For a Fontana stay, the Norton Simon Museum offers a Pasadena day trip centered on European and South and Southeast Asian art, with a sculpture garden to explore between galleries. Fontana Inn has rooms in Fontana.
- Location: 411 West Colorado Boulevard, at Colorado and Orange Grove Boulevards.
- Collections: European art and South and Southeast Asian art spanning more than 2,000 years.
- Admission: General admission is $20 for adults; children aged 18 and under enter free.
- Garden: The sculpture garden is open year-round, weather permitting.
What does the Norton Simon Museum display?
The Norton Simon Museum displays European art alongside painting and sculpture from South and Southeast Asia. That Asian collection spans more than 2,000 years, giving the museum a broad scope across periods and regions.
The museum building was designed by Ladd & Kelsey for the Pasadena Art Museum and opened in 1969. The sculpture garden was later redesigned by landscape designer Nancy Goslee Power to evoke Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny.
How do you get from Fontana to Pasadena?
The museum is at 411 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, at the corner of Colorado and Orange Grove Boulevards, near the Foothill (210) and Ventura (134) freeways.
From Fontana Inn, drive about 8 minutes to Fontana Station, then use the station’s connections to plan the onward trip to Pasadena; the guide to Fontana Station routes and connections can help with that first leg.
Pasadena Transit routes 10 and 33 stop in front of the museum, as does Metro bus line 180. The closest Metro Rail station listed by the museum is Memorial Park Station on the Metro A Line, at 125 East Holly Street at Arroyo Parkway. Pair the galleries with time in the museum’s sculpture garden.
If you are driving, the museum has a free parking lot and limited free parking on adjacent streets. The lot can fill during peak hours.
What are the Norton Simon Museum hours and ticket options?
The museum is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For visitors without tickets, final entry is 4:15 p.m. on days when the museum closes at 5:00 p.m., and 6:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
General admission costs $20 for adults and $15 for seniors aged 62 and above. Admission is free for children aged 18 and under, students with valid ID, and museum members. Free First Fridays offer free admission to everyone on the first Friday of each month from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Advance tickets are not required, but the museum recommends them to speed up check-in. General-admission tickets are for a specific day rather than a specific entry time.
The free museum parking lot may fill during peak hours, so allow for that when planning your arrival. Check the official site before you go for current hours, admission details, and garden conditions.
What should you know about the garden and visitor facilities?
The sculpture garden has a pond, water lilies, trees, shrubs, flowers, paths, and sculptures. It is open year-round but closes during heavy rain, so check its status before planning time outdoors.
Accessible parking spaces are available in both the upper and lower parking lots. Entrance ramps sit beside the main entrance stairway and at the lower-level parking area. Public areas on both museum levels connect by elevator, and ADA-compliant restrooms are available. The museum has a limited number of wheelchairs, offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Garden Café and Museum Store are open during museum hours and close 15 minutes before the museum closes. Outside food and drink are not permitted except for medical necessity. Informal, noncommercial photography and filming are allowed in the galleries and gardens, but flash, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks are prohibited.
FAQs
Can you take photographs at the Norton Simon Museum?
Informal, noncommercial photography and filming are permitted in the galleries and gardens. Flash photography, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks are prohibited.
Is parking free at the museum?
Yes. The museum’s parking lot is free, with limited free parking on adjacent streets; the lot can fill during peak hours.
Can you bring food or drinks inside?
Outside food and drink are not permitted, except for medical necessity. The Garden Café is open during museum hours and closes 15 minutes before the museum does.