www.pufs.com - PUFS.com

Norton Simon Museum Reviews

Submitted by Megan Rika Young on 08/28/2021

Megan Rika Young 5 stars rating.

Overall Rating

Beautiful museum with a lovely sculpture garden! I was not expecting it to have so many big names, this was the first time I've seen an original Picasso. An awesome selection of South and Southeast Asian art as well. It took about 3 hours to see everything.

Do You Know Norton Simon Museum? Write a Review

Jennifer Rozo 5 stars rating.

Norton Simon is a treasure of a museum. It is right off the 134 freeway in Pasadena. So much to see. My favorite part is how you can download the app and get a private little tour right from your cell phone. Love the garden as well so beautiful. Parking is free and if you have your student ID you get in for free. I love going to Norton Simon for my weekend outing.

Submitted by Jennifer Rozo on 03/09/2022

Reece Lemmon 5 stars rating.

This is now my favorite museum. It is quiet and small, but packed with some of the most amazing art in the world. The garden cafe is also reasonably priced for some really great food. One word…DEGAS. No wait, two words…Van Gogh!

Submitted by Reece Lemmon on 02/20/2022

Philippe Tusler 5 stars rating.

This is a wonderful museum. It's well curated and it has a great collection of European paintings and sculptures, as well as a large collection of Indian carvings.

Submitted by Philippe Tusler on 02/20/2022

John Trumpler 5 stars rating.

It is astounding how many important, beautiful works are gathered in one place. You will see art that you have studied in books.

An intimate space that allows you to enjoy the art undisturbed. The staff is friendly and the kiosk's serene, tranquil setting is the very definition of relaxation.

Most of the art work has been fully restored. The subjects seem to leap out from the canvas. With the bright colors and sharp images as opposed to the dark and dusty images that we are used to seeing in other museums, it is easy to appreciate these classic paintings

Finally, the gift shop is surprising and delightful. Not your normal collection of tchotchokes. Rather a strong collection of books and reproductions at reasonable prices. The children's section is not just for kids.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the Norton and I highly recommend it.

Submitted by John Trumpler on 02/13/2022

Zan Lee 5 stars rating.

This is my all-time favorite art museum in all of Los Angeles and I am so mad at myself for finding this a year ago. I have been going to a lot of the other larger museums like LACMA since I was young but for some reason I missed this one, possibly due to its location, but that was a big mistake on my part. The quality of work displayed here, the diversity of the artists, as well as the grounds surrounding the building are really next level and unbeatable in Los Angeles in my opinion (except both Getty locations).

They have art on display from all over the world and it’s hard to beat the lineup of artists. Parking is extremely easy and plentiful and honestly it’s not ever as crowded as some of the other museums in Los Angeles like LACMA or the Getty. Some of the most beautiful paintings I have seen in Los Angeles are housed in this museum.

I could not recommend it more honestly even if you hate art you should go here it’s honestly one of the very best museums in Los Angeles in terms of the arts. It is really well designed and a real treat for anyone any age.

Submitted by Zan Lee on 01/17/2022

Jess H 5 stars rating.

As beautiful as ever! It has been several years since I visited the Norton Simon. It was one of my favorite museums in so cal. Perfect smallish museum with loads to see. You can explore the whole museum, from ancient artifacts to modern art, in one day plus there are beautiful grounds to walk around plus a lovely cafe. If you have never visited this museum, you are missing out!

Submitted by Jess H on 12/18/2021

John Lemmerman 5 stars rating.

Small but interesting museum. Many recognizable names, not so many recognizable pieces, so it was an eye opening experience. I will say I was less than impressed with the lighting on some paintings, they were a bit difficult to see fully with the glare coming off the glass encasings.

Submitted by John Lemmerman on 11/26/2021

Loki D. Wolf 5 stars rating.

I'm really into 19th century artists. So it'd great to see artists like Degas there. As well as more known artists like Monet and Van Gogh. Wonderful facility with something for everyone (I wish more permanent photography displays). Outdoor sculptures are very nice and plentiful. And a great outdoor dining area. One can truly make a day of it here.

Submitted by Loki D. Wolf on 10/24/2021

Vanessa Vazquez 5 stars rating.

Hand's down, one of my favorite museums in Pasadena. The sculpture garden is amazing. Their art collection of Edgar Degas, the Epic painting of the"Allegory of Virtue and Nobility", is phenomenal, and the array of classic artists is a complete understated hidden gem. A wonderful place for children and adults to explore and grow.

Submitted by Vanessa Vazquez on 10/21/2021

Marco Martinez 5 stars rating.

This place is absolutely incredible! I've been here twice and both times it was never too crowded. It's an absolute must if you want to visit a museum that has famous artwork and other pieces that might not have as much acclaim. All of the staff there are also super friendly.

Submitted by Marco Martinez on 09/12/2021

Clanda Sh 5 stars rating.

This place is absolutely amazing. It has a great collection of the 17th-19th century artworks, you get to see many impressionists and contemporary artists in there, like, Degas, Renoir, Manat, Gauguin, Seurat, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and many more. I can easily spend hours in this museum and never will get bored. I recommend this place.

Submitted by Clanda Sh on 09/03/2021

Adela Cheng 5 stars rating.

Thanks to Mr. Norton Simon for his personal collections, people nowadays could have a chance to see and feel the beauty of European painting and sculpture as well as Asian religious sculptures. Every piece of the exhibition has a note for detailed information, people may spend several hours there.

Submitted by Adela Cheng on 08/30/2021

khemarakseima Renee 5 stars rating.

This museum is small, unique garden, and full of it interesting collection. It's a good place to spend time either for art or relaxing in the garden. I certainly recommend for everyone to visit this museum.

Submitted by Khemarakseima Renee on 08/25/2021

Jaqueline Freitas 4 stars rating.

Good time at the museum. I really enjoyed it. Some rooms were closed but I loved my time there .

Submitted by Jaqueline Freitas on 08/21/2021

José Fairfield-Hauser 5 stars rating.

Norton Simon? You can call that an Asian fusion! Didn't expect such a spectacular amalgamation of European and Southeast Asian. Great building and garden. Not much to say other than I'm wowed! My girlfriend Ling has some Thai ancestry on her mother's side and she told me she was delighted to see such an extensive collection of Southeast Asian art. So often it is only East Asian art.

Submitted by José Fairfield-hauser on 08/15/2021

Raymond Gonzalez 5 stars rating.

One of my go-to museums since college. Two floors of art, from canvas to sculpture, modern to ancient. They also have a small outdoor garden with a cafe. Don't forget to visit the museum store

Submitted by Raymond Gonzalez on 08/08/2021

Susan Bugelli 5 stars rating.

Norton Simon Museum is conveniently located in Pasadena, California by the 210 and 134 fwys. The museum houses Impressionist works, Fine Art works, Modern works and sculpture in addition to stone statues.

Famous and notable artists include Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Edgar Degas, Diego Rivera, and Kandisky. The viewing room are spacious and there are many volunteers to answer questions. I recommend the audible tour. There is so much history behind each work that someone has painstakingly researched. It's fascinating why artists choose colors, paints, medium to paint on and what was going on in their lives at the time they created the art piece.

Norton Simon Museum has a Cafe in the outside garden which offers sandwiches and refreshments. You can sit by the vast lily pond. Tour the garden to see bronze statues in a serene setting.

The Museum Gift Shop is a gem. The inventory includes books, puzzles, games, cards, lithographs, jewelry, umbrellas and so much more. I bought an Impressionist jigsaw puzzle where you spot the artists in Belle Epoque Paris. Highlighting twenty different artists.

Parking is on the property under beautiful Sycamore trees. The whole experience is very enlightening and tranquil. Operating hours are accommodating as the Museum is only closed three days out of the year, but closes at 5:00pm.

Submitted by Susan Bugelli on 07/31/2021

Markus 5 stars rating.

This is a large museum with a great collection of both artwork and archeological pieces from a large range of places around the world and time periods. It has a particularly large number of paintings from Europe and several from the masters. Only half of the museum was open when I went and that was a big shame as there was so much more to see. I will definitely be going back. You would need half the day to see them all - I could spend a whole day there. It also has a nice garden with a cafe with good coffee.

Submitted by Markus on 07/25/2021

Mayur Patel 5 stars rating.

This is a wonderful medium sized museum. They have some really big name artists (like Van Gogh) and some that I even recognized from having seen photos of the art. The outdoor sculpture garden is nice, but I wish there was more art out there, and more benches too. Unfortunately the downstairs South Asian art exhibit was closed, and it is planned to open on Thursday, June 17. I was really excited to view it, but will have to come back. My favorite piece was the Indian chess set made of Ivory. It is not too hard to reserve tickets online and they have free admission for students!

Submitted by Mayur Patel on 06/14/2021