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Getty Villa

The Getty Center's extraordinary collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities—more than 44,000 artifacts—has been housed at this hillside Malibu site since January 2006. The 64-acre property, centered around the Spanish ranch-style house where J. Paul Getty opened his first museum in 1954, lay dormant for a decade until a massive refurbishment (to the tune of $275 million). Now the estate includes landscaped gardens—filled with Mediterranean olive and cypress trees—that overlook the Pacific; a colonnaded amphitheater where classical dramas are performed; and a 20,000-volume research library. But the villa itself, which has been re-created to resemble the first-century Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, is still the main attraction. The 23 permanent galleries that occupy its vaulted, intricately tiled rooms are organized by theme: Gods and Goddesses; Monsters and Minor Deities; Stories of the Trojan War. Six galleries on the second floor host temporary exhibits.

Tip: Bring the kids. In the Family Forum in the villa, younger children can make masks and sculptures from clay; older kids can grab pads and pencils to try their hand in the light-filled Sketching Gallery.

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From Travel + Leisure , FEB 2006

Amid controversy about the provenance of some of its classical antiquities, Los Angeles's Getty Villa opens after a 12-year renovation....MORE>>

– Raul Barreneche Up At The Villa

Last updated February 2006