What It Is: Art museum.
Location: The J. Paul Getty Museum has two locations. The main location is The Getty Center at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90049; the other – and equally compelling – location is The Getty Villa Malibu at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California 90272.
Contact Information: thegetty.edu / 310-440-7300
General Description: Both locations of The J. Paul Getty Museum are filled with stunning collections of art from two different time periods. The main branch, The Getty Center, has a dominant focus on pre-20th-century art from Europe, as well as photographs from the same period from both America and Europe. The structure that houses the collection is an equally impressive marvel: the sprawling campus is home to not only The Getty Center Museum, but the administration buildings for The J. Paul Getty Trust, which includes of The Getty Research Institute, The Getty Conservation Institute, and The Getty Foundation. Adjoining all of these structures together on a sun-kissed hillside is a large fountain-laden plaza and the multi-terraced Central Garden. This garden is an exhibit unto itself, making use of both the natural landscape and man-made features to create a “living sculpture” that is filled with flowing creeks, tree-lined walkways, and magnificent dusk lighting. From The Central Garden (and the many balconies and overlooks offered in the museum), guests can enjoy sweeping vistas of the Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, downtown Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean. This large complex was completed in 1997, upon which time The Getty Museum moved from its vastly-outgrown coastal location to this new home.
The original Getty Museum, located in Pacific Palisades, is now known as The Getty Villa. Once the collection of primarily European and American paintings and photographs were moved to the new location, the Villa re-opened in 2006 to focus on a different subject: Greek and Roman art. With a stronger overall educational focus than The Getty Center, the Villa contains a vast collection set in a recreation of the Roman Villa of the Papyri. A large reflecting pool and sculptures surround the outer court. All of this has been made possible due to The J. Paul Getty Trust’s status as the wealthiest institute of art in the world. The collection of art and the establishment of the museum trust was first begun by J. Paul Getty in 1953; during the ensuing years, Getty used his wealth (from the oil business) to collect art and establish sites for the museum.
Admission: Admission to all exhibits at both The Getty Center and The Getty Villa is free. Tickets for the Villa, however, must be obtained in advance from The Getty’s website, and are set for a particular time (neither tickets or advanced booking are required for The Getty Center). Please note that parking is $10 at each location.
Hours: The Getty Center hours are as follows: Tuesday-Friday and Sunday 10am-5:30pm; Saturday 10am-9pm. The Center is closed on Mondays. The Getty Villa hours are as follows: Thursday-Monday 10am-5pm. The Villa is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Both locations are closed on New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
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