A one-of-a-kind destination – The Getty Villa is offering ancient Greek and Roman art, tranquil gardens, and ocean breezes!
Architecture
Constructed in the early 1970s by the architects who worked closely with founder J. Paul Getty, The Getty Villa is modeled after the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.
Since The Villa dei Papiri (“Villa of the Papyruses”) is buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, much of the Villa dei Papiri remains unexcavated. Therefore, architects based many of the Museum’s architectural and landscaping details on elements from other ancient Roman houses in the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae. The scale, appearance, and some of the materials of the Getty Villa are taken from the Villa dei Papiri—such as the floor plan—though it is a mirror of the original.
Gardens are integral to the setting of the Getty Villa, as they were in the ancient Roman home, and include herbs and shrubs inspired by those grown in ancient Roman homes for food and ceremony.
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Renovation of the Getty Villa began in 1996 when the architects Machado and Silvetti made some changes to the site. The renovation incorporated modern designs and materials—wood, bronze, glass, travertine, and wood-formed concrete—that harmonize with the Getty Villa’s original style.
Exhibitions
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At the Getty Villa invites you can experience ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art in an intimate setting that recreates a first-century Roman villa.
On the first floor, enjoy Greek art from the Neolithic and Bronze Age—including some of the oldest and rarest objects in the collection—to the Hellenistic period, when the Greeks developed the first fully naturalistic vision of the human figure.
The journey continues on the second floor with sculpture, jewelry, glassware, mummy portraits, and many other works of art from the Roman Empire.
Changing Exhibitions:
- Assyria: Palace Art of Ancient Iraq on Floor 1 features relief sculptures from the palaces of ancient Assyrian kings, on loan from the British Museum in London
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- Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins on Floor 2 spans 3,000 years of history, featuring Mesopotamian art on loan from the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
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Gardens
Gardens are inspired by ancient Roman models and they are integral to the Getty Villa. They feature fountains, sculpture, and colorful plants known to have grown in the ancient Mediterranean.
Four gardens at the Getty Villa Museum:
- Outer Peristyle – In ancient Roman times, the outer peristyle garden would have been used to converse with guests and for solo contemplation. It would also have been used to grow plants, ventilate the home, and provide an escape from the heat.
- Herb Garden (currently closed) – In antiquity, these kitchen gardens provided vegetables and seasonings for cooking. Plants were also grown for their color, fragrance, and medicinal properties.
- Inner Peristyle – At the Villa dei Papiri, the Inner Peristyle garden would have been the first open-air space encountered by visitors—just as it is for visitors to the Getty Villa.
- East Garden – This tranquil space is shaded by sycamore and laurel trees.
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. –5 p.m. / Tuesday Closed
Phone: +13104407300
Price: Admission is free, and requires a timed-entry reservation.
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