Following a 14-month total transformation that shrouded the exterior with ribbons of stainless steel and packed the interior with priceless vehicles and cutting-edge technology, the Petersen Automotive Museum at the gateway of Los Angeles\u2019 famed Museum Row has reopened on time, on budget and packed with hundreds of new sights, sounds and sensations for visitors of all ages.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am proud to announce that the new Petersen Automotive Museum is open on schedule, on budget and with interior and exterior designs that are even more stunning then the concept renderings \u2014 and that is a rare feat in both the architecture and museum worlds,\u201d said Executive Director Terry Karges at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. \u201cThanks to the efforts of Kohn Pedersen Fox, Matt Construction, A. Zahner Company, The Scenic Route and our incredible Petersen team, we have transformed a building that was once an old department store into one of the most groundbreaking structures in Los Angeles. What\u2019s inside is just as stunning, including a three-story spiral staircase that transports visitors through 25 galleries representing the history, industry and artistry of the automobile.\u201d<\/p>\n
On those three full floors of content are 95,000 square feet of exhibit space, with displays featuring some of history\u2019s most breathtaking collector cars, championship-winning racecars, groundbreaking art cars, famous Hollywood vehicles, seminal motorcycles and more.\u2028\u2028 Guests are invited to enter the museum through either the parking structure off Fairfax Avenue or the new front entrance on famed Wilshire Boulevard. There they can see several display vehicles in the David and Ginny Sydorick Grand Concourse, purchase tickets, and take an elevator to the third floor, where the experience begins.<\/p>\n
The History Floor (3) will help visitors dive into nostalgia as they explore the multi-faceted history of the automobile. Among the displays is the pivotal exhibit \u201cSouthern California: A Region in Motion\u201d in the Southland Gallery, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, which uses interactive video content to show how Los Angeles grew out, instead of up, like most cities.<\/p>\n
As visitors descend the staircase to the Industry Floor (2), they can explore the diversity of automotive design and technology and see cars that have been modified for speed and efficiency. Learn what it\u2019s like to work in the car industry and watch automotive design students as they design the next generation of transportation.<\/p>\n
On the Peter and Merle Mullin Artistry Floor (1), visitors can discover the most artfully designed vehicles from automotive history, many of which are regarded as rolling sculpture. Explore how the automobile has been interpreted as the subject of fine art and even used as a canvas for artistic expression.<\/p>\n