Fueled by a remarkably destructive windstorm, more than 40,000 acres of Los Angeles County have so far been burned by multiple fires, most notably the catastrophic Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire (as in Eaton Canyon) in Pasadena and Altadena.
Thousands of Angelenos within the vicinity of those fires have still been ordered to evacuate, so it’s no surprise that any and all museums, restaurants and parks that are still standing within those areas are closed. But as the winds subside, the containment significantly increases and evacuation orders ease—though many of us still have questions about air quality—we’ve seen more spots reopen their doors to provide a safe refuge for Angelenos. Here’s a running list of major L.A. landmarks that are still closed today due to the fires—plus which previously-closed places have been able to reopen.
What’s still closed?
Griffith Park
The entirety of Griffith Park had reopened last week—but then closed again early this week due to the high winds. It remains closed today, Thursday, January 23, due to red flag conditions. Griffith Observatory, Travel Town and the L.A. Zoo are all temporarily closed, as are trails to the Hollywood Sign. The Autry, which is also now closed again for the day, had been offering free admission through Monday, January 20; we’ll let you know if that ends up getting extended.
Getty Villa + Getty Center
Though the perimeter of the Palisades Fire surrounded the Getty Villa, the museum says that it remains stable; though trees and vegetation on the property have burned, the building and collections have been unaffected (you can read more here about how the museum is keeping them safe). The Getty Villa is closed until further notice; nearby, the Getty Center in Brentwood will reopen on Tuesday, January 28 (though last night’s nearby Sepulveda Fire certainly gave us all a good scare).
Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
Though the Palisades Fire surrounded the meditation gardens, thankfully the venue shared that all of the legacy structures were in tact, and the temple and retreat buildings are undamaged. However, some accommodations for the resident monks as well as a small visitor restroom and a storage shed were destroyed. The shrine will be closed until further notice.
Will Rogers State Park + Topanga State Park
The historic ranch house and stables at Will Rogers State Historic Park as well as the bungalow-style Topanga Ranch Motel at Topanga State Park were both destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Both parks remain closed.
Skirball Cultural Center
The Sepulveda Pass museum is closed “for the safety and security of [its] visitors and employees.” You can call (310) 440-4500 or email info@skirball.org to reschedule or refund your tickets. The museum currently has no firm date for its reopening.
Runyon Canyon
Runyon’s popular hiking trail is closed until further notice—particularly after the Sunset Fire, which burned nearly 43 acres along the western edge of the hillside. To that effect, Wattles Garden Park, which sits just west of the trail, is closed until further notice.
USC Pacific Asia Museum
The Pasadena museum has remained closed and notes that it won’t reopen until air quality in the area improves.
What’s reopened?
LACMA
Miracle Mile museum LACMA reopened its doors with free admission and complimentary parking (at the Pritzker Parking Garage) through Friday, January 17. Though that offer has now ended, L.A. County residents can always visit for free on weekdays after 3pm. “We hope that spending time with art in the safe, indoor environment of our galleries will provide a moment of respite and calm during this difficult time,” the museum shared on its Instagram.
Norton Simon Museum
The famed Pasadena art museum reopened last Thursday after a more than weeklong closure. The Norton Simon Museum offered free admission through Monday, January 20, as well as additional activities each day for both kids and adults; note, however, that the sculpture garden is currently closed for repairs. If you had purchased tickets for January 9 through 13, the museum says they’re redeemable for the 30 days that followed; ticket holders with questions can contact tickets@nortonsimon.org.
MOCA
The DTLA art museum had kept its Grand Avenue building as well as its Little Tokyo location closed, but both are now open again as of Thursday. Though MOCA Grand Avenue is always free, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA had offered free admission to its excellent “Olafur Eliasson: OPEN” exhibition through Sunday, January 19 (you can always visit for free on the first Friday of the month).
Natural History Museum + La Brea Tar Pits
The Natural History Museum in Exposition Park offered free general admission through Friday, January 17, as did the the La Brea Tar Pits, which the museum also manages. Though those promos are now over, L.A. County residents can always visit for free on weekdays after 3pm.
The Huntington Library
The San Marino museum and botanical garden reopened on Wednesday, January 15. In addition, it’ll be offering free admission to its “Southern California neighbors who've been displaced, evacuated or experienced loss during the wildfires” through the end of the month. Note that the “Neighbors in Need” offer is limited to reservations between 2 and 5pm. In addition, the three main art galleries are currently closed, as are the jungle garden, upper bonsai court, conservatory, Shōya House and Studio for Lodging the Mind.
Descanso Gardens
The La Cañada Flintridge botanical garden reopened last week in the spirit of “being a place of respite and a community resource.” Though the main structures and gardens have largely not been impacted, many tree branches, electrical wires and fences were downed, as well as several trees—so Descanso notes that some areas may be closed for cleanup. In addition, the ride-on train isn’t running right now.
Academy Museum
The Academy Museum is open and its kid-friendly Family Matinees series on Saturdays at 11am will host free screenings through February 8.
The Broad
The popular DTLA art museum closed during the start of the fires; tickets for that week will be honored through March 23. But the Broad is now open again as of last Tuesday.
Hammer Museum
The Westwood museum reopened over the weekend, but note that some galleries are closed as it gears up for its next exhibitions.
Wicked
The touring production of Wicked that’s currently at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre had canceled performances for a number of nights, but it resumed them last Tuesday night.
Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk
Though outside of any burn areas or evacuation zones, the theme park and its attached shopping center had been closed due to the wind and fire conditions. However, it reopened by the end of that first week of the fires.