FAQS

Tuesday–Friday: 12PM–4PM and Saturday: 11AM–5PM

VPAM is closed on the following holidays. Please plan your visit with these closures in mind:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
• Presidents’ Day Weekend (Friday–Monday, with the holiday on the third Monday in February)
• Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
• Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24)
• Spring Break ***
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
• Juneteenth (June 19)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September)
• Veterans Day (November 11)
• Thanksgiving Weekend (fourth Thursday–Sunday in November)
• The two weeks of Christmas and New Years Day (last week of December and the first week of January)
  

Check our calendar for any additional closures or special holiday hours.

1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754

VPAM is located at the corner of Avenida Cesar Chavez and Collegian Avenue on the campus of East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, California. The museum is located in Building S1. See the campus map here.

• Parking is available in Parking Structure 4, located at the corner of Collegian Avenue and Floral Drive. See the campus map here. It is under a 5-minute walk to the museum.

• The daily parking fee is $2.00. You can purchase a permit at kiosks on the top and bottom levels of the structure. Kiosks accept Visa, MasterCard, and $1 bills.

• Please do not park in spaces marked for faculty or staff.

Check our Monterey Park/East LA page here for information about our staff’s favorite restaurants and things to do in the surrounding neighborhoods.

• VPAM offers curator-led tours of exhibitions as part of its member experience. If you are already a member, check the event calendar and register. If you would like to become a member, visit our Membership page here.
• For school groups, please arrange a tour or visit in advance with our Curator of Education Miranda Ynez. .
• We do not provide private or general group tours at this time.

Yes. If your group has more than 10 or more people, please contact us in advance with your group size and visit date at info@vpam.org or (323) 265-8841. This helps us prepare and ensure your group has the best experience at the museum.

• Small backpacks are allowed but must be worn on your front or carried in your hand.

• Water is allowed in a secure bottle. No other liquids are permitted.

• Strollers and front-facing baby carriers are welcome. Jogging strollers and wagons are not allowed.

• Mobility scooters are allowed.

• Service dogs are welcome.

• The following items are not allowed in the building or at coat check:

• Any other item that could put the art or visitors at risk, to be determined at the sole discretion of VPAM staff.

• Large bags, luggage, musical instruments, electronics, and oversize camera equipment

• Glass containers, jars, aerosol cans, and liquids other than water

• Food and drink (other than water in a secure bottle or for medical reasons). 

• Pets or emotional support animals

• Oversized strollers, jogging strollers, wagons, bicycles, skateboards, roller-skates, rollerblades, helmets, and scooters

• Selfie sticks, tripods, monopods, drones, and professional video equipment, unless previously arranged and approved by the Communications Department.

• All visitors and members must check in at the front desk. LACCD and ELAC students will be asked to provide their student ID number and check out when leaving. General visitors will be asked to provide their ZIP Code so the museum can better serve its audiences. 

• Children twelve and under must always be accompanied by an adult.

• Visitors to VPAM may be photographed, filmed, or otherwise recorded. By entering the museum, you grant permission for VPAM to use your image or voice in photographs or audiovisual recordings for archival, documentary, publicity, advertising, or other purposes.

• Non-flash photography and video for personal use is allowed in most galleries unless otherwise noted.

• Filming of guided tours is at the discretion of the individual guide.

• Unauthorized photoshoots and staged photography (photo/film shoots, modeling shoots, engagement shoots) are not permitted.

• The Museum reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises or to reproduce photographs of objects in its collections.

• Yes! You may write, draw, or take notes with a pencil. Paint, charcoal, markers, and other similar materials are not allowed.

• VPAM does not tolerate verbally abusive, harassing, discriminatory, or threatening statements or behavior toward museum staff or other visitors.

• The principles of diversity, inclusion, and equal access apply to all aspects of VPAM’s operations, across all categories of individuals. 

• Conduct that poses any risk to other visitors, the Museum’s staff, or the Museum’s collection, such as running, rough play, and disruptive behavior is prohibited.

• Keep doorways, stairs, and hallways accessible to other visitors; do not sit on the floor.

• Smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is prohibited in the museum or near the entrances.

• Use of electrical outlets in the museum is prohibited.

• For health and safety reasons, shirts and shoes are required.

• Please do not touch the artwork, frames, platforms, labels, display cases, or any protective materials.

VPAM’s Curatorial Committee develops most exhibitions in-house, often planned 2–4 years in advance. While we are not able to review unsolicited proposals from artists, we occasionally consider proposals from curators or arts and cultural institutions. These proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

The Vincent Price Art Museum is unable to appraise or authenticate artworks. If you would like an appraisal, we suggest reaching out to a professional, independent appraiser. Organizations such as the Appraisers Association of America, the American Society of Appraisers, and the International Society of Appraisers offer directories where you can find accredited specialists. When selecting an appraiser, look for someone with experience in the type of work you own, check their credentials, and ask for a written report to keep for your records.

Along with our permanent collection: Form and Function in the Ancient Americas, we have up to 5 exhibitions at any time in the museum. For more information on our current exhibitions go here.

• To find out more about current VPAM events, visit our calendar here.

• Some events require a reservation or are limited to members. To become a member, sign up here.

• To find out about future events, sign up for our newsletter here.

• The VPAM Foundation will be announcing a new membership program in October 2025. Stay tuned!

• VPAM does not currently have a volunteer program but is in the process of possibly developing one in the future.

For accessibility information related to arriving at the museum, getting around the museum or attending an event, go to our accessibility information page, here. (LINK TO ACCESSIBILITY) You can also call (323) 265-8841 or email  info@vpam.org to arrange for special assistance. 

Yes. Service dogs are allowed. However, pets or emotional support animals are unfortunately not allowed in the museum.

For campus events, employees, students or community members must request ASL services at least three days before the event to allow time to arrange services. Requests for ASL services are made through our Associate Vice President and ADA Coordinator Nghi Nghiem who can be contacted at (323) 265-8689 or nghiemnx@laccd.edu.

The museum does not rent gallery spaces for exhibitions, All exhibitions are organized by our curatorial team or in partnership with guest curators and cultural institutions. Event rentals and filming requests are rarely approved due to the museum’s active schedule. For inquiries, please contact events@elac.edu.

Vincent Price (1911–1993) was an American actor, collector, and advocate for the arts. Best known for his performances in horror films and worked widely in theater, radio, and television during his long career. Beyond the screen, Price was a passionate supporter of the arts and education.

The museum was named after Vincent Price in honor of his  dedication and advocacy of the arts and arts education. In 1950, he donated part of his personal collection to East Los Angeles College, which became the foundation of the Vincent Price Art Museum. His vision of access to art for all continues to guide the museum’s mission.

Our exhibitions feature artworks typically unrelated to Vincent Price, apart from works in our permanent collection that he donated.

VPAM currently does not have any movie props nor memorabilia from Vincent Price on display.

• A label on the back of a framed artwork marked “Vincent Price Collection” usually indicates the piece was once sold by Sears through its Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art. This national program ran from 1962 to 1971. Vincent Price selected and purchased works for Sears, and the first exhibition opened at the Sears store in Denver on October 6, 1962.
• Sears presented works in in-store “Vincent Price” galleries and in traveling shows. As part of standard practice, staff placed printed paper labels on the backs of frames. Surviving labels often read “From the Vincent Price Collection, Sears, Roebuck and Co.” Auction catalogs frequently mention these labels when works appear for sale.
• The label and program are not connected with the Vincent Price Art Museum.