Hammer Museum

What Hammer Museum does

Hammer Museum is a nonprofit art museum affiliated with UCLA, located at 10899 Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood Village, Los Angeles. Founded in 1990 (with predecessor institutions including the 1956 Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts and the 1967 Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden), the museum offers free admission to the public and presents rotating exhibitions alongside permanent collections of 50,000+ objects. Its core offerings include the Armand Hammer Collection, the Hammer Contemporary Collection, the Grunwald Center's 45,000+ works on paper, and the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden's 70+ outdoor sculptures across five acres.

The museum operates a digital platform, Hammer Channel, hosting 1,000+ archived talks, performances, and artist profiles (distributed via channel.hammer.ucla.edu and the Bloomberg Connects app), plus a searchable Collections database of 50,000+ objects. It runs the biennial Made in L.A. exhibition, the Hammer Projects single-gallery series (ongoing since 1999), public programs including the JazzPOP music series, K-12 educational tours aligned to SEL/ELA standards, and an annual Gala in the Garden fundraiser. Ancillary revenue-generating units include Lulu restaurant (operated by chef David Tanis, conceived with Alice Waters), the Hammer Store (curated retail), and a tiered membership program.

Revenue is generated primarily through donor underwriting of free admission (Marcy Carsey, Erika J Glazer Family Foundation, Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation), corporate partnerships, sponsorships, parking fees, restaurant and retail sales, membership dues, and the Mohn Award ($100,000) for Los Angeles-based artists. The museum serves a broad audience including general visitors, K-12 students and educators, UCLA students and faculty, art professionals, restaurant patrons, and retail customers. Hammer is institutionally owned by UCLA — a public state university — and is not an investable equity vehicle.

Name

Hammer Museum

Legal name

Hammer Museum

Website

https://hammer.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hammer Museum is a UCLA-affiliated nonprofit art museum in Los Angeles offering free admission, rotating exhibitions, permanent collections of 50,000+ objects, digital video archives, K-12 educational tours, and ancillary restaurant and retail operations supported primarily by donor underwriting and memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Public art museum
• Arts education programs
• Museum membership programs
• Digital art collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Support and Sponsorship: Free admission is underwritten by donors including Marcy Carsey, the Erika J Glazer Family Foundation, and the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation. The museum also generates revenue through corporate partnerships and sponsorships.
2. Retail Store: The Hammer Store sells curated books and products reflecting exhibitions and public programs. Operates during museum hours.
3. Restaurant: Lulu restaurant operated by David Tanis and Alice Waters. Offers lunch and dinner service with market menu. Hammer members receive 10% discount.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hammer Museum is a public, nonprofit art museum that presents rotating contemporary and historical art exhibitions drawn from its permanent collections (including the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, the Armand Hammer Collection, and the Hammer Contemporary Collection). It complements exhibitions with educational programs, K-12 school partnerships, digital engagement through the Hammer Channel and online collections database, and on-site amenities such as the Hammer Store and Lulu restaurant, all offered under a free-admission policy.

Product overview

The Hammer Museum is a UCLA-affiliated art museum offering a multi-faceted cultural experience. Its core offerings include rotating exhibitions and permanent collections (the Armand Hammer Collection, Hammer Contemporary Collection, Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts with 45,000+ works on paper, and the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden with 70+ outdoor sculptures). The museum operates Hammer Channel, a digital video platform with 1,000+ talks and performances, and Hammer Collections, an online database of 50,000+ objects. Additional services include the Hammer Store (curated retail), Lulu Restaurant (farm-to-table dining by David Tanis), K-12 educational tours, public programs including the JazzPOP music series and film screenings, and a membership program with exclusive benefits. The Hammer Projects series showcases emerging artists in single-gallery exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rotating Art Exhibitions

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Betye SaarflagshipOthers · 3 May 2026Betye Saar was honored at the 21st Annual Hammer Museum Gala in the Garden. The gala is a major fundraising event recognizing significant contributions to art and culture.
• Darren StarflagshipOthers · 3 May 2026Darren Star was honored at the 21st Annual Hammer Museum Gala in the Garden. Star is a prominent television producer known for Creating Beverly Hills, 90210, and other acclaimed series.
• Frieze Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Frieze Los Angeles partnered with Hammer Museum and other cultural institutions for acquisition funds to acquire artworks for permanent collections. The partnership supports Los Angeles-based artists by providing acquisition opportunities through the fair's acquisition funds.
• MAC3 (Museum Acquisition Collective)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025MAC3 is a collective comprising the Hammer Museum, LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), and MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles). Together they acquire works by local artists through Frieze Los Angeles acquisition funds. In 2026, acquired works by Clarissa Tossin, Zenobia Lee, and Sharif Farrag.
• California African American MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Partnered through Frieze Los Angeles acquisition funds. The museum acquired works by Zenobia Lee and Jessica Taylor Bellamy for their permanent collection.
• City of Santa Monica Art BankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Partnered through Frieze Los Angeles acquisition funds. The Santa Monica Art Bank Acquisition Fund selected a work by Erica Mahinay from the fair's Focus section for emerging galleries.
• David TaniscoreOthersDavid Tanis is the chef and operator of Lulu restaurant at the Hammer Museum. He is a chef, writer, and cookbook author who creates the daily changing market menu.
• Alice WaterscoreOthersLegendary chef and food activist Alice Waters conceived Lulu restaurant in collaboration with David Tanis. Waters is known for founding Chez Panisse and pioneering the farm-to-table movement.
• UCLA Department of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for lectures, programs, and student involvement. The Hammer's Student Educators are UCLA students from diverse disciplines who lead gallery tours. Co-presents lectures such as Anna Sew Hoy's UCLA Department of Art Lecture.
• The World AroundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe World Around, founded by Beatrice Galilee, co-curated the 'In Focus: Transformation' program at the Hammer Museum alongside Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain.
• Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBéatrice Grenier, director of strategic projects at Fondation Cartier, co-curated the 'In Focus: Transformation' program with The World Around.
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hammer presents MoMA Contenders, a film program organized by MoMA featuring influential films from the past 12 months. Hammer's presentation is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): West-coast peer with a major modern/contemporary collection, paid admission, and large educational programming division. Useful comparable for scale, programming diversity, and donor-funded operating model.
• Whitney Museum of American Art: New York's leading contemporary American art museum. Comparable in single-discipline (American/contemporary) focus, exhibition-driven programming, and educational tour offerings.
• The Broad: LA-based contemporary art museum offering free general admission with a focused post-1960 collection. Closest peer in geography, free-admission model, contemporary focus, and donor-funded economics.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): LA's encyclopedic art museum and MAC3 consortium partner. Comparable in regional ambition, permanent collection scale, and educational programming; differs in encyclopedic vs. contemporary focus.
• Walker Art Center: Minneapolis-based contemporary art center combining visual arts, performance, and design. Comparable in interdisciplinary programming (talks, screenings, performance) and contemporary focus.
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): New York's flagship contemporary and modern art museum. Directly comparable in scale, mission (modern/contemporary art), and programming depth, and an active partner through the MoMA Contenders film program presented at the Hammer.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago): Chicago's contemporary art museum with comparable collection focus, exhibition programming, and educational tour offerings. Similar mid-sized institutional footprint.
• Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston: University-adjacent contemporary art museum on the Boston waterfront. Comparable scale, university affiliation model, and contemporary-only curatorial mandate.
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA): LA's dedicated contemporary art museum and MAC3 consortium partner. Closely aligned in mission (contemporary-only), regional audience, and acquisition strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Museum: Large encyclopedic art museum with significant contemporary programming, free-admission positioning, and K-12 educational tour offerings. Broader scope than the Hammer but analogous free-admission, programming-heavy operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hammermuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/HammerMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/hammer_museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hammer Museum