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Getty Villa Museum

17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Los Angeles, California

Description

The Getty Villa is a museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. Over 1400 items are on display (the collection has more than 40,000), dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD with famous sculptures such as the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. The villa design was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum (Italy) and includes four different gardens with Mediterranean plants and features such as the Mosaic Fountain. The collections are owned by the J. Paul Getty Museum (created by the oil magnate) which has another campus in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles called the Getty Center that is focused on pre-20th century European arts.

Access & Transport

The museum is in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, at the easterly end of the Malibu Coast, about 8km from the Santa Monica Pier. Drivers should use the northbound, right-hand lane of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to access the Getty Villa entrance. Turning left across PCH from the southbound lanes is illegal and entrance via Coastline Drive is not allowed. Metro bus line 534 (from Santa Monica) stops at Pacific Coast Highway and Coastline Drive, directly across from the Getty Villa entrance For information on accessibility: https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/accessibility/

Instructions & Recommendations

Admission is free and requires a timed-entry reservation (anybody aged 2 and above)

Meta review

The Villa is well known and nearly always listed among the cultural highlights of LA. With the exception of visitors that did not enjoy the 'surprise' of the parking fee (it is mentioned on the website), reviews are heavily weighted towards the positive. Comments point out the well-laid out collections, enjoyable garden and unexpected villa architecture. Tip: download the museum app beforehand to learn more about the art pieces as you go along.

Environmental & Social

Minor environmental footprint (electricity mostly). The museum and foundation have a strong educational vocation and support several projects. See some details here: https://www.getty.edu/our-work/

Conclusion

The Getty Villa has one of the best Mediterranean art collections in the western USA with an unusually spacious and open layout for a museum. We think it should appeal to a broad range of profiles, not just the art and history buffs.

Key positive

Comprehensive collections with quality items

Enjoyable gardens

Key negative

Odd pricing (parking Vs entrance fee)

Suitability

Accessible to visitors with reduced mobility Suitable for all ages but best enjoyed by those > 12yrs old

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in July 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closed on 01 Jan, 04 July, Thanksgiving and 25 Dec.

av. transport time:0h 40m

est. visit time:2h 15m

Regulated hours

Monday10:00 - 17:00

Tuesday -

Wednesday10:00 - 17:00

Thursday10:00 - 17:00

Friday10:00 - 17:00

Saturday10:00 - 17:00

Sunday10:00 - 17:00

Pricing
Admission is free but parking is $20 per car or motorcycle; $15 after 3pm

Max number of travellers:

Min. Child age:3

Max. child age:11

Traveller #
Adult
Child
1
US$20
US$20
2+
US$0
US$0

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