Getty Villa Museum

When we travel, one of my favorite things to visit is the top museum in the area, city or county. What I have found repeatedly on our tours is that not enough time is allotted to do justice to the visit, but at least I get a taste of the history, art or relics on display.

I know that not all travelers enjoy this as much as I do and are often found sitting by the door, chomping at the bit, restless to get on to the next stop. Thankfully my dear husband humors me and sometimes even gets caught up in what we are seeing (almost) as much as I do.

So, if you are a kindred spirit and enjoy checking out a great museum, Southern California has some top-notch venues to choose from.

Some of the most notable would include Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Broad Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Hammer Museum, Museum of Tolerance, California Science Center, Huntington Library, and the Norton Simon Museum.

And let’s not forget that we have two Presidential Libraries: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

At the top of many people’s list would be a visit to The Getty Museum.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is actually an art museum housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa.

The larger Getty Center is “World Class”, the most well known and a must see for anyone who loves and appreciates art. It showcases European art amidst sleek marble architecture.

The smaller Getty Villa Museum lies along the coast, north of Santa Monica in Pacific Palisades. It is the original home of the Getty collection. After the new Getty was opened, the original museum was closed, remodeled, and reopened to the public in 2006 with displays of ancient Greek and Roman art in a recreated Roman house.

Of the two campuses, my favorite is the smaller, more intimate Getty Villa. I have repeatedly described it as though we were “taking a trip to Italy, with no passport and no flights required”.

The villa design was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum.

Excellent docent led tours are offered throughout the day, both of the highlighted art and the spectacular grounds.

Both Getty Museums offer free admission, however there is a fee for parking and reservations are required.

*** All of the photos on this page were taken at the Getty Villa Museum. I hope that they gave you a small introduction to the magnificent beauty of the grounds, architecture, and of course the art that can be found and enjoyed there.

GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful for kindred spirits who enjoy taking their time, can live in the moment, who embody kindness and patience, and share an appreciation for how blessed we are to be able to experience and share this magnificent art.