The hook
One of the greatest private art collections ever assembled sits in Pasadena, holds Rembrandts and Van Goghs and a room of Degas, and is somehow never crowded.
01Why it's worth it
The industrialist Norton Simon spent thirty years buying masterpieces, and unlike a lot of rich men's collections his has genuine range and depth: Old Masters including three major Rembrandts, Impressionists, a Van Gogh, and more than a hundred works by Degas, the second-largest single-collector grouping of him in the world. Rodin's bronzes stand at the door; a sculpture garden with Moore and Maillol wraps a reflecting pond out back; and there's two thousand years of South and Southeast Asian art besides. The best part for a visitor is what it isn't: it's not the zoo that LACMA and the Getty can be. You can stand in front of a Rembrandt in a nearly empty room. For art this good, that's rare anywhere.
02How to experience it
It's on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, about six hours from the Bay, right where the Rose Parade turns. There's an admission fee, and it's perfectly sized for an afternoon rather than an exhausting all-day slog. Weekdays are calmest. It pairs with Old Pasadena, the Gamble House, and the Huntington nearby.