This summer, the Getty Center and Getty Villa offer exhibitions and activities for adults, kids, and the whole family. Best of all, admission and most activities are free and open to the public.
To get started, visitors can learn about the iconic Getty Center grounds and buildings on free architectural tours led by docents, where Richard Meier’s design for the Getty Center is discussed in-depth.
“Each of the docents designs their own tour so each will be slightly different – visitors who go on multiple tours always learn something new, explains Kisa Grey, a Getty Museum docent. “On my tour, we explore the hidden classical architecture of the Getty by looking at the overall design of the site and close-up at the materials.â€
While on an architectural tour, visitors will be surprised to see a number of fossils embedded in the travertine that covers most of the Getty Center’s buildings.
Several critically acclaimed exhibitions are on view at the Getty Center this summer. The exhibition Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990 (through July 21) takes visitors on a trip through Los Angeles’ modern architecture, and features rare blueprints, models, photographs, and video that paint a picture of Los Angeles’ architectural legacy. Visitors can also enjoy the exhibition, Gardens of the Renaissance (open through August 11), which features plants and flowers that can be seen in the Getty’s own Central Garden, or learn about modern Japanese photography at Japan’s Modern Divide: The Photographs of Hiroshi Hamaya and Kansuke Yamamoto (through August 25).
The Getty Center offers an array of summer events that satisfy the musically or artistically inclined. The long-running Saturdays Off the 405 concert series presents music by emerging musicians in a fun festival atmosphere, and the new Friday Flights series features cult film screenings, dance lessons, and music under the stars.
Every Sunday in July and August, families can jazz up a slow day by joining Art Adventures, where they will delve into a work of art in the galleries with an educator, then create a masterpiece inspired by what was seen. Families can also stop by the Family Room, open all day for drop-in, hands-on activities highlighting the Getty Center’s collection, take free GettyGuide® family audio tours on iPod Touches, play the Switch interactive game for smart phones, and traverse the museum using Family Art Detective Cards.
In August, the Getty Center’s Central Garden fills with music on weekends from 4:00–5:30 p.m. with Garden Concerts for Kids, free performances by some of the best children’s music performers around.
The Getty Villa in Malibu is currently exhibiting Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome, and also offers a number of family-friendly activities, including Art Odyssey and the Family Forum. Although admission to the Villa is free, visitors need free timed tickets, available online.
The Getty has recently launched the “Pay Once, Park Twice,†program, where visitors can visit both the Getty Center and Getty Villa on the same day for one $15 parking fee. The Getty Center is also open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays all summer, making those two good opportunities to visit both museums for one parking fee.
