At the Getty Villa, view the artifacts in the halls and galleries—these range from preserved coins to statues and blown and colored glass. Continue to the gardens and pool lined with frescoes, statues, and fountains. You can top it off with a Mediterranean-inspired lunch at the on-site café, which features outdoor seating over the museum entrance and amphitheater.
Admission is free, but requires booking a timed-entry ticket.
On-site parking is available for all ticket holders for a fee; see the museum website for rules and restrictions.
Walk-in visitors are not permitted to enter unless they arrive by public bus.
A café, gift shop, and picnic area all offer relaxing views overlooking the Villa.
Standard strollers and wheelchairs are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Views from the villa’s upper balcony overlook the Pacific Ocean.
The villa is near Coast Highway north of Malibu. Street parking isn’t available, and those without a reservation will be turned away. To avoid disappointment, be sure to make your on-site parking reservation ahead of time; same-day reservations are often available. Metro bus line 534 stops at Pacific Coast Highway and Coastline Drive, directly across from the Getty Villa entrance.
Getty Villa is open Wednesdays through Mondays during the day, but closed on Tuesdays. It also closes for several holidays. Docent-led tours depart multiple times daily.
Originally opened in 1974 as a museum to house oil tycoon J. Paul Getty’s extensive collection of ancient artifacts, the then-crumbling Villa was closed for renovations in 1997. Reopened in 2006, the Getty Villa has once again become a popular seaside destination, often combined with a visit to Santa Monica or Malibu.
