Norton Simon Museum

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

The brown tile building on Colorado Boulevard that TV viewers see behind the Rose Parade holds the collection industrialist Norton Simon put together: Raphael, Rembrandt, Goya, Van Gogh, Picasso, and more than a hundred works by Degas. The museum also has South and Southeast Asian sculpture, including a group of Chola bronzes from southern India. Outside, 20th-century sculpture stands around a pond modeled on Monet's at Giverny. Admission is free on the first Friday evening of every month, the parking lot is free, and the Garden Café is the only place to eat, since outside food isn't allowed.