The Getty Center

The Getty Center: Climbing aboard the electric tram that takes you up to the Getty’s mountaintop location, you soon realize that this is not your usual museum visit. Arriving at the central plaza of gleaming white travertine rock and walking up the broad staircase, you soon discover there is so much more than museum exhibits. There is the architecture to admire, exquisite gardens to stroll in, inviting tree-lined pathways to follow, places to dine, quiet corners for contemplation, reflecting pools to gaze in, and spectacular views across the city to the ocean. The exhibition galleries house collections of European paintings (Van Gogh’s Irises, Monet’s Wheatstacks, and David Hockney’s Pearblossom Hwy No 2 being amongst the more well known), drawings (Michelangelo’s The Holy Family with Infant St. John the Baptist), sculpture (lots of Greek and Roman antiquities), illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts (there’s a wonderful collection of Louis XIV furniture), photographs, and changing exhibits. Admission is free. You do not need a reservation for the museum BUT you do need a parking reservation ($5 fee for parking). Often parking reservations have to be made several weeks in advance. There is no convenient street parking. Buses—MTA Metro bus #561 (213-626-4455, www.mta.net) and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus #14 (310-451-5444, www.bigbluebus.com)—stop at the Getty Center. Closed Mondays and holidays, the museum is open weekends 10 am to 9 pm and weekdays 10 am to 6 pm or 9 pm. (310-440-7300, www.getty.edu)