NORTON SIMON MUSEUM

The Norton Simon Museum is considered one of the most important museums in the western United States. Originally known as the Pasadena Museum of Art, the foundation was renamed in honor of Norton Simon (1907-1993), an American industrialist and philanthropist. For 30 years, he assembled an impressive art collection of over 8,000 works.

He began in the mid-1950s with 19th century paintings by the famous Daumier, Degas, Renoir and Gauguin. Then he developed a fondness for the paintings of Rembrandt. In the late 1960s, his buying pace intensified as his interest in Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Flemish Old Masters grew. At the same time, he collected 20th-century sculptures and works by Aristide Maillol, Picasso, Henry Moore, Braque, and Giacometti - among others.

The Norton Simon Museum exhibits much of this gigantic heritage, from European Renaissance masterpieces to a collection of South Asian art spanning nearly 2,000 years - from beautiful tapestries to impressive statues. In addition, the foundation houses modern works from Europe and the United States, acquired by the former Pasadena Museum of Art. So, plan to spend some time there, including a walk through the tropical trees in the lovely garden. The whole place is a wonderful place to lose yourself in your thoughts; a unique journey through the world of culture.