With a block party on November 17, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has opened NHM Commons project in Exposition Park.

Garden at exterior of NHM CommonsGary Leonard

The $75-million project, under construction since late 2022, is located along the western side of the museum campus to the south of Exposition Boulevard and to the east of Bill Robertson Plan. The new construction, designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners, is clad in glass to open the museum to passersby.

“The opening of NHM Commons could not come at a more important time,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in a news release. “The Commons promises an opportunity for Angelenos to come together around critical issues and connect with the natural world and with each other in our common space. I am proud to bring resources to the table to make sure the next generations of Angelenos continue to have a space where they can learn and grow and be exposed to our rich cultural history and plan for the future.” 

The interior, designed by Studio Joseph, opens onto the Judith Perlstein Welcome Center, a new gift shop, and South LA Cafe. Other features of NHM Commons include a 400-seat auditorium, Barbara Carrasco’s 1981 mural LA History: A Mexican Perspective and the 75-foot-long dinosaur skeleton Gnatalie, which is highlighted by its green color and is composed of multiple specimens belonging to a Diplodocus-like dinosaur.

Gnatalie the Green DinosaurNHM Commons

After entering, visitors can see a 3,000-square-foot theater gallery devoted to "Collective Knowledge,"' which displays images taken by photographers Craig Cutler and Scott Bremmer, a new 3D T.rex film produced by D3D, and a display spotlighting the work of community scientists.

The outside of NHM Commons welcomes visitors with a landscaped plaza designed by Studio-MLA. In addition to a main entrance, the plaza doubles as an outdoor event space, and figured prominently in the November 17 block party.

Barbara Carrasco’s 80-foot-long mural L.A. History: A Mexican PerspectiveGary Leonard

The debut of NHM Commons will be followed by larger additions to Exposition Park in the coming years, including the more than $1-billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art taking shape across Bill Robertson Lane and the $400-million Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on the east side of the park.

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