Getty Villa

A precise recreation of an ancient Roman villa in Pacific Palisades, housing the Getty''s world-class antiquities collection

Perched in the hills of Pacific Palisades with views toward the Pacific Ocean, the Getty Villa is one of the most extraordinary museum buildings in the world — a meticulous recreation of the ancient Villa dei Papiri, which was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Oil magnate J. Paul Getty commissioned it in the 1950s and 60s to house his growing collection of ancient art: Greek, Roman, and Etruscan works spanning prehistory to late antiquity. Today the Villa holds around 44,000 objects, including significant sculptures, painted vases, bronzes, and jewellery representing more than three thousand years of Mediterranean civilization. The gardens — with fountains, ancient planting patterns, and open peristyle courtyards — are as remarkable as the collections inside. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance.