Free Museum Day in SoCal: Your Family Guide to Museums Free-For-All Day (2026)

Sunday, February 22, 2026 is your chance to explore some of Southern California’s best cultural institutions, for free.

SoCal Museums, a network of institutions across the region, hosts this annual Free-For-All Day every year, with dozens of museums opening their doors to the public from Santa Barbara to Orange County to Palm Springs.

It’s one of the best days of the year to try a new museum, revisit an old favorite, or introduce your kids to art, history, science, and more.

Here’s a look at the participating museums with family-friendly programming this year, plus the key info you need to know before you go: what to expect, whether it’s worth visiting on this specific day, and whether you’ll need to snag reservations in advance.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Film lovers of all ages will find plenty to explore here. The museum recently opened a new Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo exhibition, featuring more than 100 rare objects, an interactive animation table, and an immersive environment. There’s also a Drop-In Tactile Filmmaking Workshop open to all ages. As a sweet bonus, free fruit cups will be distributed from 10am to 2pm (or while supplies last), in partnership with Inclusive Action for the City.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Absolutely. Adult admission is normally $15-25 (kids 17 and under are always free).

Do you need reservations? No. Tickets are first-come, first-served all day.

Autry Museum of the American West

Start your morning with something unexpected: the Ferrari Club of America’s Enzo Cruise-In, an auto show featuring special guest Enzo, an LAPD Mounted Unit horse. The museum itself opens at 9am with its regular collection exploring stories of the American West. Visit the Family Play Space with hands-on, family-friendly activities.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes. Admission is normally $14-18.

Do you need reservations? Yes. Reservations are required. Register here.

Bowers Museum

The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is offering free general admission, which includes access to its permanent collection galleries spanning Sacred Realms, Art of the Pacific Islands, Ancient Arts of China, California Legacies, and more. If you’re interested in their current featured exhibition, Global Threads: India’s Textile Revolution, discounted tickets are available for $10.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Definitely. Adult admission is normally $15-18. (Santa Ana residents get free admission every Sunday, so this is especially valuable for visitors from outside the area.)

Do you need reservations? No reservations needed.

The Broad

The Broad is always free, but Free-For-All Day is still a great excuse to visit. Kids will love the audio tour narrated by LeVar Burton (yes, the Reading Rainbow guy), designed to get young art lovers looking, listening, and asking questions. Two of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms are on view: Longing for Eternity on the third floor (no reservations needed) and The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (reservations required).

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? The Broad is always free, so there are no special savings here. But it’s a wonderful museum any day.

Do you need reservations? Recommended. Reserve free general admission tickets and Infinity Mirrored Room tickets on The Broad’s website.

Columbia Space Center

This is a fun stop for kids who are into space exploration. Families can snap photos in a real spacesuit, check out an Apollo capsule, and explore hands-on exhibits about space travel.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes! Admission is usually $3-5 per person, and the museum isn’t typically open on Sundays, making this a genuinely unique opportunity.

Do you need reservations? No.

Getty Center

The Getty Center is always free and always impressive, but it helps to come with a plan if you’re bringing kids. Pick up Art Detective Cards in the Museum Entrance Hall to turn the visit into an interactive scavenger hunt, with trivia clues to hunt down across the galleries. The Getty’s website has additional family visit tips worth reviewing before you go.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? The Getty is always free, so no special savings here. But any day is a great day to visit.

Do you need reservations? Yes. Timed tickets are required.

Getty Villa Museum

If your kids are Percy Jackson fans, this is a must. The Getty Villa’s Demigods audio tour is inspired by the popular book series and leads families through the ancient Greek and Roman collections. Kids can also pick up Art Detective Cards at the Museum Entry Pavilion and explore the Family Forum for hands-on activities about ancient Greek vases. The Getty’s website has additional family visit tips worth reviewing before you go.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? The Getty Villa is always free, but it’s a wonderful destination any time.

Do you need reservations? Yes. Timed tickets are required.

Hammer Museum

The Hammer Museum at UCLA is always free, and Free-For-All Day adds a special activity for kids. Drop by the Art Lab between 1-4pm for a family-friendly project inspired by artworks currently on view. Feel free to pack a lunch. While food isn’t permitted inside the Art Lab, the museum’s courtyard is a lovely spot to eat.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? The Hammer is always free, but the Art Lab activity makes it an especially good day for families with younger kids.

Do you need reservations? No.

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

You won’t find anything quite like this anywhere else: an active Ice Age fossil excavation site in the middle of Los Angeles. Kids can see mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and giant sloths, and watch scientists working in the Fossil Lab in real time. There’s even a chance to feel what it’s like to get stuck in sticky tar.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes! Normally, free admission for LA County residents is limited to weekday afternoons. Free-For-All Day opens it up to everyone.

Do you need reservations? Yes. Reservations are required.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

LACMA is offering family-oriented programming throughout the day. Family Tours run at 11:30am, 1pm, and 2pm, and there’s a drop-in workshop at 12:30pm, a great way to engage kids with the collection. Worth knowing: LACMA has a free membership program called NexGenLA for kids and teens under 17, which gets them in for free any day and lets them bring one guest for free. If your family visits often, it’s worth signing up.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes. Adult admission is normally $15-26, so the savings are real for families without the NexGenLA membership.

Do you need reservations? Yes. Advance tickets are required. Reserve them on LACMA’s website.

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

Free-For-All Day at MOLAA coincides with their Afro-Latinx Family Festival, making it one of the liveliest stops on the map that Sunday. Families can enjoy DJ entertainment, cultural performances, art workshops, and presentations, all included with free general admission.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes! General admission is normally $10-15 (always free for children under 12). MOLAA does have regular free Sundays, but the festival programming makes February 22 especially special.

Do you need reservations? No.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

For families willing to make the drive, this one is well worth it. The museum features a range of indoor and outdoor exhibits including Space Sciences, the Gladwin Planetarium, Prehistoric Forest, and Mammal Hall, offering a full day’s worth of exploration for curious kids.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Absolutely. Admission is normally $15-20, so this is a meaningful savings for families.

Do you need reservations? Reservations are recommended.

Skirball Cultural Center

The Skirball is packed with family programming on Free-For-All Day. Kids can dig for replica ancient artifacts at the Archaeology Dig, create art in the Family Art Studio, and jam on instruments in the Amphitheater during Music Jams. The popular Noah’s Ark interactive exhibit is also on-site, though tickets for that specific experience are already sold out for the day, so plan around the other activities.

Worth going on Free-For-All Day? Yes! Admission is normally $15-20. (It’s also free every Thursday, so if you miss this day, that’s another option.)

Do you need reservations? Reservations are recommended.

Before You Go

A few things to keep in mind: free admission applies to general museum admission only. Specially ticketed exhibitions are not included. Regular parking fees apply at each museum. And for institutions that recommend or require reservations, it’s worth locking those in ahead of time, as popular museums can fill up quickly.

For a full list of participating museums and free days throughout the year, visit socalmuseums.net/free.