Museums & Arts · Our pick in Los Angeles
The Getty Center and the Getty Villa: the back story
The back story
About The Getty Center and the Getty Villa: the back story
The J. Paul Getty Museum has two homes. The Getty Center, on a hilltop above the 405 in Brentwood, shows European art, photographs and gardens in buildings by Richard Meier. The Getty Villa, on the coast in Pacific Palisades, is a re-created Roman country house that holds the museum’s Greek and Roman antiquities.
The Getty Center
A tram carries you up from the car park to the hilltop campus, with its galleries, the Central Garden and views from the ocean to downtown. getty.edu lists it as open Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 10am to 6:30pm, and Saturday until 9pm; it is closed on Mondays.
The Getty Villa
The Getty Villa re-creates a Roman country house, with gardens around long peristyles and the museum’s Greek and Roman antiquities inside. getty.edu lists it as open daily from 10am to 5pm except Tuesdays.
Both Getty museums ask for a timed-entry reservation; there is no admission charge, but parking is paid.
After the fire
The Villa closed when the Palisades Fire broke out on 7 January 2025 and reopened on 27 June 2025. Much of the surrounding neighbourhood is still rebuilding, so allow extra time on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Planning your visit
Book a timed-entry slot on getty.edu for each museum. Both are closed on New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Our advice: do the Villa in the morning, have lunch on the coast in Malibu or Santa Monica, and end at the Getty Center for the sunset.
Why it's on our list
- The Getty Center
- The Getty Villa
- After the fire
- Planning your visit
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Getty Center and the Getty Villa: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from The Getty Center and the Getty Villa: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Getty Center1.7 miWalk 35 minCycle 11 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Santa Monica Pier3.1 miCycle 20 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Rodeo Drive4.3 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Venice Beach Boardwalk4.3 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 19 min
- LACMA6.6 miCycle 42 minCar or taxi 26 min
- The Grove6.8 miCycle 44 minCar or taxi 27 min
- TCL Chinese Theatre8.4 miCar or taxi 32 min
- Hollywood Bowl8.8 miCar or taxi 33 min
- Griffith Observatory11 miCar or taxi 40 min
- Walt Disney Concert Hall13 miCar or taxi 46 min