Best of all, admission to both sites and all the activities is free.
Getty Center
Every Sunday in July and August, families can jazz up their day by joining Art Adventures, where they will delve into a work of art in the galleries with an educator, then create a masterpiece inspired by what they saw. Materials are provided at this 45-minute program geared for families with children ages 5 and up. Sign-up at the Information Desk starting at 11:15 a.m. for programs happening at 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
On Sunday, July 14, families can experience a vision of the Getty in the very distant future in artist Emily White’s participatory installation, Help Yourself. Over the course of the day, visitors are invited to remove pieces from the museum (represented as an architectural model) to reveal a site transformed by millennia of natural phenomena. Help Yourself runs in conjunction with the exhibition Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990.
On Saturday, July 20, visitors can drop by to check out and participate in Fuzzy Grids II, an eye-catching project by Predock Frane Architects. In this unusual activity, visitors can help re-arrange colorful cubes across the Getty’s gridded plaza into a wild canvas of shapes. Visitors can make their own pattern or image or simply stand by and observe as this living work of art unfolds throughout the day.
Elizabeth Mitchell and Family (Photo: Laura Levine)
In August, the Getty Center’s Central Garden fills with music on weekends from 4:00–5:30 p.m. with Garden Concerts for Kids, free performances by some of the best children’s music performers around. On August 3 and 4, the Grammy award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers (Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing) kick-off an all-star season and put their passion for the great outdoors into every note of their signature blend of bluegrass and rock. On August 10 and 11, Recess Monkey returns with brand new songs from their latest circus-inspired release, In Tents, a fantastical celebration of popcorn, Tilt-a-Whirls, human cannonballs, dancing bears, and more. Elizabeth Mitchell wraps up the summer series August 17 and 18, bringing the gorgeous vocals and spare arrangements that have placed her firmly in the vanguard of modern American folk artists.
Ongoing Family Activities
Using a mobile device, families can play Switch, a new game where players must track down a mischievous spell in the galleries and save the artworks from the havoc that it’s wreaking.
Families can also visit the Family Room, designed for children to discover a world of wonders, delights, and hands-on activities. Visitors can make a mask, create a sculpture, hunt for art treasures, and more.
Kids can find the art and solve the mystery with Art Detective Cards, designed for families to use while exploring the galleries, garden, and architecture. Cards are available in English and Spanish.
Free GettyGuide® family audio tours on iPod Touches allow exploration and a deeper understanding of the Getty’s permanent collection, and offer kid-friendly tours.
Getty Villa
At the Getty Villa, embark on an Art Odyssey for Families on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. throughout the summer. Adults with children ages 5 and up can enjoy a fun-filled 30-minute journey through the galleries.
Each Saturday in July, families can drop-in to the Eureka! Lab to explore the mind of Archimedes, an ancient science genius. Michael Wilson of L.A. Makerspace leads demonstrations while you try your hand at experiments that Archimedes first solved. Held from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
The Villa also offers free GettyGuide® Family Audio Tour on iPod Touches and self-guided Family Art Detective Cards. The Family Forum is open all day for drop-in, hands-on play and engagement for young and old.
Admission to the Getty Center and Getty Villa is always free. Parking is $15, and families can take advantage of the Getty’s new "Pay Once, Park Twice" program, which charges parking only once for a same-day visit to both sites. The Getty Center is open until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through summer. Advance, timed tickets are required for the Getty Villa. For Villa tickets and for more information about free family activities at both Getty sites this summer, call (310) 440-7300 or visit www.getty.edu.