Fueled by a remarkably destructive windstorm, nearly 50,000 acres of Los Angeles County were 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, as well as the Hughes Fire near Santa Clarita.
Thousands of Angelenos within the vicinity of those fires have been displaced, so it’s no surprise that some museums, restaurants and parks that are still standing within those areas are closed. But as evacuation orders have eased and some much-needed rain pushed the fires to full containment, most spots have reopened their doors to provide a welcome refuge for Angelenos. Here’s a running list of major L.A. landmarks that are still closed today due to the fallout from the fires—plus which previously-closed places have been able to reopen.
What’s still closed?
Getty Villa
Though the perimeter of the Palisades Fire surrounded the Getty Villa, the museum says that it remains safe; 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 has kept them secure). The Getty Villa is closed until further notice.
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.
What’s reopened?
Skirball Cultural Center
The Sepulveda Pass museum reopened on Sunday, February 2 with a free community day; inspired by Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees, the event honored trees and reclaimed community. If you had tickets reserved for while the museum was closed, you can call (310) 440-4500 or email info@skirball.org to reschedule or refund them.
Runyon Canyon
Runyon’s popular hiking trail reopened on January 31. However, due to the Sunset Fire, which burned nearly 43 acres along the western edge of the hillside, Wattles Garden Park, which sits just west of the trail, is closed until further notice.
USC Pacific Asia Museum
The Pasadena museum had remained closed for weeks, but it finally reopened on Wednesday, January 29. Admission was through February 2.
Getty Center
Though its Pacific Palisades originator remains closed, Brentwood’s hilltop Getty Center reopened on Tuesday, January 28 after a three-week hiatus.
Griffith Park
The entirety of Griffith Park had closed, then reopened and then closed again due to high winds. But now it’s back open again, including Griffith Observatory, Travel Town, the Autry and the L.A. Zoo, as well as trails to the Hollywood Sign.
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 reopened earlier in the month with 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 previously planned 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 offered free admission to its “Southern California neighbors who’ve been displaced, evacuated or experienced loss during the wildfires” through the end of January. Note that the “Neighbors in Need” offer was limited to reservations between 2 and 5pm. In addition, select galleries in the three main art galleries are currently closed, as is the Rose Hills Conservatory.
Descanso Gardens
The La Cañada Flintridge botanical garden reopened earlier in January in the spirit of “being a place of respite and a community resource.” Though it was down for a while, the ride-on train is now back up and running.
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.
Hammer Museum
The Westwood museum reopened recently, but note that some galleries are closed as it gears up for its next exhibitions.
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.