The Getty Villa

"A must-see museum that is beautiful and free. It's a great introduction to the museums of LA." - Michael He

"An art museum famous for its Greek and Roman collection, still threatened by the fires but remains stable aside from hot spots."

"While the Getty Villa is now probably lesser known than its hilltop counterpart, the Getty Center, it is actually the first Getty property and the original site of patron J. Paul Getty's obsessive collection of Greek and Roman artifacts. Getty built the Villa as a second museum to house his artifacts after his own home, just up the hill on the same site, ran out of space. The Villa closed in 1997 as attention was redirected toward the newly constructed Getty Center, and was not re-opened until 2006 after a stunning and lauded refurbishment and expansion by architects Machado & Silvetti. The campus also boasts extensive gardens and a good restaurant which serves beer and wine. Even if you aren't partial to ancient cups and trinkets, or a marble bust or two, the Getty Villa is worth visiting for the architecture, setting, and restaurant alone. Visiting the museum is free, though reservations are required and parking is $15." - No Style Studio

"Getty Villa Museum is a classical homage to Greek and Roman antiquities, located on a hilltop in Malibu. It features transportive landscaping and views. Visitors can enjoy reading beside the ancient Roman–inspired fountain. Admission is free with a timed-entry ticket reserved in advance." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"Getty Villa J. Paul Getty’s original museum is as much about the transporting setting as it is about the pieces inside. When the billionaire oil tycoon decided to open a museum for his extensive collection of antiquities in 1974, he modeled it after an ancient Roman villa that had been buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The estate’s painted ceilings, Roman columns, and marble floors feel at one with the 44,000-strong collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman pieces (don’t miss the bronze statue of Herakles, circa 300 B.C.E.). When you stand amid the 64-acre ground’s bronze statues, frescoes, and reflecting pool, the expansive view of the Pacific Ocean offers one of the few clues that you’re in California. A regular stream of theater performances, readings, and academic talks in the open-air amphitheater keeps things heady day and night. Pro tip: Although it’s free, entrance to the Getty Villa requires an advance, timed-entry ticket, bookable online. Don’t miss the 40-minute tours on Thursdays and Saturdays of the four Roman gardens, which cover a fascinating array of mythology and history."