Getty Unveils First Details of Its Campus-Wide Modernization

Following the April 2026 announcement of investments to elevate visitor experience, enhance accessibility, strengthen energy resilience, and support long-term stewardship, Getty has revealed plans to improve the arrival journey to its iconic Getty Center campus. It includes upgrades to the arrival/parking area (Lower Tram), replacement of the tram itself, and renovation of the Center’s Welcome Hall at the top of the hill, all integrated seamlessly and respectfully into the existing design by Richard Meier and Partners.

Visitors arriving at the Getty Center will experience a more gracious and efficient entry experience designed by Gehry Partners, reflecting the needs of today’s audiences—more than 1.4 million visitors annually, and nearly six times the number of school visits anticipated when the Center opened in 1997. Landscaping designed by OLIN will be expanded throughout the Lower Tram and arrival areas, creating a welcoming green space that will feature a new sheltered stairway, reinstalled outdoor sculptures, contemporary art commissions, a garden café, and a retail space. A reconfigured circulation plan and security checkpoint will also ease tram departures and arrivals.

The Getty tram itself, which has carried millions of visitors from the arrival point off Interstate 405 to the Center’s hilltop campus, has been in use since 1997 and is showing its age. It will be replaced with a newly designed and more comfortable model with increased visitor capacity to help reduce wait time. The new tram, including its cars and propulsion system, is manufactured by Doppelmayr, among the world’s leading designers and suppliers of automated shuttles used in airports and transit centers in cities including London, Venice, Toronto, Oakland, and Mexico City.

Upon reaching the top of the hill at the Getty Center, visitors will enter a significantly upgraded Welcome Hall designed by WHY Architecture, with enhanced wayfinding to orient them for their journeys across the campus and amenities that encourage them to linger and relax. Features of the Welcome Hall will include a large information screen and desk that will greet visitors, and an expanded bookstore that opens onto a new full-service café.

Tim Whalen, John E. and Louise Bryson Director of the Getty Conservation institute and Vice President of Institutional Planning for the J. Paul Getty Trust, said, “Since its opening in 1997, the Getty Center has become an enduring cultural landmark in Los Angeles. This comprehensive program of campus-wide upgrades will strengthen the site’s sustainability and accessibility, reaffirming our long-term commitment to its stewardship through sustained investment in maintenance, while elevating the quality, comfort, and depth of our visitors’ experience.”

The first phase of the Getty Center’s modernization has already begun, with some gallery closures to accommodate upgrades to the campus HVAC system, among other gallery improvement projects. These upgrades will improve Getty’s energy efficiency and advance its broader sustainability commitments. Additional enhancements will be detailed at a later date.

To complete these projects, the Center will temporarily close to the public beginning March 15, 2027, with reopening planned for spring 2028. During the closure, Getty will continue to collaborate on programs with partners across Los Angeles, the United States, and internationally, while offering more ways for audiences to engage with art at the Getty Villa.

The Villa will continue to present a full schedule of exhibitions, public programs, and events, inviting visitors to connect with Ancient Greek and Roman art while enjoying the Villa’s architecture, tranquil gardens, and scenic views. During this period, the Villa will also introduce new offerings for visitors, including a gallery featuring a selection of the museum’s collection at the Getty Center, giving visitors the opportunity to experience beloved works of art in a new context while improvements at the Center are underway.

As these modernization efforts unfold, follow along with the latest modernization updates and announcements.