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The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA


The Getty Museum, located in Los Angeles, California holds one of the best collections of European paintings and artwork sculpture in america and is a leading destination for fine art connaisseurs, locals, and tourists visiting Los Angeles. The Getty Museum has two locations, one in the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, and the newly constructed Getty Center in the picturesque hills of Brentwood, a Los Angeles suburb.


The Getty Museum began in the private artwork collection of petroleum capitalist, J. Paul Getty, in the 1950s. J. Paul Getty utilized his own manor in Pacific Palisades, California, known as the Getty Villa, as the primary place of the Getty Museum. This awesome residence was created after a historical Roman-style villa and maintained J. Paul Getty's first art collection of Roman and Greek artworks, 18th century French furniture, and European paintings and sculpture.


Getty thought that experiencing the visual arts should be shared with the general public and established the J. Paul Getty Museum Trust in 1953. Since that time, the Getty permanent art collection has grown through acquisitions of the Getty Museum Trust to be among the most critical European artwork collections in America.


The Getty Center is on a land of 24 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, offering panoramic views of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. The magnificent Getty Center is made up of an impressive complex of buildings and a Central Garden, built in architect Richard Meier's "Modernist design". The Getty Center's permanent art collection consists of pre-20th century European paintings, manuscript, sculpture, and European and American photographs.


- The Getty Museum receives 1.2 million people annually and does get crowded on weekends. Recommend: Seeing during weekdays and coming early to secure a parking spot and avoid crowds. It's free after 5pm.


- Free performances and movies occur weekly, like the popular "Saturdays Off the 405" music collection. See Museum site for details.


- Audioguides are available in the Pick-Up Desk in the Museum Entrance Hall, and GettyGuide channels. Price: $5.


- Free Museum tours (45min-1hr) and gallery talks (15-20min) are available daily. Check Museum website for scheduling & topics.


- The Family Room provides a place for families to learn about art collectively. Create a mask, make a sculpture, search for art treasures, and much more. Situated in Museum Courtyard. Cost: Free.


- Gourmet picnic lunches are available for sale on the Plaza Level near the restaurant. Order online or call.


- Dining options include the self-service Cafe (Restaurant/Cafe construction) which includes indoor and outdoor dining areas and the Getty Restaurant (Restaurant/Cafe construction) which provides complete service in an elegant setting with views of the Santa Monica Mountains. Reservations are recommended for the restaurant.