The Getty Center
Art Museum · Los Angeles, California
The Getty Center is an art museum campus on a Brentwood hilltop above the 405 freeway, designed by Richard Meier and opened in 1997, clad in pale travertine and reached by an automated tram from the parking structure at the bottom. Admission to the museum is free; the usual cost is parking, and timed-entry reservations have been used at busy times. The collection centers on European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, decorative arts and photographs, and the Central Garden by Robert Irwin is treated as a work of art in its own right. The views over the city toward the ocean are a large part of the draw on a clear day. It suits adults, architecture fans and families with older children; it is not a vast museum, so three to four hours is a full visit. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades is a separate site with its own entry rules. Confirm fees, hours, parking rules and any reservation requirement before you go.
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California, 90049, United States
The Center is generally open from mid-morning to late afternoon on most days, with longer evening hours on one or two days a week, and it has traditionally been closed on Mondays - confirm the current schedule and any holiday closures on the official site before you plan. The last tram up and the last entry sit a little before closing, and the garden and terraces can close earlier in bad weather or high wind. Timed-entry reservations or arrival windows have been used on busy days, so check whether your date needs one. The parking structure can fill by late morning on weekends. Brush fires in the Santa Monica Mountains have occasionally closed the campus on short notice, so check alerts that morning.
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