Museum openings, especially the debuts of those institutions that forgo admission, can be funny things, at least 'round Southern California.
In short: Everyone wants to go right away, seemingly, the moment the doors are unlocked for the first time.
Surely that free entry is an attractive, crowd-drawing bonus, but when the museum's construction has been in the news for months and even years, the anticipation, and the gotta-see-it-now-ness, is definitely ratcheted up among all museum mavens.
Look to The Getty Center, which saw a wave of visitors during its early days back in '97 and 1998. We could all see it up on the hill there; now we had to get inside it.
It's a good thing to take into consideration as you approach visiting The Broad Museum for the first time. Also free -- save parking, like The Getty Center, but more on that in a moment -- and it is readying for its Sept. 20th opening with an early way to secure tickets.
Starting on Monday, Aug. 31, advance reservations may be made online at the contemporary art museum's web site. Again, this is a free ticket, but you'll need a ticket to go, and simply showing up any time in late September, and probably well into the fall, may mean disappointment.
Timed tickets are set to every half hour, so perhaps have a specific time in mind, and day, before pursuing.
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The Broad also announced hours and what days it'll be open. A six-day weekly run is the plan, with Mondays off. As for parking? It's twelve bucks for three hours on weekdays, and twelve bucks on weeknights and weekends (all evening long and all day long, respectively). Find the lot below the museum.
As for what's to see inside the much-buzzed-over institution founded by lauded collectors Eli and Edythe Broad? The behind-the-scenes on-view vault is piquing lots of interest, and the extraordinary pieces that'll dot the front of the house are full of acclaimed artists and wowza pieces. Yayoi Kusama's "Infinity Mirrored Room," a surreal space filled with reflections and lights, is one artwork making headlines.
Ready to book, eager, art-loving SoCalers? Sign onto The Broad's site on Monday, Aug. 31 after 10 o'clock in the morning and book that free admission to LA's newest cultural wonderland.
Will the happy visitor logjam slow? Probably eventually, as it does for all places. But look to The Getty Center, which experienced its own mega crowds back in '97. Some eighteen (!) years on, it still thrums busily with first-timers, repeat fans, and members who visit weekly.
Call it the eternal staying power of great art and great ideas.
