Visitor Guide to the Los Angeles Getty Museum

The Getty Center has been part of the Los Angeles cultural landscape since 1997 when it first opened the doors to the J. Paul Getty Museum. Known colloquially as "the Getty," visitors are treated to art, architecture, gardens, and a view of the City of Angels; the Getty Museum has it all! Reflecting J. Paul Getty's taste in art, you will find many of the old masters, but few 20^th or 21^st century paintings.

Where is the Getty Center?

The Getty Museum is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, 90049.

When is the Getty open?

Like most museums, the Getty is closed on Mondays but open Tuesdays through Thursdays and also Sundays from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM. The museum is closed on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

What does it cost to visit the Getty Museum?

The actual cost of admission is free, but you do need to pay $8 for parking.

What can I see at the Getty Center Los Angeles?

The focus of the art collection contained within the L.A. Getty Museum is fine art, primarily the European masters predating the 20^th century. There are oil paintings, sculptures, some manuscripts, drawings, and also some series art. A scaled down collection of antique vases and artifacts are also part of the collection, although for an in depth exhibit you would need to visit the Getty Villa.

Sharing space with the extraordinary collection of priceless fine art are contemporary and modern sculptures that set off the paintings with an amazing dissonance that is not at all off-putting.

What about the Getty gardens?

How often do you visit a museum that features art outside as well as inside? The gardens are an integral part of the Getty Museum experience. It offers resting spots, walkways, breathtaking flower beds, attracts a plethora of butterflies, and features a stream that is an integral part of the design. In addition to a well stocked cactus garden, it is estimated that there are about 500 different plant species found in the Getty gardens.

Fine art? Paintings? Should I bring the kids?!?