GoTourist
The Getty Center seen from the Central Garden

No. 57 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 1,323,616 visitors in 2025

J. Paul Getty Museum (Getty Center)

Los Angeles, United States · City guide: Los Angeles

A hilltop campus of art, gardens and views over Los Angeles, with free entry.

Open in Maps Apple Maps

Photo: Robert F. Tobler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The J. Paul Getty Museum is No. 57 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 1,323,616 visitors in 2025 (a figure that covers more than one building), up 2% on 2024. Its main site, the Getty Center, opened in 1997 on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Richard Meier's travertine-clad buildings hold European paintings, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, manuscripts and photographs. A tram carries visitors up from the car park, and the terraces have views across Los Angeles to the Pacific.

The azalea maze in the Getty Center's Central Garden
The azalea maze in the Getty Center's Central Garden. Photo: sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest; late afternoon is best for views. The museum is closed on Mondays; check the official website for hours.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Irises

    Vincent van Gogh's 1889 painting, one of the museum's best-known works.

  • 2

    European paintings

    Works by Rembrandt, Titian, Monet, Cézanne and others.

  • 3

    Central Garden

    Robert Irwin's garden, with a stream, plantings and an azalea maze in a pool.

  • 4

    Manuscripts and photographs

    Rotating displays of illuminated manuscripts and photography.

  • 5

    The views

    Terraces and the cactus garden look out over the city and the ocean.

Getting there

The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, off the I-405 in Brentwood. Park at the base of the hill (a parking fee applies) and take the free tram up. Metro bus 761 stops at the entrance.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Entry is free, but a timed-entry reservation may be required. Check the official website for hours.
Time needed
Half a day.
Currency
US dollar (USD). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is customary: around 18–20% in sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink in bars.
Visa & entry
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, most EU countries, Australia and Japan) need an approved ESTA before they travel; most other visitors need a visa. Canadian citizens generally need neither for a short visit. Apply only on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov and check travel.state.gov for the current rules.

Official information: Getty Center (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

Map

Open in Maps View larger map Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors