto collections spans multiple eras.
Petersen Automotive Museum's Renovation and Design
The Petersen Automotive Museum, named for benefactor Robert E. "Pete" Petersen, was designed by Welton Becket in 1962 as a Seibu department store and opened as a museum in 1994. After a $125 million renovation, the building reopened on December 7, 2015, now encircled by 100 tons of 24-gauge stainless steel ribbons that evoke motion and speed. Becket, who also designed the Capitol Records building and the Beverly Hilton, created a structure where the exterior metal bands provide the primary subject for photography.
Best Photo Spots
6 photo spots at the Petersen Automotive Museum span galleries, a vault, a rooftop terrace, an exhibition, and a street corner.
The Vault
Photographs of This Location
Petersen Automotive Museum Ribbon Facade
The Petersen Automotive Museum, which opened in 1994 and reopened in December 2015 after a 15-month renovation, spans multiple levels housing classic cars, supercars, and unique prototypes from across automotive history. The renovated exterior is wrapped in a stainless-steel ribbon facade fabricated by Zahner in Kansas City and installed in Los Angeles over a condensed five-month period. Those undulating ribbons reach as high as 81 feet and vary from three inches to 40 feet from the building surface, creating a dramatic photographic subject.
Common Questions
Admission is $22 for adults, with vault access $51; seniors pay $20, youth 12–17 pay $13, children 4–11 pay $12, and children under 4 enter free.
The museum has over 100 vehicles on display in its 25 galleries, with the rest stored in a basement vault.
Most visitors spend 2-4 hours at the Petersen Automotive Museum, while car enthusiasts or vault tour guests often plan for a half day.
Photography and videography are allowed in the Vault, but only with handheld devices; tripods, gimbals, and similar equipment are not allowed.
Petersen Automotive Museum Collection and Renovation
The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Miracle Mile, Los Angeles' first commercial development planned around car traffic. The collection spans more than a century of automotive history through rotating exhibits that have included Legends of the Dirt, The Cars of Film and Television, and A History of Aston Martin, alongside Indianapolis racing cars from the 1940s. The building was streamlined and re-skinned by KPF principal Trent Tesch beginning in fall 2014. The displays draw from classic American cars to international marques, documenting the industry's evolution across multiple eras.
Practical Information
6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles 90036; Entrance via Fairfax or side street, not Wilshire; Near LACMA
$18 first two hours; The Petersen Automotive Museum operates its own multi-level parking garage on-site, offering paid parking with a short free grace period and a flat daily rate.; 30 min free, then $2/30 min up to 1 hour max
Sun-Thu 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Fri-Sat 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM; 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM; 10 AM - 6 PM
$22, with vault $51; $12; $17
Viewing the basement vault collection requires meeting age restrictions and paying an admission premium beyond standard entry.; Personal photography and video is allowed throughout the museum.; Non-flash photography is allowed throughout the museum.
Tipps fürs Shooting
- Visitors must maintain a two-foot distance from all vehicles at all times while photographing inside the museum.
- Bags larger than 15 x 12 x 4 inches (such as large backpacks, umbrellas, and shopping bags) must be stored at the First Floor Security Office before entering the galleries.
- The official address is Wilshire, but the entrance should be accessed from Fairfax or the side street flanking the museum.
- Visitors to the Petersen Automotive Museum should consider adding vault access to see over 300 additional vehicles beyond the main floor exhibits.
- Plan for extra time at the museum if you want to experience The Vault in addition to the main floors.
What to Expect During Your Session
Photographers should enter via Fairfax rather than the Wilshire address, taking the parking garage elevator to the third floor before descending the helical staircase through the history, industry, and artistry galleries. All shots must be taken from at least two feet away from any vehicle, and bags exceeding 15 x 12 x 4 inches must be stored at the First Floor Security Office before entering the exhibits. To see The Vault's additional 300 vehicles, plan to arrive before 5:00 PM for the 90-minute guided tour.
Visitors should plan to arrive before 5:00 PM to catch the last call for The Vault.
Visitors typically enter from the parking garage, take an elevator up to the third floor, then descend via a helical staircase, with each floor themed as history, industry, and artistry.
The Vault tour is a 90-minute guided behind-the-scenes experience.
Visitors should set aside at least a few hours to explore the museum's three main floors.
Getting There
Access & Transit
- Barrierefrei
- The Petersen is wheelchair accessible and free wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Parken
- Accessible parking is located on Level P1 and the parking garage entrance is on Fairfax Avenue.
- Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel
- Metro Purple Line, Wilshire/Fairfax station; 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 90036