One of the world's largest collections, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organization specializing in automobile history and related educational programs.

Six years after Ohrbach's closed, Robert Petersen selected the largely windowless site as an ideal space for a museum—allowing artifacts to be displayed without harmful exposure to direct sunlight.

The second floor is principally concerned with industrial engineering—including design, performance, and a collection of interactive teaching exhibits.

Special displays on the industry floor cover racing, motorcycles, hot rods and customs.

The third floor chronicles the history of the automobile, with an emphasis on the car culture of Southern California.