[photo credit: Norton Simon Museum]
The “50 Years: Norton Simon, the Collector” tour, scheduled for August 1 at 5 p.m., explores the legacy of the businessman-turned-collector who assembled more than 8,000 works of art over three decades.
The one-hour tour is free with museum admission—though visitors can take advantage of Free First Friday policy, providing complimentary entry from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Space is limited to 20 participants, with sign-up required at the Information Desk at 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Norton Simon believed art appreciation came through direct experience.
“Because for me, the respect for what art is all about comes out of looking more than reading, more than formal instruction,” he explained.
His collecting earned recognition from prominent museum directors.
John Walsh of the J. Paul Getty Museum called Simon “the best collector of our time,” noting “the fact that anyone since World War II has been able to compile such a superior group of paintings and Asian sculpture is astounding.”
The museum, founded in 1975, celebrates its 50th anniversary throughout with the exhibition “Retrospect: 50 Years at the Norton Simon Museum” running from February 14 through January 12, 2026.
The institution houses the largest Van Gogh collection in the western United States, comprising six paintings, an early drawing, an etching and an autograph letter.
“50 Years: Norton Simon, the Collector” tour will run on Friday, August 1 at 5 p.m. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Boulevard, in Pasadena. For more call (626) 449-6840 or visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/calendar/2025/summer-2025/50-Years-Norton-Simon-the-Collector-8-1-2025-500PM/date/2025-08-01. Tickets: Free with museum admission; Free First Friday provides complimentary admission from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
