26 October,2026 01:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
There is a lot to explore through its art galleries, museums and more. Photo Courtesy: Special Arrangement
The United States of America is vast and for travellers who love exploring the country, there is a lot to see in many different parts, but if you are looking at Santa Monica and aren't a beach person, then there is a lot more you can do there.
Santa Monica's iconic coastline has long attracted visitors from around the world to its sun-soaked beaches, ocean views, and laid-back seaside charm. However, beyond the shores, Santa Monica also offers a thriving arts scene. From street murals and theatres to studios and galleries, Santa Monica is a vibrant hub for arts and culture. Explore Santa Monica's artistic side through its galleries, public sculptures, murals, museums, live performances and artist-led experiences, discovering how creativity shapes the city beyond its famous coastline.
As an arts and culture hub, Santa Monica is home to 170+ street art murals all within its 8.3 square miles and eight neighbourhoods. The murals are brought to life by a combination of different entities from across the city, local business improvement districts, private groups/people, as well as Beautify Earth. Beautify Earth is a non-profit whose mission is to transform every wall into a beautiful piece of art. Responsible for a majority of the murals in Santa Monica, they began adorning walls along Lincoln Boulevard six years ago and have since grown into an international movement. Visitors can embark on a self-guided walking tour, spotting murals located across all eight Santa Monica neighbourhoods, and navigating the city's rich public street art scene.
Santa Monica is home to over 55 museums, galleries and creative venues showcasing works ranging from contemporary art pieces to priceless items with rich history. One such institution is Bergamot Station Arts Center, the largest art gallery and cultural complex of its kind on the West Coast, with over 100 years of history as an active railroad station and factory before being repurposed as a creative campus. Bergamot Station contains several individual galleries and creative venues highlighting rising artists, abstract pieces, stunning photography, architectural design and more. Stop into galleries such as William Turner, which represents mid-career and rising artists such as Ed Moses and his son Andy Moses.
Art is undoubtedly a force for good, as evidenced by 18th Street Arts Center's groundbreaking work over its 30-year history. 18th Street Arts Center is dedicated to supporting the creation of meaningful work, utilising performance art and fine art to foster positive social change and support engaging, diverse artists. The centre also hosts the largest artist residency program in Southern California, providing artists space to create and share the impactful results with the public through exhibition and community engagement programs.
If you are eager to explore even more of Santa Monica's public art, dive into the city's thrilling array of masterpieces and stunning permanent installations from sculptures to large-scale outdoor works. Ball-Nogues Cradle is a giant version of a Newton's Cradle, hanging on the exterior wall of a parking garage next to Santa Monica Place Mall. Be sure to visit midday, when the bustle of passersby creates a stream of reflections on the highly polished steel orbs. Singing Beach Chairs, on the beach north of Pico, are 18-foot-tall, scalable works that are outfitted with sets of aluminium pipes meant to harness the ocean breeze into tunes. On windy days, strong gusts create musical interludes audible to 500 feet. Wind or not, they provide a perfect year-round perch to enjoy the sunset. Located at the precise spot where Wilshire Boulevard rises to offer westbound drivers a glimpse of the Pacific, The Big Wave sculpture was one of the earliest pieces of public art commissioned by the city. Fully restored with energy-efficient LED lights, the wave is especially striking in the early evening hours when its blue silhouette becomes visible against a darkening sky.
Santa Monica boasts a diverse and vibrant arts and culture scene with leading museums that keep the rich history and legacy of Santa Monica alive. At the Museum of Flying, just in the shadow of Santa Monica Airport, see historic Douglas World Cruisers, a replica of Orville and Wilbur Wright's biplane and a U.S. Navy Skyhawk. You can even step into the cockpit of a Boeing 727 airliner. Along Main Street, in a historic 1894 Victorian-style house, the California Heritage Museum showcases craftsman furniture, folk art, tiles and collectables, as well as photographs of a sprawling ostrich farm that occupied much of the Ocean Park area back in the 1890s. Adjoining the Santa Monica Public Library, the Santa Monica History Museum features several dedicated permanent exhibits, including exhibits on the life of the Tongva, the original inhabitants of the Santa Monica Bay area; the Outlook, Santa Monica's oldest local newspaper; and the town's rise as a resort destination. The museum is also responsible for archiving upwards of 600,000 photographic prints, negatives, glass-plate negatives and slides.
Santa Monica vibrant arts scene also features live theatre, dance performances, music concerts, and film screenings throughout the year. The impressive Eli and Edythe BroadStage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center has hosted performances from legendary acts such as Sutton Foster, Patti LuPone and Helen Hunt. The grand venue welcomes performances of many genres including theatre, music, dance, film, opera, symphony and more. For film enthusiasts, the historic Aero Theatre is a must-visit venue allowing audiences today to experience Hollywood classics and historic cinema on the silver screen. Many showings are accompanied by special programming and unforgettable in-person discussions with filmmakers and leaders in cinema, providing priceless insight into the films shown at the theatre.
Learn to paint with a variety of mediums: oil, acrylic, watercolour or gouache, a type of opaque watercolour, at the female-owned Paint:Lab, which has been offering art instruction for adults, kids and teens since 2009. For pottery classes, delve into the world of ceramics at Still Life Studio, a spacious, airy studio, offering one-off wheel sessions as well as specialised workshops focused on glazing, making moulds and Raku firing.
This tourist guide will help you discover a different side of Santa Monica through its art galleries, museums, public sculptures, live performances, and more, and experience the city beyond its famous beaches.
