“A pleasant surprise is in store for you.”
The Getty Villa
Located in the Pacific Palisades, the Getty Villa boasts beautiful views of the nearby Malibu coastline. Its architecture, though, remains strictly ancient Greece and Rome. (The villa is not to be confused with its sister site, the Getty Center, which houses more modern acquisitions.)
Meant to emulate a Roman-style villa, the museum was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum. The Getty Villa first opened in 1974. Its Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities can date all the way back to 6,500 BC.
Admission is free, but timed entry tickets are needed to visit the museum. Make sure to reserve in advance!
Here are highlights from my trip:
Savor the elegant columned hallways
Admire the immense outside pool
Delight in the inner fountain area
Walk along the herb garden
Check out the marbled walls
Examine the detailed ceilings
Find ancient treasures (my favorite was this beggar girl coin bank, a Roman piece from AD 25-50)
It’s a gorgeous place that I’ve visited too. Have you seen the movie about the kidnapping of the grandson of Getty who built this villa? It’s pretty interesting and show the man under a different angle.
Ooh, that sounds intriguing. I haven’t heard that before. I’ll go check it out!
Indeed a beautiful place. Our writing group used the villa as a one-day (well, several hours) writing retreat and had a picnic there.
Indeed a beautiful place. Our writing group used the villa as a one-day (well, several hours) writing retreat and had a picnic there.
What fun, Mona! It has a great atmosphere for writers.
We are about to embark on a trip to San Diego and have contemplated a drive up to LA to the Getty Museum. The Villa looks interesting too. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome, Julia! San Diego, of course, has a ton of interesting activities that can fill up your entire time. (If you do have to choose between the two Gettys, I think the Getty Center is more flexible because you don’t need timed tickets. It also has a wider mix of artwork and gorgeous landscaping and views.)