Discover works of art that will entice and move you at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla!
This museum features a wide range of works from artists across the globe, providing a space for art enthusiasts to discover new favorites and reflect on the important role art plays in both depicting and shaping the world around us.
At this La Jolla museum, you’ll find a large collection of unique pieces of art from all mediums, including paintings, photos, videos, sculptures, and more. Works from major contemporary art figures stand alongside those from under-recognized artists, providing a platform to all key voices making art in the modern day.

Sculpture Outside the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla
Brief History of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla
Once the home of Ellen Browning Scripps designed by renowned architect Irving Gill in the early 1900s, The Museum of Contemporary Art has undergone many renovations throughout the years. It first opened its doors as a museum in 1941, and underwent a major restoration project in 1996. In April of 2022, the Museum of Contemporary Art reopened after a four-year-long closure for renovations and repairs.
The new campus is designed by architect Annabelle Selldorf and features the repurposing of the old Sherwood Auditorium into a special exhibition space, as well as a reordering of existing exhibits to form a more cohesive experience.
Additionally, during the recent renovation the museum quadrupled in size, from 10,000 square feet to an impressive 40,000 square feet! The larger venue means many new exhibits have been added, and many older exhibits that were previously retired due to lack of space have been returned to their rightful places on display.
Whether you’re looking forward to seeing old favorites, hoping something new catches your eye, or visiting for the first time, the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla is sure to entertain and delight art fans of all ages.
Discounted Admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla
The Museum of Contemporary Art is not the only one of its kind. In fact, it has a sister museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown. If you’re an art buff who is planning to visit both versions of the museum in La Jolla and Downtown San Diego, you can save on admission costs with a Go City San Diego pass.
Not only does the Go City San Diego pass offer reduced admission costs to contemporary art museums, it also lets you save when visiting dozens of different attractions all across San Diego, including the San Diego Museum of Us, the Museum of Photographic Arts, and the San Diego Art Institute plus many more museums in Balboa Park and throughout the greater San Diego area.
For additional savings, use our discount code (GVSD5OFF), and grab the All-inclusive pass for days of fun that won’t hurt your wallet.