Spotlight: The Getty Center

In between exploring the Getty Center’s indoor exhibits, head outside to visit the museum’s expansive grounds and gardens. From carefully curated gardens to eye-catching sculpture displays (there’s even a garden devoted entirely to the humble cactus), the Getty’s outdoor spaces are both gorgeous and fascinating. To enrich your exploration, download the Getty Center’s audio tour podcast to listen to while you’re at the museum. 

Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture Garden

Before hopping on the tram—between the parking structure and the main part of the Getty Center—take time to explore the serene Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture Garden. This collection of modern and contemporary sculptures was donated to the Getty Center by the trustees of the late film producer Ray Stark and his wife, Fran, and includes sculptures like Henry Moore’s Bronze Form and Isamu Noguchi’s The Tent of Holofernes. This is also a nice spot to relax (there are secluded seating areas), thanks to the fountains and skyline views.

Central Garden

The most popular garden at the Getty, the 134,000-square-foot Central Garden was created in 1997 by installation artist Robert Irwin. This is the perfect place to take a break, enjoy a picnic, and participate in another kind of art experience the Getty offers: With more than 500 varieties of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers, the Central Garden is a constantly evolving exhibit that highlights the relationships between nature, experience, and design. From the natural ravine and the tree-lined walkway to the bougainvillea arbours, meandering stream, and a central pool, all of the plants and structures were selected to accentuate the interplay of colour, light and reflection. Be sure to make it to the garden plaza to find Irwin’s quote carved into the stone floor: “Always changing, never twice the same.”

Lower Terrace Garden

After exploring the Central Garden, head west to the Lower Terrace Garden, which overlooks the city. Especially fun for younger visitors, this garden features six sculptures, including Walking Flower, The Jousters, and the movable, wind-activated Three Squares Gyratory.

Cactus Garden

Celebrate the king of eco-friendly vegetation at the Getty Center’s South Museum Pavilion: Walk along the raised path to view dozens of cacti of different sizes, shapes, and colours that contrast with the cityscape behind them. If you’re visiting on a clear day, the view beyond the Cactus Garden may extend all the way to the Pacific Ocean! 

The Getty Center may be a sophisticated, world class museum but it also has plenty of child friendly appeal. On most Saturdays throughout the year there are special family centred activities at the Getty Center, with additional opportunities in the summer (check the Getty Center family calendar). But here are a few family friendly activities you can (and should) do on any day at the museum.

Pick up a GettyGuide

While you’re wandering around the museum keep the kids occupied with a GettyGuide, a free multimedia guide accessible on your smartphone or on an iPod touch; you can check one out for free (with photo ID) from the GettyGuide desk in the Museum Entrance Hall. GettyGuides provide video and audio clips along with additional details about works of art around the museum to keep children of different ages interested and engaged. For younger ones choose the Family Tour, which shares fun facts about art enhanced with music and sound effects. Tweens and teens will dig the Demons, Angels and Monsters audio tour, which highlights the supernatural in the museum’s collection.

Visit the Family Room

For some hands-on fun head to the Family Room located in the Museum Courtyard by the East Pavilion. Activities include building a tube sculpture, decorating a giant illuminated book page or playing with camera lenses and a wall of mirrors. When they’re tired children can grab a book and lounge on the giant luxurious bed, reclining just like one of the 18th-century French aristocrats seen in the paintings.

Use the Art Detective Cards

Make your museum trip more interactive by adding this self directed scavenger hunt through the West Pavilion, which asks children to find specific paintings and to look more closely at the art. The four activity cards encourage children to use their detective skills, uncovering clues hidden in paintings to solve the mystery. Art Detective Cards are available outside the Family Room or from the Family Cart in the Museum Entrance Hall, in either English or Spanish. There’s another Art Detective game too, for the outdoor sculptures in the Central Garden. 

Looking for a little more as you explore the Getty Villa gardens and exhibits? Take a guided tour for in-depth information and behind-the-scenes details from a museum expert. These tours are offered free to the public at various times through the week. Check the current calendar to see which tours will be offered during your visit; then meet at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance. For more free talks and tours at the Getty Villa, check out the Villa’s Tour page.

Architecture Tour

While the Getty Villa houses more than 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, the Villa is a work of art on its own, modelled after a first-century Roman country house. The 40-minute Architecture Tour highlights various architectural elements of the Villa and offers insights into daily life in the ancient world. Offered multiple times every day.

Garden Tour

Explore the Villa’s four gardens and learn about the ancient Roman gardens that inspired them. This 40-minute tour highlights the garden’s sculptures, fountains, and reflecting pools, along with its 300-plus plant varieties. Foodies may opt for the 30-minute Culinary Garden Tour instead, which specifically focuses on the garden’s edible plants, herbs, and fruit trees and their connection to cooking in antiquity; it’s available on Thursday and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Garden Tour is offered multiple times every day.

Collection Highlights Tours

Want to see the Villa’s greatest hits? First-time visitors to the Getty Villa might consider this tour, available once a day on weekdays and twice a day on the weekend. This 50-minute tour highlights many of the major works on display from the Museum’s collection. Offered at 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday–Sunday; also, at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Spotlight Talk

Short on time? Explore the richness of the ancient art housed in the Getty Villa in this 20-minute gallery talk that takes an in-depth look at one major work in the museum’s collection. Offered once a day; see calendar for times.

The Observant Eye

From mythology to death, nudity to wine, key topics in the ancient Greek and Roman world—and their expression in the museum’s collection of art and artefacts—are examined in the 50-minute Observant Eye tour. Offered Monday and Friday at 2:00 p.m.