NHM Commons at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

NHM Commons at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Set within the 160-acre Exposition Park, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County occupies a 1913 Beaux Arts landmark. NHM Commons expands the Museum’s presence into the park, creating a new public entry that is free, accessible, and grounded in the native ecology of South Los Angeles. Opened in 2024, the project turns the Museum outward, strengthening its relationship to surrounding neighborhoods and establishing a civic threshold between park, city, and institution.

An underutilized portion of the Museum’s west end was replaced with a new two-story addition housing a welcome center, multipurpose theater, cafe, shop, and gallery support spaces. The building anchors the landscape and clarifies arrival while supporting year-round public use.

Building on the Museum’s earlier transformation of the north parking lot into the award-winning 3.5-acre Nature Gardens, the Commons extends NHM’s commitment to learning through landscape and public access. Located alongside the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, BMO Stadium, and a constellation of cultural institutions, the project reinforces Exposition Park’s role as one of Los Angeles’ most significant civic and cultural destinations.

New arrival point.
The Commons establishes a clear, legible entrance that connects the Museum to Exposition Park and the city beyond. Plazas and gardens organize arrival and movement, welcoming school groups, neighborhood residents, and visitors from across Los Angeles.

Flexible place for daily public use.
A network of outdoor classrooms, gathering spaces, and gardens supports everyday activity as well as performances and special events, anchored by an amphitheater and café. Much of the site remains open to the public, reinforcing the Museum’s role as a shared civic resource for South Los Angeles.

Designed for California ecology and cultural history.
Indigenous and climate-adapted plant communities support habitat, pollinators, and long-term resilience. Interpretive elements, including Tongva artist Lazaro Arvizu Jr.’s bedrock mortar installation and references to historic waterways, connect the site to regional ecological systems and Indigenous knowledge.

Why this matters
In a dense urban setting with limited access to open space, the NHM Commons was conceived alongside a Native American Advisory Council to demonstrate how cultural institutions can expand public access, support climate resilience, and acknowledge Indigenous histories while creating places for learning, gathering, and connection.