Bergamot Station Art Center

Bergamot Station is a unique and unparalleled collection of fine art galleries located in Santa Monica. It’s an internationally renowned arts complex that is considered a must see cultural attraction for visitors to Los Angeles. The center houses about 30 galleries and creative businesses.

The fine art galleries represent artists across the full spectrum of the arts: fine art, painting, mixed media, sculpture and fine art photography. The galleries present regular and diverse rotating exhibitions featuring artists from all over the globe. The center also hosts numerous community and cultural activities throughout the year.

Bergamot opened in September 1994 and is a campus-like complex of galleries. It’s owned by the city of Santa Monica. The center also features a cafe, Bergamot Cafe for patrons to grab a bite to eat.

The name, “Bergamot Station” dates back to 1875 when the site was a stop and car storage area for the railroad. It was named after Wild Bergamot, a wild flower that once flourished in the area.

When railroad passenger service ceased, the area was no longer needed for storage of the rail cars. Southern Pacific Railroad leased the land to various companies and warehouses were built. The railroad line was abandoned in the late 1980s and the City of Santa Monica purchased the entire parcel in anticipation of a future light rail line.

With the plans for the light rail line being a decade or more into the future, the area was developed into its current campus like art complex that retained the original industrial feel. It was intended to be temporary until such time as the light rail was put in. However, the arts complex was such a success that the city decided to purchase other land for the Metro line to keep the Bergamot Station Art Center intact.

The Center is open from 10 AM – 6 PM and 11 AM – 5:30 PM on Saturday, though the hours of individual galleries vary. Galleries are listed below with links to contact them for more information. Bergamot Station Arts Complex is located at 2525 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90404