Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

Founded in 1979, MOCA is the largest museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to contemporary art. It houses one of the nation's most renowned permanent collections, which now numbers over 5,000 multimedia works.

Past shows of note include "Robert Rauschenberg: Combines," "Eva Hesse Drawings," "Basquiat" and "After Cezanne."

Visiting

MOCA has a few locations around the city, but it's main building is located in downtown L.A. at 250 S. Grand Ave. The museum is open every day except Tuesdays, Wednesdays, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays.

General admission is $8, which is valid for all MOCA locations (Grand Ave., Geffen Contemporary, Pacific Design Center) on the day of purchase. Seniors and students with valid ID pay $5, while children under 12 get in free.

Admission is free every Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., in partnership with Wells Fargo.

For weekday parking, you must use the Walt Disney Concert Hall garage, which you can enter from Lower Grand Ave. The fee is $8 for three hours with MOCA validation.

On weekends, MOCA members get to park for free at the California Plaza parking garage, which is accessible from Olive St.

Dining and entertainment

The dining choices around the museum can be rather limited. Tesoro Trattoria is located just a few steps away in the California Plaza. The menu offers an array of Northern Italian dishes, including antipasti, fresh-made pasta and risotto dishes and pizza.

Patina is located at the corner of Grand Ave. and 2nd St. This upscale restaurant serves European and American cuisine and offers an impressive wine list.

Kendall's Brasserie and Bar is located at the L.A. Music Center and offers traditional European cuisine along with a wide range of alcoholic beverages.

If you're willing to walk or drive a short distance, your options open up. Little Tokyo is just a two-minute drive or 15 minute walk away. Daikokuya is a popular (but often crowded) choice, specializing in Japanese ramen. Another popular option is Curry House, a restaurant specializing in Japanese-style curry dishes, which is located in the Japanese Plaza.