Local history excursions make school subjects come to life
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD AD lured Americans to idyllic California.
Courtesy Autry Museum of the American West
Students heading back to school might need some encouragement to set aside the looser structure of summer days and buckle down with books and paper-writing. A fun way for parents to excite children about their studies is to make subjects come to life by visiting some of the many remarkable exhibits in Los Angeles-area museums. Given that this year our nation is celebrating its 250th anniversary, families would do well to begin with excursions that elucidate America’s history and examine what makes our own city the exciting, diverse place it is.
What better way to start than at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County with The Declaration in Progress, which presents important moments in our country’s history. The centerpiece of the installation is an 1829 engraved reproduction of an early draft of the Declaration of Independence—including a section condemning slavery which, sadly, was removed before it was finalized. Other displayed objects connect the people’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to important social movements, such as women’s suffrage.
The museum’s newly reopened and expanded Becoming Los Angeles is a permanent exhibit that traces the development of our city through stories, artwork, and artifacts from Indigenous communities through to the influence of immigrants.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; 900 Exposition Blvd.; 213-763-3466; nhm.org. “The Declaration in Progress” is on view through Mon., Jan. 11, 2027.
“Life, Liberty & Los Angeles,” at the Autry Museum of the American West, shows how diverse Angelenos sometimes have conflicting interpretations of the inalienable right enshrined in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and how this has affected the growth and tenor of our city. The museum’s Cowboy Gallery features a permanent display of the West’s frontier period.
SEGMENT OF THE GREAT WALL of Los Angeles, featuring Olympians.
Courtesy of the SPARC Archives (SPARCinLA.org)
Autry Museum of the American West; 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park; 323-667-2000; theautry.org. “Life Liberty & Los Angeles” is on view through Sun., Jan. 31, 2027.
Pick a beautiful fall day for a walk along artist Judith F. Baca’s mural The Great Wall of Los Angeles. The half-mile round-trip pictorial history takes us from prehistoric times into the 1950s. The 1990s are currently being painted while displayed at the Bergamot Station Arts Center. The Great Wall installation is expected to be completed through the 1990s in time for the 2028 Olympics.
“Great Wall of Los Angeles;” along the Tujunga Wash, 12900 Oxnard St., Valley Glen; sparcinla.org; 1990s on view at the Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave., Suite B1, Santa Monica, through the fall.
A pop culture approach to American history is on view at the Skirball Cultural Center. Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution explores the quintessentially American artform’s influence on mores, social movements, and wartime propaganda. A Superman poster admonishes students to “Keep your school All-American” by respecting our differences; a comic book amplifies our fear of Communism.
Skirball Cultural Center; 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.; 310-440-4500; skirball.org. “Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution” is on view through Sun., Feb. 28, 2027.
Arguably among the most defining characteristics of Los Angeles’ history are the development of the film industry and our love of the automobile, and two museums allow deep dives into those areas. The Petersen Automotive Museum has two exhibits that address our fascination with the open road: Made in America, which traces American automobile innovations from the classics of the 1900s to the designs of today; and The American Motorcycle: Pioneering Machines from the Bunch Family Collection, which encapsulates the lure of freedom exemplified by Harley Davidson and Indian bikes, among others.
DEBUT COMIC OF SUPERMAN, the first superhero.
Courtesy Skirball Cultural Center
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has numerous insightful exhibits, but Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital explains how immigrants created what would become the Hollywood Dream Factory. For a look at the Hollywood studio system and how it manufactured celebrity, visit Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon.
Petersen Automotive Museum; 6060 Wilshire Blvd.; 323-930-2277; petersen.org. “Made in America” is through Sun., Dec. 27; “The American Motorcycle” is on view through Sun., March 7, 2027. Academy of Motion Pictures; 6067 Wilshire Blvd.; 323-930-3000; academymuseum.org. “Hollywoodland” is ongoing; “Marilyn Monroe” is on through Sun., Feb. 28, 2027.
Category: Entertainment
