Let It Rain: LACMA Now Owns 'Rain Room'

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It may not rain much in parched Southern California. But there will always be rain in Los Angeles , at least in the L.A. County Museum of Art.

Restoration Hardware donated the popular Rain Room exhibit to LACMA as part its permanent collection.

Over a 15-month run from Nov. 1, 2015, to Jan. 22 at the museum, nearly 190,000 visitors immersed themselves in the unique exhibition of light, sound and downpour.

The Rain Room features 317 gallons of recycled water falling continuously. But when someone starts to walk through the rain, it stops pouring.

"We are proud to donate the piece to LACMA's collection, giving it a permanent home and continuing to inspire those who encounter it," Restoration Hardware Chairman & CEO Gary Friedman said on the museum's website.

Founders of Random International developed the work of art over four years of research and development.

In an interview with LACMA, Florian Ortkrass and Hannes Koch said they came up with the idea when they were curious to see how it would feel to be immersed in a rainstorm without getting soaked.

The Rain Room is now closed with future exhibitions to be determined.