What to Know Before You Go: The Broad

One of the areas you will see the most activity - the larger than life dining table and chairs exhibit! (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

Heard only great things about The Broad since it opened doors late 2015 and had a tough time getting tickets initially but made it today just after they celebrated their first anniversary so here’s the scoop!

Beautiful inside and out. (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

GETTING THERE

1. Tickets can easily be reserved online. Problem is, they have to become available as tickets are free. So when you look online, you will see available dates and times that you can enter the museum. You receive a confirmation on email once completed. I reserved my tickets a month in advance.
2. Plan to be there on time the day of your visit. You are not allowed in until your timed entry is up but you can enter until a half hour after. This is why you will see a queue forming up front. This is also the standby line for people trying to head in if there are cancellations or additional availability during specific times.
3. Once inside, you can step out for a bite to eat and re-enter. As long as you have entered once and your printed or electronic tickets have been scanned, you can re-enter until closing time later in the day.

Food trucks lined up right outside the museum. Easily grab a quick bite and drink before or after your visit. (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

THE IMPORTANT STUFF

1. You cannot carry any food indoors so you will have to step out to eat. Food truck options aplenty greet you once you do step out for a bite. There is also a courtyard area if you’d like to sit out for a while.
2. The museum is located close to many restaurants as well so map out your day if you plan to dine at one of those before or after your visit. 
3. Soon as you enter the museum, immediately turn to your left and you will see a queue there as well and a waiting area. This is for Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. This is an experiential artwork and has extremely limited capacity, accommodating one visitor at a time for about a minute. There is a separate free timed same-day reservation which you can reserve, pending availability, after arrival into the museum. I did try to enter here but almost 3 hours after entering the museum space itself, my turn did not arrive. Of course, an hour after I left, I got an alert on my phone that it was my turn!!

The rabbit and the dog were favorites! (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

FLOOR BY FLOOR

1. The first floor of the museum currently has an exhibit titled CREATURE. You will see some larger than life sculptures and painting. Some are explained some not. Some are visually pleasing and some can be graphic. If you are going with kiddos and teens, be ready for some explaining.
2. The end of the first floor features a gift store. Set aside some time to spare here. There are a few unique knick-knacks you can pick up and some fun gifting ideas too.
3. The second floor, accessible by stair and elevator actually opens into this huge open floor plan that straight out spits you in front of these larger than life colorful steel tulips. Photo opp alert!

Tulips greet you as you enter the second floor. Bigtime photo opp! (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

THE ARTWORK

1. The wall art and sculptures in that second floor seem to be a sort of middle ground between the exhibit on the first floor and the rest of the artists on the second floor, easing you into what you will see here.
2. Much of the work on the second floor requires prior reading up or explanation or some understanding of the artists and their work, else the essence of each piece is lost. While some pieces do have a descriptor, many do not and comprehending the visual input is difficult.
3. Many pieces were graphic and some even disturbing so do visit with an open mind and outlook. The building itself features some pretty cool architecture so remember to admire that for a bit. Photographer’s will probably enjoy the unique angles and perspectives for some great shots.

Grand Park is right across the street - a great place to relax before or after your visit. (Image: Ruksana Hussain)

OTHER FEEDBACK

1. The museum is accessible by Metro and if possible do consider using it since parking in Downtown L.A can be quite a hassle to find, and then y9ou have to pay for it as well.
2. The museum is also conveniently located right opposite the Walt Disney Music Hall and Grand Park so you do have options for additional sight seeing in the area if you linger on. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Central Library are also pretty close. And there are restaurants galore.
3. Last but not least, they do have an app you can download and use your phone/headphones to listen to further commentary on the works you are viewing. I did not do this but do hope to revisit and will positively remember to take advantage of this option then.

​Hope you enjoyed this little review and found it helpful. Let me know your experience if you go. If you enjoyed reading this post, then hit that coffee cup at the bottom of your screen to support my work. I pen these articles from my own experiences and share information that might assist in planning a better visit for you. If you liked this post, then check out some of the other Museum Reviews on the site or also plan an Around the World in LA day for yourself with my book as a reference resource!

Author

Ruksana Hussain is the publisher and editor of Traveler and Tourist digital magazine, author of Around the World in Los Angeles, and award-winning journalist and writer at RH Media Consulting. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook or through the Contact Form.