Skip the mall, go to a museum: 16 ways to gobble up SoCal culture over Thanksgiving weekend

Need somewhere to send out-of-town guests over the Thanksgiving weekend? Or perhaps you need a place where you can go to escape them? Here’s a sampling of what’s on view at local museums this holiday weekend.

Autry Museum of the American West Highlights include the decades-spanning exhibition “California Continued� as well as the museum’s sizable collection of Old West artifacts. Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, L.A. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $6-$14; members and children under 3, free. (323) 667-2000. www.theautry.org

Bowers Museum Current exhibitions include “Virgin of Guadalupe: Images of Colonial Mexico,� “Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy� and “California Bounty: Image and Identity, 1850-1930.� 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $10-$15; children under 12, free. (714) 567-3600. www.bowers.org

The Broad The downtown L.A. arts institution has “Creature,� an installation of figurative art from the permanent collection. (Check out Times critic Christopher Knight’s review.) If you don’t have advance tickets, you’ll need to try the standby line. Once inside, do your best to reserve a time for Yayoi Kusama’s immersive “Infinity Mirrored Room.� 221 S. Grand Ave., L.A. Tue.-Wed., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thu.-Fri., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Free. (213) 232-6200. www.thebroad.org

California Science Center Highlights include “The Science Behind Pixar Exhibition� and, of course, the space shuttle Endeavour. 700 Exposition Park Drive, L.A. Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Permanent exhibits, free; special exhibits and IMAX films, various prices. (323) 724-3623. www.californiasciencecenter.org

Getty Center Current exhibitions include “The Shimmer of Gold: Giovanni di Paolo in Renaissance Siena� and “Degas: ‘Russian Dancers’ and the Art of Pastel.� Don’t forget the lovely gardens and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. North Sepulveda Boulevard and Getty Center Drive, L.A. Tue.-Fri., Sun., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Free. Parking, $15; $10 after 3 p.m. (310) 440-7300. www.getty.edu/visit/center

Getty Villa Highlights include the exhibits “Roman Mosaics Across the Empire� and “Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity.� 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Open Wed.-Mon., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. Free. Parking, $15; $10 after 3 p.m. (310) 440-7300. www.getty.edu/visit/villa

Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens Noteworthy exhibits include “Van Gogh & Friends,� “Lari Pittman: Mood Books� and the recently opened “A History of Whiskers,� plus a survey of rare 16th to 19th century Chinese wooodblock prints and a celebration of the U.S. National Park Service’s centennial. 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Mon., Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $25-$25; members and children under 4, free. (626) 405-2100. www.huntington.org

Japanese American National Museum Highlights include the photographic exhibit “Uprooted: Japanese American Farm Labor Camps During World War II� and the special single-item display “Sadako’s Crane.� 100 N. Central Ave., L.A. Tue.-Wed., Fri.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thu., noon-8 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $6, $10; members and children 5 and under, free. (213) 625-0414. www.janm.org

La Brea Tar Pits & Museum Fossils of prehistoric mammals including a mammoth, a ground sloth and a saber-toothed cat, plus a working paleontology lab and the 3D movie “Titans of the Ice Age.� La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Open daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $5-$19; California EBT cardholders, California teachers, active and retired military, and children 2 and under, free. (213) 763-3499. www.tarpits.org

Los Angeles County Museum of Art Highlights include the recently opened exhibition “Renaissance and Reformation: German Art in the Age of Dürer and Cranach� and the soon-to-close “Guillermo del Toro: At Home With Monsters.� Other must-sees: The installation “Rain Room,� Chris Burden’s car-crazy kinetic sculpture “Metropolis II,� and that ginormous boulder, a.k.a. Michael Heizer’s “Levitated Mass.� Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Mon., Tue., Thu., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $10-$25; members and children 17 and under, free. (323) 857-6010. www.lacma.org

MOCA On view: “Selections from the Permanent Collection,� “R. H. Quaytman, Morning: Chapter 30,� and “Mickalene Thomas: Do I Look Like a Lady?� 250 S. Grand Ave., L.A. Mon., Wed., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thu., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $6, $12 (includes same-day admission to the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo; members, jurors and children under 12, free; Thursdays after 5 p.m., free. (213) 626-6222. www.moca.org/visit/grand-ave

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA On view: The multimedia career survey “Doug Aitken: Electric Earth.� 152 N. Central Ave., L.A. Mon., Wed., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thu., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $6, $12 (includes same-day admission to MOCA on Grand Avennue; members, jurors and children under 12, free; Thursdays after 5 p.m., free. (213) 626-6222. www.moca.org/visit/geffen-contemporary

Museum of Jurassic Technology For the eccentric: Artifacts, oddities and ephemera, of questionable provenance, in the “cabinet of curiosities� tradition. 9341 Venice Blvd., Culver City. Thu., 2 p.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., noon-6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $1.50-$8; children 12 and under, free. (310) 836-6131. www.mjt.org

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Highlights include the recently renovated Dinosaur Hall; life-size dioramas of taxidermied beasts from around the world; and “Becoming Los Angeles,� a collection of art and artifacts exploring the history of our fair city. And for the non-arachnophobic, there’s the special exhibit “Spider Pavilion.� 900 Exposition Blvd., L.A. Open daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $8-$17; children 2 and under, free. (213) 763-DINO. www.nhm.org

Norton Simon Museum The Pasadena landmark boasts impressive collections of Asian, European and modern and contemporary art; see also, the current exhibitions “Dark Visions: Mid-Century Macabre� and “States of Mind: Picasso Lithographs 1945-1960.� 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Mon., Wed.-Thu., noon-5 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m; closed Thanksgiving Day; closes 5 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 25. $9, $12; members, students, active-duty military and ages 18 and under, free. (626) 449-6840. www.nortonsimon.org

Petersen Automotive Museum Classic, historic and concept cars and motorcycles, plus famous rides from such TV shows and movies as “Batman� and “Back to the Future.� 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Mon.-Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving Day. $7-$15; active-duty military and children under 3, free. (323) 930-2277. www.petersen.org