The beachside community of Long Beach is home to a number of interesting and unique museums.

The Museum of Latin American Art is located in Long Beach, and is the only such museum in the western United States. It was founded in 1996 and is dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art. Since its inception, MOLAA has doubled its size, recently adding a 15,000 sq. ft. sculpture garden, and expanded its permanent collection, ranging from works by Tamayo and Matta to Cruz Diez and Bedia.

There’s also the Long Beach Museum of Art, located in the historic Elizabeth Milbank Anderson residence and operated by the Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation. The Long Beach Museum of Art is located on a magnificent bluff-top site overlooking the Long Beach Harbor, Catalina Island, the Queen Mary and the Pacific Ocean. Museum grounds include the Elizabeth Milbank Anderson house and carriage house, oceanfront gardens, and a new pavilion with two floors of expansive gallery space and the museum store. There’s also a picturesque ocean-view restaurant, Claire's at the Museum, which surrounds the water sculpture by Claire Falkenstein. The Museum also offers extensive educational programs for children and adults, musical programs, festivals, and other special events.

California State University at Long Beach is home to the University Art Museum (UAM), which is known for its high-quality and innovative programs, and today remains an important resource for the largest university system in the nation. The UAM ranks among the top ten percent of the nation’s 7,000 plus museums, and is praised as one of the top museums in the state by the California Arts Council. The UAM retains an extensive permanent collection of works. The museum regularly offers concerts, spoken-word events, gallery talks, lectures, and tours for both the campus and the community.

The newest art museum to come to Long Beach is the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PieAM). This museum was founded by Dr. Robert Gumbine, who also founded the Museum of Latin American Art, and just opened its doors in 2010. The mission of PieAM is to incorporate the diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands, focusing primarily on Micronesia, into a permanent collection, educational programs, rotating exhibits and performing arts.