Urban Light at LACMA

I came here yesterday for free museum day. The lamp posts are really beautiful and iconic. These lamp posts and the «hanging yellow noodles» as I call them are the traditional spots for photo-​ops at the LACMA, as is Andy Warhol billiard exhibit inside. Night time seems like a better time to take pictures if you’re interested, because there can be way to many people out sometimes trying to take pictures. Best of these lights, as another reviewer mentioned, is that they are free & a great outing for the family, considering the park + restaurants + food trucks + ~the Grove nearby.

One of the most LA iconic places. It is right by LACMA. This is a must if you’re a tourist in LA. Make sure to take lots of pics!

Very popular since it’s free and well-​known since it’s been in movies and films like Valentine’s Day and No Strings Attached. It looks better when the sun sets and the lights come on. Plenty of pics floating around on instagram about this place. Though you have to dodge people or wait them out once they’re done taking pictures so no one will photobomb your pic.
Great for people watching. There’s a security guard but he’s there to stop vandalism.

A great place to appreciate the arts, a better place to take photos because that’s what everyone’s doing there. The lights are obviously much better at night, since theyre lit and theres a no standing rule on the lightposts. It will get packed there!

I love LACMA and these lights! One of my favorites! A very cool installation that’s unique to LA. Must see for people that live in LA or for those that are just visiting. Must take pictures! Lol :) There’s free parking around if you look hard enough.

For what it is of just a cluster of tall lamps… I suppose it is a cool FREE activity that most people can swing by if they haven’t. Most people come here to take pictures for their instagram or snapchat… etc etc but honestly I’ve seen people come here for their wedding, date nights or just regular hangouts. The thing about these lamps which make it weirdly well known is that its just a bunch of lamps… However, people turn the lamps into a form of art with their pictures.
It definitely looks way more cooler at night when the lamps are lit because during the day… the cluster of semi boring lamps look dead. At night. you can still hit some cool pictures with it /​of it if you’re near to the scene but I probably think Locals just find this place a mehhhhhh spot.
Four stars simply because it is FREE and something for people to be artsy with despite the dullness of the concept!

Such a cool and unique installation outside the LACMA, very photo worthy!
Beautiful day and night, this is one of the fun typically LA snapshots one cannot miss out on.
One of my favorite exhibits at the museum and a must if you have not seen it yet!

Urban Light at LACMA is a large outdoor art installation that opened in 2008 along Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile, the stretch of Wilshire Blvd in between S Fairfax Ave and S Highland Ave, in Mid-​Wilshire. LACMA stands for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This assemblage has become very popular in recent years. So much so, that it could be considered a landmark. It’s easily one of the most photographed, Instagrammed, Snapchatted, and selfie-​sticked spots in LA.
The exhibit has been popularized in romantic comedies like Valentine’s Day (2010) and No Strings Attached (2011, Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman). It was recently used for a scene in the latest season of American Horror Story: Hotel with Lady Gaga walking through the exhibit’s illuminated lights at night.
It looks neat. I recommend going at night. Bright lights are certainly one way to attract attention to an art piece and I love the symmetry of the lamp posts. In total, there are 202 lamps. They’re neatly and compactly arranged to form straight rows in four directions, forming a cool looking «forest» of early 20^th century street lamps. All of the lamps are solar powered.
The artist, Chris Burden (who just passed away last year, 2015), collected these lamps over a number of years. They come in various styles and heights, many originating from the streets of California. Burden has produced other impressive work such as this eye-​popping kinetic art sculpture called Metropolis II:
. At the time of writing this review, Metropolis II is still available for viewing at LACMA on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Check out this page on LACMA’s web site for details:
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This art installation is free to the public. I suggest parking in LACMA’s spacious underground parking garage which can be accessed via W 6^th St, «behind» the Urban Light exhibit. Parking in the garage, which is payable by credit card at a self-​pay kiosk, costs $ 12 before 7pm and is free after 7pm. Metered street parking is also available on both 6^th and Wilshire. If you’re going to street park, park on Wilshire since it’s closer to the exhibit.
Restrooms are available inside LACMA. Walking from Urban Light, make a right into the building before Ray’s & Stark Bar. Security is present both outside at Urban Light and inside LACMA near the restrooms.
Finally, I’m not exactly sure why, but Asian girls seem to love this place.

I took my fiancée here after dinner during Valentine’s Day and it was an unforgettable experience. We dined at a restaurant nearby the LACMA lights and I took her here since I heard good things about the place.
This café here also has a good vibe to it and awesome couches to chill in. We bought drinks and sat down at one of the long couches and just absorbed the presence of the night. It was a bit cold during night time but luckily there were heaters in certain areas of the café. There weren’t many people either, even on Valentine’s Day, which is a good thing. After we finished our drinks, we went over to the Urban Lights, which were just a few steps away from the café.
The romantic atmosphere of the lights combined with the vibe of the café on Valentine’s Day is amazing. I would suggest anyone to take their dates here on any occasion for an awesome night.

Costs free.99 and urban lights is an amazing display of the art scene that LA has to offer. Rain or shine, night or day, it’s one of the landmark sites to see in LA now. It is outside the museum, so the only thing you have to worry about is parking.

El museo precioso, divino, lastima del personal de seguridad, grosera y prepotente, si esta enferma o no le agrada su trabajo que se retire, deben vigilar con orgullo y hacerte sentir seguro, por eso llevan un gafett, donde se presume que eso dan seguridad, como turista jamás volveré a ese lugar mu familia que viene a conocer se fue muy desepcionada por el mal trato de esa persona, nos sentimos ostigados aparte de su prepotencia se burló de nosotros, lastima por tan bellas obras… desepcionada al 10mil, había muchísima gente visitando el museo y esta persona de apellido oxford, no hizo otra cosa más que exigirse y deshonrar su titulo de SEGURIDAD, mis nietos se asustaron demasiado con los gritos de la sra. oxford, visiten el museo pero tengan cuidado que esa persona

Great exhibit outside of LACMA that you can access at any point. We absolutely loved the cast iron light posts and the photographic opportunities are endless. It greats quite crowded around dusk but the crowds slowly thin out after that. Oddly, the «guard» doesn’t allow you to have a tripod but will allow other «professional» photographers to have a full light stand and flash, and he/​she will constantly shame you if you even think about climbing on one of these iron posts… so…shame!
Regardless, be sure to check it out!

This place is open even after LACMA is closed! I came here around 11pm on a Saturday night and there were a good amount of people here.
There was a decent amount of street parking available, but at 11pm… you would expect there to be parking.
I thought that the display was so beautiful and was really happy that I was able to see it at night! It was beautiful. I’ve been wanting to come here for years, but never made the time. I’m really glad I finally did!

I love that this exhibit is located outside of the the LACMA grounds so people can access it at any time of day or night. It’s easiest to park on the eastbound side of Wilshire Blvd. as the lights are basically on the sidewalk.
We came around 11pm on a Friday night and there were TONS of people hanging out and taking pictures (mostly college-​aged kids). It made it kind of hard to get a good picture because there was always someone in the background, but that’s how it is I suppose. I think it’s actually better to come at night since these are lights and that is the focus of the exhibit.
I’m not sure if you’re allowed to climb on the light poles but everyone was doing it.
All in all, it’s a cool place to come with friends or a date. I don’t think I’ll be coming back anytime soon, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in LA.

Forget for a moment how cliché it is to have a social media picture taken here. There’s a good reason everyone has one– because they’re badass!
There really is no downside to this exhibit. It’s free to go, since it’s right outside the museum. They never really close per se. Besides, they look better at night when they’re lit up. I know it says «no parking» along the curb on Wilshire in front of the lights, but everyone parks there to run up there forgive minutes. No one is going to ticket you (and this is a claim I would never make about any other area in this city). Über is also a good option, if you prefer.
I know it’s touristy, but that doesn’t take away from how awesome it is. I don’t think you’ll find an exhibit like this in any other city.

I’m sure the LACMA has some amazing exhibits. But this free one is probably one of the most beautiful and well known (can anyone guess the movie?).
The Urban Light exhibit is well known from the movies No Strings Attached and Valentines Day, as other Unilocalers have noted. While there isn’t much to «do» there, exactly, there are groups of people gazing at the lights, taking tons of selfies and professional shots, and people like me, hanging off the lights and posing for no one. I’m cool.
I recently read up on the history of this place, and it’s interesting to see the background and inspiration for the art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the intention is always important to understanding art.
Definitely a must stop by place. Nighttime is the best time to get some good viewing.

This was the most amusing thing ever for just being a bunch of lights! Who knew lights in a row could be so entertaining! lmao
Anyways, me and my friends were travelling from the San Francisco Bay Area, To San Diego, and my friend recommended this spot!
We came on Friday night at about 9:30/10 I wanna say… I found a parking spot on the same side of the street less than a minute walking which was sweet!
The parking was indeed free, and we spent a good 20 minutes looking around and taking cool pictures…
I would go here again, and show my friends when I am passing through, It is something spontaneous and fun to do, and not to mention… FREE!

Day or Night it doesn’t matter this place is just BEAUTIFUL!!!
Super romantic, super fun and just lovely. This place has been on my bucket list for quite some time and I finally got the opportunity to visit in the day and at night. Both times look just as gorgeous.
Definitely worth a visit and a great photo opp place!

Stunning. This place is one of the most iconic spots in LA and is definitely a must see when you’re in the area. It’s fun for locals and travelers of all ages!
The good thing about LACMA is that it’s free. The best time to go is at night when the lights are on and sets a romantic/​urban vibe. The bad thing about it is parking. Fear not! Free structure parking after 7pm or find parking across the street next to LA Fitness.
Don’t forget to bring your selfie sticks! Also, be courteous to others and give them space when they’re taking photos. :)

Beautiful. There is something inherently cool about how a large number of lights, neatly ordered into rows, can look so organic. A forest of lights perfect for selfies, Insta-«fauxtographers,» and sculptural art fanatics alike.
Hopefully I will get to return to LACMA to visit more of the art pieces!

I’ve seen it in countless pictures. I’ve seen it in movies. I’ve seen it on posters. This time, I finally get to see it in person!
I was surprised to actually be at that landmark because when my friend suggested that we go check out LACMA, I was imagining more of a market with people browsing over items. I didn’t expect to encounter the glowing lamppost lights! It should have been on my bucket list to do when in LA many times and ages ago, but I just don’t know why I never added it.
Well, the best things comes unexpectedly. Sometimes. This one holds true to that.