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3. "Pictures of the Year International" at Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles
One place you may not have heard of yet is this LA photography museum, which is really more gallery than museum. Nonetheless, it has quickly become a favorite for its free entrance, beautiful space, and this impressive current show, running through November 1st. POYi is the world's most prestigious photojournalism competition, and this year it found a home at Annenberg, with a showcase of work from around the world. Just make sure you observe the gallery's tight hours (Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 AM-6:00 PM); we recently arrived on a Monday only to be turned away and ended up grabbing Coffee Bean instead.

2. Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the de Young Museum in San Francisco
The realtively new goliath de Young museum in San Francisco is actually in Golden Gate Park, and is a massive space whose new Herzog & de Meuron design was unveiled in 2005. It looks something like a copper fortress from the outside, which makes it appropriate for hosting the current Tutankhamun exhibit, running through March 28, 2010. This show is the closest you can get to playing Egyptologist and digging into King Tut's tomb yourself. Think burial objects, coffinettes, and royal belongings galore. Fair warning: You need to purchase tickets for the exhibit itself, and they don't come cheap.

1. Cézanne to Picasso at MoMA in New York City
On our last visit to New York, our biggest regret was not paying our regular visit to the excellent Museum of Modern Art. Right now, the center of all things contemporary in art has this special Rockefeller Collection on display, which will be available only through August 31st. It's a small exhibit, but the nine paintings pack a punch, giving a good fill of Impressionism and Cubism as well as reminding you of elementary art class. These are most likely the famous painting that illustrated your art history books.

You may not have a supernatural Night at the Museum experience with any of these visits, but they're still totally worthwhile.

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[Photo: MoMA]