Once an eccentric millionaire's passion, the Hammer Museum is a part of UCLA's artistic tradition.

Taken over by UCLA in 1994, the Hammer Museum primarily shows pieces from Occidental Petroleum founder Dr. Armand Hammer's collection of impressionist, post-impressionist and European Old Master paintings. The collection may not be as overwhelming as the Gettys, but the smaller setting lends itself to lesser-known but equally poetic works by Monet, Van Gogh, Pissarro and Singer Sargent. But in recent years the Hammer has been giving MOCA a run for its contemporary-art money. The permanent contemporary-art collection features work by John Baldessari, Catherine Opie and Ed Ruscha; the museums Hammer Projects showcase work by emerging artists like Barry McGee. The Hammer also welcomes an impressive roster of speakers throughout the year, ranging from author Dave Eggers to DJ-producer Danger Mouse. Over the summer, the music series Also I Like to Rock lets local indie bands take over the outdoor courtyard—for those looking for something that doesn't require earplugs, there's also the avant-garde JazzPOP series. In February 2007, the state-of-the-art, 295-seat Billy Wilder Theater will begin screening films presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. —Elisa Jacobs