While massive institutions dominate the Los Angeles museum landscape, the Martial Arts History Museum (MAHM) in Glendale is quietly redefining the museum experience with its innovative design. Considered by many as the most innovative museum design in the industry, MAHM proves that creativity, not budget, is the ultimate secret weapon.
In a city of giants, MAHM stands apart by rejecting the conventional, text-heavy gallery formula. Instead of endless walls of hard-to-read captions, visitors step into a visual journey that feels more like an animated epic than a typical museum hall. The museum's "wow-factor" comes from founder and president Michael Matsuda, an award-winning producer and designer who honed his craft as a former graphic designer for Walt Disney Productions in the era before computer graphics. He channeled that foundational design sensibility into crafting an imaginative and immersive space.
"We have a very limited budget here. We don’t have the funds for touchscreens or interactive displays, but there’s so much more we can do to make our displays fun and captivating," says Matsuda. "I wanted the museum to have that wow-factor as soon as they come in and that’s what we did, we created wow!"
The museum walls explode with color, aligning a historical timeline that flows seamlessly from one captivating display to the next. From majestic Chinese lions to fiercely posed samurai, visitors are drawn through a visual narrative that explores culture country by country. Highlights include closed-caption videos alongside vibrant, easy-to-read information, authentic movie props from blockbuster films, dedicated areas on the influence of anime, film, and television, and a compelling room focused on Warrior Women throughout history.
The museum also includes inspiring timelines on the history of film and television, the profound impact of Bruce Lee on America, and a theater that offers a fun and educational look at the history of Asian arts in the U.S. Even the museum store, which is the first thing visitors see when they arrive, blows you away.
The MAHM’s ultimate goal transcends the physical arts themselves; the facility stresses the critical importance of art, culture, tradition, and history. It is this unique focus on cultural awareness, delivered through unparalleled artistic design, that has cemented the Martial Arts History Museum as a must-see, one-of-a-kind destination in America.
Located at 201 N. Brand Blvd., B100, Glendale, CA 91203, more information can be found at MAmuseum.com. Donations to this non-profit charity organization help keep their journey alive for generations to come.
