Norton Simon Museum

Norton Simon Museum is an art museum in Pasadena, California, with works from the Renaissance, Baroque and modern eras as well as South Asian sculpture. The collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and three-dimensional objects shown in rotating exhibitions on two levels.

Norton Simon opened the museum in 1968 after three decades of acquiring European and Asian art. The building itself was originally completed in 1969 as the Pasadena Art Museum before Simon took it over and transformed it.

Named after Norton Simon, a Los Angeles entrepreneur who opened his private collection to the public. Visitors today encounter classical paintings alongside South Asian bronzes inside the building, with both collection areas presented as equals.

The museum sits at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Orange Grove in central Pasadena. Visitors can explore the rooms on their own or use audio guides available at the entrance desk.

The building features a quiet sculpture garden in the courtyard designed with input from landscape architect Nancy Goslee Power. Some works from the Asian section come from temples and monasteries in India, Nepal and Tibet originally created for religious purposes.

Location: Pasadena

Inception: 1969

Founders: Norton Simon

Architects: Frank Gehry

Official opening: 1969

Address: 411 West Colorado Boulevard

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 12:00-17:00; Tuesday off; Wednesday off; Friday,Saturday 12:00-19:00

Phone: +1(626)4496840

Website: https://nortonsimon.org

GPS coordinates: 34.14611,-118.15917

Latest update: December 20, 2025 01:12