Los Angeles Natural History Museum’s $75-million expansion to create new exhibit spaces

California Construction News staff writer

The Natural History Museum (NHM) of Los Angeles County’s $75-million expansion is expected to be completed in 2024.

Designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners the project includes 17,000 sq. ft of renovated space and 25,000 sq. ft of landscaping to create a new wing for the museum – the NHM Commons. Studio-MLA is the project architect.

The project will encompass approximately 60,000 square feet of renovated space, new construction, and landscaping, including a welcome center, new lobby with retail space, multipurpose theater, café, and large community plaza.

The indoor/outdoor NHM Commons space “embodies our principles of community engagement and will serve as a place for the community to come together around critical global and local issues and connect with the natural world.”

NHM Commons is the result of years of research and relationship-building with community partners to plan the expansion and the philosophy that will drive new programming.

NHMLAC has convened two advisory groups for the project, the NHM Commons Native American Advisory Council and the NHM Commons Advisory Coalition.

Work is supported by leadership gifts and grants from the following public and private contributors:

• County of Los Angeles – $30 million
• State of California – $9 million
• Annenberg Foundation – $5 million
• Ron Perlstein, in memory of Judith Perlstein – $5 million
• Ahmanson Foundation – $2 million
• The Rose Hills Foundation – $2 million
• The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation – $1 million.