Top Things to Do at the Getty Villa Museum

A one-of-a-kind destination offering ancient Greek and Roman art, tranquil gardens, and ocean breezes

Free Admission

Admission is free, and requires a timed-entry reservation.

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Illustration of Getty Villa site depicting locations with public access

A Sense of Ancient Roman Life

The Getty Villa is a re-creation of a Roman country house based on ancient examples—and the original home of the Getty Museum. Read the plaques throughout the site for details or take a tour.

  • Location
    Villa Building
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    45 minutes
Dark-gray marble tiles lead up to a portico with a white marble floor, maroon and cream painted walls, and double doors that open below lettering that reads The J. Paul Getty Museum.

The main entrance to the Museum building provides a line of sight to the garden spaces beyond

A peristyle of large white columns encloses a square garden including well-groomed greenery around a narrow central pool.

The Inner Peristyle brings light and fresh air to the experience of the ground-floor galleries.

A painted ceiling and vibrantly colored tiles adorn the floor and walls of the triclinium leading into the Getty Villa from the Outer Peristyle.

Indoor and outdoor spaces take inspiration from ancient examples. This triclinium (dining room) leads to the Outer Peristyle, the Villa's largest garden

Greek and Roman Antiquities

Explore 4,000 years of ancient art, from the Stone Age to the final days of the Roman Empire. Don't miss the Roman-era mummy or the engraved gems!

  • Location
    Galleries on Floor 1 and 2
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    60–90 minutes
Five small bronze figurines displayed on pedestals of a different height in a glass case.
A large ceramic urn with handles covered in an intricate decoration of black paint sits alone in a glass case as a visitor walks by in the background.
A bust depicting a young man’s head stares at the camera with several other sculptures displayed on pedestals and in glass cases in the background.

Changing Exhibitions

Head to the second floor to take in temporary exhibitions featuring works of art from museums around the world and Getty's own collections.

  • Location
    Floor 2
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    30–45 minutes
Gallery room with dark walls. Stone objects are lit up on the wall and in free-standing display cases

Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins installed at the Getty Villa. Artworks in the exhibition included loans from Musée du Louvre, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Musée Auguste Grasset, Varzy.

Outer Peristyle

Enjoy the Villa's largest garden, featuring a reflecting pool, colonnaded walkways, and views of the Pacific Ocean.

  • Location
    Enter through Gallery 112
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    20–30 minutes
Light shimmers on a reflecting pool containing a bronze statue. In the distant background is the rear facade of the Getty Villa.

The Outer Peristyle is the Villa's largest garden space, containing sculpture, water fountains, and covered walkways.

Sunlight spills through white columns that line a long walkway that opens on to a garden.

The Outer Peristyle features serene walkways and plants known from the ancient Mediterranean.

Outdoor garden filled with greenery, blooming flowers, and a long reflection pool with a large Roman-inspired villa in the background, lined with columns and bronze statues, on a hazy day.

The Outer Peristyle, the Villa's largest garden, features a long reflection pool with rows of green hedges and trees, blooming flowers, and marble statues.

Indulge in Afternoon Tea

Our “Garden Tea” features a menu of sweet and savory flavors inspired by the Villa’s Herb Garden. Offered Thursdays and Saturdays. Reservations are required.

  • Location
    Founder's Room, one level up from the Cafe
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    60–90 minutes
A woman sits at a round table covered in white linen with a three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches and small desserts in front of a window through which the Getty Villa Museum and site are visible in the background.

Tea by the Sea includes savory sandwiches, sweet scones and tea breads, and gourmet desserts, as well as fruit, cheese, and a varied selection of teas. (Wine and prosecco are available for an additional charge.)

Getty Museum Store

Cap off your visit at the Getty Store, where you'll find unique art-inspired accessories and jewelry, postcards, and a wide selection of books for classics buffs.

  • Location
    Across from the Main Museum Entrance
  • Suggested Amount of Time
    20 minutes
Two young people laugh while standing in front of a large replica of a statue's head in a museum store

Visitors browse products in the Getty Villa Museum Store.

Plan Your Visit

  1. Visit the Getty Villa Museum

    A rectangular pool holding a bronze sculpture of a reclining satyr on a rock is surrounded by a lush garden with a peristyle that connects to a two-story building in the style of a Roman villa with several columns.

    Details about hours, admission, parking, and more.

  2. GettyGuide®

    Museum visitors share earphones to listen to an audio tour on a phone while looking at artwork

    Let our free app be your personal guide to the Getty museums