- Villa pool, Malibu California
Today I have a guest post on This Ugly Beautiful City, from a writer and friend of mine Raine Lam. She has an insider’s perspective on the Getty Villa, another great place to visit if you find yourself stranded at LAX. You can find her as well on instagram at @rainelam
The Getty Villa
It always surprises me when I work a shift at the Getty Villa, to see so many local visitors. By local, I mean people who live in LA, or in the surrounding city. I’ve been volunteering for a little over a year now, but it never gets old.
About the Villa
The Getty Villa is the lesser-known sister museum of the Getty Center, nestled in the hills of the Pacific Palisades, just off the PCH.
The museum started off as a gallery built in 1954 by J. Paul Getty, an oil tycoon, to show off his art and antiquities collection. It was open to the public three days a week. This was adjacent to his ranch house, which is now home to part of the Getty Research Institute, where scholars and archaeological students convene from all over the world.
J. Paul Getty’s burgeoning collection soon outgrew its space, and plans were drawn up for a more ambitious project. He hired architects to build a replica of the Villa dei Papieri, a house that had belonged to Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Unfortunately, Getty passed away before the museum was completed, but he is buried somewhere on the property, overlooking the ocean.
It now houses the Roman, Greek and Etruscan antiquities collection of the Getty Museum, but it’s worth a visit to see the breathtaking gardens and architecture. A lot of people do come just to bask in the greenery and ocean air.
Planning a visit
Although admission is free, you’ll need to book timed tickets on their website. (see below)
http://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/plan/
If you plan to drive, parking is $15 per vehicle, but you can make a day of it and head over to the Getty Center with the same parking fee. Just make sure you get your parking ticket validated at any of the Visitor Services desks. The Getty Center is also open until nine in the evening at certain times of the year, so it can be a fun little trip. After 3 pm, the rate goes down to $10.
Commuting here is also fine. Taxis and ride-share vehicles will take you all the way up the hill as pedestrian traffic is not allowed. Have your timed ticket ready to show the people at the gate. As for buses, Metro bus line 534 stops at Coastline Drive and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), directly across from the Getty Villa entrance.
A free shuttle from the entrance of the driveway can take you up. Take it. You can’t hike up the hill anyway and security will call it for you.
Tips and FAQs
- Roman statues museum courtyard, Getty Villa
