Once a year six museums in the Arroyo Seco area participate in Museums of the Arroyo Day, opening free of charge from noon to 5 p.m. (last museum entrance at 4 p.m.) This year, MOTA Day is Sunday, May 21. The six museums are:

The Autry’s Historic Southwest Museum Mt. Washington Campus

The Gamble House

Heritage Square Museum

The Los Angeles Police Museum

The Lummis Home and Garden

The Pasadena Museum of History.

A free shuttle will be available to move visitors around. See the official website for details.

All six museums will have their usual historical displays and galleries open, and special MOTA Day activities include a ragtime piano performance at Heritage Square and a collaborative chalk mural at the Pasadena History Museum. Curious about the Los Angeles Police Museum? According to the MOTA Day folks, “Visitors can experience a real jail cell, snap their own free police booking photos or stand in a criminal lineup in the interrogation room.”

Since you only have a few hours of free access to these six locations, and free events like this tend to attract a crowd, the MOTA Day people encourage you to arrive early, and say it will be difficult to see all of the museums. Their recommendation: “Pick three museums and explore at a leisurely pace.”

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