What’s Your Favorite Part of Visiting the Getty Villa?

To celebrate the Getty Villa’s 50th birthday, we asked visitors about their favorite part of the experience.

Here’s what they had to say.

Neeks, Safoura, & Sana: Irvine, CA

Neeks: “The cool thing I saw today was the fountain with the water coming from the mouth of the tiger!”

Safoura: “My favorite thing so far has been the Persian Emperor display. I’m originally from Iran, so that’s the one I really liked and was so excited about when I saw it.”

Sana: “Mine was where the coins were. It was really cool and had different shapes and colors.”

Yesom: South Korea

“This is my second time at the Getty Villa. Nowadays, I’m obsessed with ‘good luck’ and ‘good fortune.’ [The plaque] says this sculpture means good fortune and good luck. I’m also obsessed with gender equality and I feel proud of a solo sculpture of a woman.”

Marisol, Mariana, & Yasmine: Tijuana, Mexico

Marisol: “I just walked in and it felt very peaceful and very beautiful.”

Mariana: “I actually came here once in high school and we didn’t get to explore that much, but I remember this garden! This is a really nice place for photos and to hang around for a while. All the views and details have impressed me.”

Yasmine: El tema de esta cultura es algo que me apasiona demasiado, entonces encontrarlo y reflejarlo también, en tan hermosas localizaciones, y la vista, me ha dejado como sin aire; me ha dejado muy emocionada, por ahora. (“The topic of this culture is something that I am very passionate about; so far, finding and seeing it in this gorgeous location, plus the view, has left me breathless, and very excited.”)

Steve & Jeffrey: Akron, OH & Los Angeles, CA

Steve: “I never expected to see what I have seen. Some of it amazes me. I look at what is here and can’t believe all the workmanship and details of all the artifacts in here that are over 2000 years old.”

Jeffrey: “My favorite thing here is how all the art and architecture comes together.”

Natalie: Norwalk, CA

“I thought it was going to be really expensive to get in and it was nice to know admission was free. Just have to pay for parking. Really easy, accessible.

“You can feel the history in the Villa. You can feel the love and curation that went into designing the buildings. Even coming down to the location, feeling the weather, it’s similar to what would be in Rome.”

Tamara & Leonardo: Long Beach, CA

Tamara: “The statues in the Venus room [are my favorite thing here].”

Leonardo: “[I’m enjoying] looking at a lot of the pottery, and the ornate drawings. That’s what I really was interested in. And seeing how old they are—like this is over 2000 years old! It’s really interesting.”

Lincoln, Westley, & Adelaide: Irvine, CA

Lincoln: “My favorite thing was the garden and the fountains and the little rock paths.”

Westley: “My favorite thing was going to the museum, and also when I played at home.”

Adelaide: “My favorite thing was the garden and fountains.”

Elisabeth: Nashville, TN

“I am an archeologist and I love art and history. I like how they try to make things realistic at the Getty Villa: the eyes in the statues, how they’re white and they’re not just the typical statue. And then all of the color in the Villa, instead of what you usually see with the white marble. I like how they try to keep it authentic.

“My favorite thing is all the rosettes. I study rosettes and that’s what my dissertation is on. So to see all the flowers on the funerary statues, that’s my favorite. And the garden. I love the flowers, the statues, the whole villa vibe. It makes me feel like I could live in a place like this!”

Robin: Concord, NH

“My favorite thing I’ve seen today is the Athenian vases that are from the 6th Century BC. I’ve never seen this good of a collection. The scenes are incredible and the quality is amazing.”