Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Entry | Free (advance parking reservation on weekends) |
| Parking | $20 / $10 after 3pm / Free after 6pm Sat |
| Hours | Tue-Sun 10am-5:30pm, Sat until 9pm |
| Closed | Mondays and major holidays |
| Tram | Free, 4-minute ride each way |
| Time needed | 3-4 hours minimum |
| Food | Restaurant, cafe, and cafeteria on-site |
The Getty Center opened in 1997 after 13 years of construction and a $1.3 billion budget — still the most expensive museum building ever built in the US. Architect Richard Meier used 1.2 million square feet of Italian travertine. From the 110 freeway at night, the complex looks like a white citadel floating above Los Angeles.
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Is the Getty Center Free?
Yes. J. Paul Getty's endowment — currently over $8 billion — funds the museum so that entry remains free in perpetuity. Both the Getty Center in Brentwood and the Getty Villa in Malibu are free.
The only cost is parking, which is unavoidable unless you arrive by bus, rideshare or a drop-off. The parking fee is per vehicle and covers the whole day — and even lets you drive across town to visit the Getty Villa on the same ticket.
- Admission: free, no ticket or reservation needed for entry
- Parking: $20 weekdays / $10 after 3pm / free after 6pm Saturday
- Weekend & holiday visitors need a free parking-time reservation via getty.edu
- Rideshare drop-off: bypasses parking fee entirely
- Audio guide: free at the information desk
The Tram Ride
You cannot drive to the Getty — the hilltop campus is car-free. From the parking structure at the bottom of the hill, a free cable-hauled electric tram glides silently up a 3/4-mile track to the arrival plaza.
The ride takes four minutes. The view improves dramatically near the top as you rise above the San Diego (405) freeway and Brentwood hills open up. Sit on the right side going up for the best angle. The last tram down is 30 minutes after closing.
The tram is wheelchair-accessible, has no moving parts that can fail spectacularly, and is suspended from a computer-controlled cable system similar to ski-resort gondolas.
Must-See Art and Architecture
The collection is spread across five two-story pavilions arranged around a central plaza. Each pavilion covers a period — North (pre-1600), East (1600-1800), South (1600-1800 decorative arts), West (post-1800), and Exhibitions.
| Work | Artist | Pavilion |
|---|
| Irises | Vincent van Gogh (1889) | West |
| Portrait of a Halberdier | Pontormo (1529) | North |
| The Abduction of Europa | Rembrandt (1632) | East |
| Wheatstacks, Snow Effect | Monet (1891) | West |
| Portrait of Louis XIV | Rigaud (1701) | East |
| Young Italian Woman | Cezanne (1896) | West |
Beyond the paintings, the building itself is a major work. Richard Meier's travertine blocks — 16,000 tons shipped from Tivoli, Italy — were split rather than cut, leaving fossilised leaves and twigs visible in the surface. Walk the South Promontory for the sharpest architectural photos.
The Photography Gallery on the Lower Level of the West Pavilion rotates exhibits and is consistently the sleeper hit of a Getty visit.
Central Garden and Views
Artist Robert Irwin's Central Garden is considered a work of art in its own right — a 134,000-square-foot living sculpture with a stream that switchbacks through a zig-zag path, ending in a floating azalea maze in a pool.
From the South Promontory and the Cactus Garden terrace, Los Angeles spreads out below: downtown skyscrapers to the east, the Pacific and Catalina Island on clear days to the south, and the Hollywood Hills behind. On the clearest winter days after rain, you can see from Long Beach to Santa Monica in one sweep.
- Best city-view photo: Cactus Garden terrace at the south end
- Best garden photo: azalea-maze pool, mid-afternoon
- Best architecture photo: arrival plaza fountain
- Best sunset: South Promontory on a Saturday (open until 9pm)
- Free family activities: Art Studio in the Museum Entrance Hall
Parking and Getting There
The Getty is at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Brentwood, just off the Sepulveda Boulevard exit of the 405 freeway. The parking structure holds 1,200 cars and has clear signage directing you up from Sepulveda.
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|
| Getty parking structure | $20 / $10 after 3pm | Covers both Getty sites same day |
| Saturday after 6pm | Free | Great for evening exhibits |
| Metro Bus 761 | $1.75 | Sepulveda line stops at Getty entrance |
| Uber/Lyft drop-off | $18-30 from Santa Monica | Skip parking entirely |
| Walking/biking | Not advised | Hilltop location, freeway access only |
Weekend parking reservations on the Getty website are free but mandatory during peak season. Arriving without one on a Saturday in spring or summer often means being turned away at the gate.
Getty Villa vs Getty Center
The Getty Villa is a separate location 12 miles west in Pacific Palisades, overlooking the Pacific near Malibu. It is a reconstructed Roman country house based on the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, and it houses the Getty's Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities (the Center holds European art from 1600 onwards).
- Getty Villa: antiquities, Roman gardens, ocean-adjacent
- Getty Center: European paintings, hilltop, city views
- Both are free; one parking fee covers same-day visits
- Driving time between them: 25-40 minutes on the 405 and PCH
- Villa requires a free timed-entry reservation always — not just weekends
If your schedule allows, do both in one day: Villa in the morning (10am-1pm), drive down PCH, Center in the afternoon and stay for sunset. One $20 parking fee, two world-class museums.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Entry | Free (advance parking reservation on weekends) |
| Parking | $20 / $10 after 3pm / Free after 6pm Sat |
| Hours | Tue-Sun 10am-5:30pm, Sat until 9pm |
| Closed | Mondays and major holidays |
| Tram | Free, 4-minute ride each way |
| Time needed | 3-4 hours minimum |
| Food | Restaurant, cafe, and cafeteria on-site |
The Getty Center opened in 1997 after 13 years of construction and a $1.3 billion budget — still the most expensive museum building ever built in the US. Architect Richard Meier used 1.2 million square feet of Italian travertine. From the 110 freeway at night, the complex looks like a white citadel floating above Los Angeles.
🧮
USA Trip Cost Calculator
Building an LA itinerary? Get a personalised Los Angeles budget with our free travel calculator — flights, hotels, rental and daily costs.
Is the Getty Center Free?
Yes. J. Paul Getty's endowment — currently over $8 billion — funds the museum so that entry remains free in perpetuity. Both the Getty Center in Brentwood and the Getty Villa in Malibu are free.
The only cost is parking, which is unavoidable unless you arrive by bus, rideshare or a drop-off. The parking fee is per vehicle and covers the whole day — and even lets you drive across town to visit the Getty Villa on the same ticket.
- Admission: free, no ticket or reservation needed for entry
- Parking: $20 weekdays / $10 after 3pm / free after 6pm Saturday
- Weekend & holiday visitors need a free parking-time reservation via getty.edu
- Rideshare drop-off: bypasses parking fee entirely
- Audio guide: free at the information desk
The Tram Ride
You cannot drive to the Getty — the hilltop campus is car-free. From the parking structure at the bottom of the hill, a free cable-hauled electric tram glides silently up a 3/4-mile track to the arrival plaza.
The ride takes four minutes. The view improves dramatically near the top as you rise above the San Diego (405) freeway and Brentwood hills open up. Sit on the right side going up for the best angle. The last tram down is 30 minutes after closing.
The tram is wheelchair-accessible, has no moving parts that can fail spectacularly, and is suspended from a computer-controlled cable system similar to ski-resort gondolas.
Must-See Art and Architecture
The collection is spread across five two-story pavilions arranged around a central plaza. Each pavilion covers a period — North (pre-1600), East (1600-1800), South (1600-1800 decorative arts), West (post-1800), and Exhibitions.
| Work | Artist | Pavilion |
|---|
| Irises | Vincent van Gogh (1889) | West |
| Portrait of a Halberdier | Pontormo (1529) | North |
| The Abduction of Europa | Rembrandt (1632) | East |
| Wheatstacks, Snow Effect | Monet (1891) | West |
| Portrait of Louis XIV | Rigaud (1701) | East |
| Young Italian Woman | Cezanne (1896) | West |
Beyond the paintings, the building itself is a major work. Richard Meier's travertine blocks — 16,000 tons shipped from Tivoli, Italy — were split rather than cut, leaving fossilised leaves and twigs visible in the surface. Walk the South Promontory for the sharpest architectural photos.
The Photography Gallery on the Lower Level of the West Pavilion rotates exhibits and is consistently the sleeper hit of a Getty visit.
Central Garden and Views
Artist Robert Irwin's Central Garden is considered a work of art in its own right — a 134,000-square-foot living sculpture with a stream that switchbacks through a zig-zag path, ending in a floating azalea maze in a pool.
From the South Promontory and the Cactus Garden terrace, Los Angeles spreads out below: downtown skyscrapers to the east, the Pacific and Catalina Island on clear days to the south, and the Hollywood Hills behind. On the clearest winter days after rain, you can see from Long Beach to Santa Monica in one sweep.
- Best city-view photo: Cactus Garden terrace at the south end
- Best garden photo: azalea-maze pool, mid-afternoon
- Best architecture photo: arrival plaza fountain
- Best sunset: South Promontory on a Saturday (open until 9pm)
- Free family activities: Art Studio in the Museum Entrance Hall
Parking and Getting There
The Getty is at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Brentwood, just off the Sepulveda Boulevard exit of the 405 freeway. The parking structure holds 1,200 cars and has clear signage directing you up from Sepulveda.
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|
| Getty parking structure | $20 / $10 after 3pm | Covers both Getty sites same day |
| Saturday after 6pm | Free | Great for evening exhibits |
| Metro Bus 761 | $1.75 | Sepulveda line stops at Getty entrance |
| Uber/Lyft drop-off | $18-30 from Santa Monica | Skip parking entirely |
| Walking/biking | Not advised | Hilltop location, freeway access only |
Weekend parking reservations on the Getty website are free but mandatory during peak season. Arriving without one on a Saturday in spring or summer often means being turned away at the gate.
Getty Villa vs Getty Center
The Getty Villa is a separate location 12 miles west in Pacific Palisades, overlooking the Pacific near Malibu. It is a reconstructed Roman country house based on the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, and it houses the Getty's Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities (the Center holds European art from 1600 onwards).
- Getty Villa: antiquities, Roman gardens, ocean-adjacent
- Getty Center: European paintings, hilltop, city views
- Both are free; one parking fee covers same-day visits
- Driving time between them: 25-40 minutes on the 405 and PCH
- Villa requires a free timed-entry reservation always — not just weekends
If your schedule allows, do both in one day: Villa in the morning (10am-1pm), drive down PCH, Center in the afternoon and stay for sunset. One $20 parking fee, two world-class museums.