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Enjoy the contemporary art collections and exhibitions

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

Established in 1979, the MOCA is only artist-founded museum in Los Angeles. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is a former police warehouse in Little Tokyo’s Historic District and offers 40,000 square feet of exhibition space. The collections are changing on a consistent basis.

Destination
Little Tokyo & Arts District
Address
355 1st St. #200, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Parking
Metered parking City of Los Angeles $2/hr (2 hrs max), Lot 2 at 300 E. Temple St. $9.00 flat rate; Office Depot Lot 401 E 2nd St APS Parking, $10 per day; Japanese Village Plaza at 335 E. 2nd St. $15.00
Hours
You may see the monument 24/7; For more context visit the "Go For Broke" museum on Saturday or Sunday 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Cost
Free to see monument; $10 to enter GFB museum; or $20 total for the Japanese American National Museum and GFB Museum Admissions
Appropriate For
All Ages

Educational Materials

Learn more about the MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary at the following sites.

Sample Itinerary - Little Tokyo and Arts District

Sample Itinerary – Little Tokyo & Arts District

Date: [INSERT DATE]

Location: Little Tokyo & Arts District, Los Angeles, CA

10:00 AM: Parking

Location Address Cost Notes
Modern Parking Inc. Japanese Village Plaza 111 S. Central Ave, Los Angeles, 90012 $15 all-day
Joe’s Auto Parks Little Tokyo Mall 319 E. 2nd St, Los Angeles, 90012 $15 all-day
Advanced Parking Systems 401 E. 2nd St, Los Angeles, 90012 $10 all-day
Parking Lot 7 140 N. Judge Aiso St, Los Angeles, 90012 $9 all-day

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Take a Street Tour & Have Some breakfast

Location Address Cost Notes
Mural & Street Art Self-Guided Tour 700 First St, Los Angeles, 90012 Free Take a self-guided tour of the mural and street art in the Los Angeles Art’s District. While in the area, check out the multiple breakfast and coffee spots in the area

 Places to have a coffee or little pastry for under $5

Location Address Cost Notes
Zinc Café 580 Mateo St, 90013 $3.50-$20.00 Enjoy a tiny bite or a bigger breakfast. Note that pastries and coffee are under $5 and larger breakfasts can range in price.

 
Groundwork Coffee Co. 811 Traction Ave, 90013 $4.00-$15.00
Urth Caffe 459 S. Hewitt St, 90013 $4.00-$20.00
Blue Bottle Café 582 Mateo St, 90013 $3.50-$10.00

11:30 AM – 1:30 AM:  Japanese American History &  Contemporary Art

Location Address Cost Notes
Go For Broke Monument 355 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free This monument is outdoors next to the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. If you are looking for a specific name, you can look it up in the Monument Name Locator.
Japanese American National Museum 100 N. Central Ave, Los Angeles, 90012 $9-$16 Free every third Thursday of the month from 5-8 PM. You can also download the app for a digital guide.
MOCA Geffen Contemporary 152 N. Central Ave, Los Angeles, 90012 Free Free with RSVP. Make sure to take a look at their events, too. Parental Discretion is Advised.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Learn About Japanese Arts & Culture

Visit the Japanese American Culture and Community Center (JACCC) and the LA Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple

Location Address Cost Notes
Japanese American Culture & Community Center (JACCC) 244 S. San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Find out about their events.
Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple 505 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 90013 Free Learn about their upcoming events.

 

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Late Lunch

Have lunch at the Japanese Village Plaza or in Little Tokyo

5 Japanese Food Spots With Food Under $5 6 Japanese Food Spots With Food Under $10 6 Food Spots Under $15
Rice & Nori Marugame Monzo Spitz – Little Tokyo
Fugetsu-Do Roll Spot Millet Crepe Little Tokyo
Marukai Market Shiro Café in Little Tokyo Café Dulce
Torigoya Teishokuya of Tokyo Jist Café
Mitsuru Cafe Izakaya Gazen Champions Curry
Yamazaki Bakery Daikokuya Annex Aloha Café

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Contemporary Art

You may want to park a little closer to the area

Location Address Cost Notes
Hauser & Wirth 901 E. 3rd St, Los Angeles, 90013 Free Make sure to check out their garden and chicken coup.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles 1717 E. 7th St, Los Angeles, 90021 Free There is free parking in the surrounding areas if you can’t find parking at the museum.

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Eat Dinner

Have dinner at a restaurant in Little Tokyo.

There are many tasty restaurants in Little Tokyo. Eat an appetizer or a full dinner at a local favorite like Azay, Marugame Monzo, Rakkan Ramen, Shabu Shabu House, and many others.

8:00 PM – Watch a Play

Check out a play at the East West Players

Location Address Cost Notes
East West Players 120 N Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles 90012 $12.00-$70.00 Check out what’s playing on the East West Players website.
Blue mug with coffee inside and marshmallows on a table. A man's hands hold the cup.

Travel Mug

Sold on Temu

  1. Japanese American National Museum
  2. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
  3. Go For Broke Monument
  4. Japanese Village Plaza
  5. Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)
  6. Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple
  7. East West Players
  8. Hauser & Wirth
  9. Mural & Street Art Self-Guided Tour
  10. Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
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