The Getty Center

The Getty Center occupies a hilltop campus at 1200 Getty Center Drive in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California. Designed by architect Richard Meier and opened in 1997, the complex is clad in travertine and arranged around a central courtyard, with sweeping views of the city, the San Gabriel Mountains and, on clear days, the Pacific Ocean. Admission is free, although timed-entry reservations are required and parking costs about 25 dollars per car. Visitors arrive by a short automated tram that climbs from the parking garage to the arrival plaza. Five pavilions house the museum collection, which spans European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, decorative arts and photography. Highlights include Vincent van Gogh's Irises, works by Rembrandt, Monet and Turner, and one of the most significant collections of medieval illuminated manuscripts in the United States. The Central Garden, designed by artist Robert Irwin, descends from the museum along a winding stream to a maze of azaleas and offers some of the most photographed views on the campus. Cactus and succulent plantings on the south promontory give a dramatic contrast with the white stone. Most visitors spend three to four hours, and the grounds alone can fill an hour. Crowds are heaviest on weekends and school holidays, especially around midday. Weekday mornings are calmer, while Saturday evenings, when the center stays open until 8:00 PM, offer sunset light across the city. Several cafes and a restaurant operate on campus, and picnicking is permitted in designated areas. The Getty is closed on Mondays. Public transit riders can take the Metro Line 761 bus on Sepulveda Boulevard to the tram entrance, paying standard Metro fares with a TAP card.