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Getty Center

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Getty Center is a famous art campus in Los Angeles, California.

Getty Center
Getty Center

It is a special place where people go to see beautiful things and enjoy nature. The center is home to the J. Paul Getty Museum and many other groups. It sits high on a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains. From the top, you can see the Pacific Ocean to the west. You can also see the city skyline and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Getty Center view 2008
Getty Center view 2008

About 1.8 million people visit this site every year.

Getting to the top of the hill is an adventure itself. Visitors park in a large garage deep underground.

Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles
Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles

From there, you ride the Getty Center Tram to reach the campus. This is a three-car, cable-pulled people mover that runs all day. Once you arrive, you can walk through the rotunda building. This building has information desks and museum shops. A grand staircase leads you toward the art pavilions.

Getty Center
Getty Center

The history of the museum began in 1954. At first, it was located in the home of J. Paul Getty. He later built a replica of an Italian villa to hold his art. This place is now called the Getty Villa. After Mr. Getty died in 1976, his trust took over the collection. The collection grew too large for the villa. In 1983, the land for the new center was purchased. Architect Richard Meier was chosen to design the new campus in 1984.

Getty USGS
Getty USGS

Building the center was a huge job that cost about $1.3 billion.

Getty Center
Getty Center

Construction began in August 1989 with the Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company. The project took longer than expected and finally opened on December 16, 1997. The buildings are made of strong steel and concrete. They are covered in a stone called travertine. The design also includes special ways to stay safe during earthquakes or fires.

Getty Center
Getty Center

There is so much to see inside the museum galleries. You can find European paintings and drawings from long ago. There are also beautiful sculptures and many photographs from around the world. One very famous painting is *Irises* by Vincent van Gogh.

Getty Center patio
Getty Center patio

You can also explore the Central Garden, which was designed by Robert Irwin.

Getty Garden
Getty Garden

Many fountains around the campus make soft, splashing sounds.

Getty Center fountain California from NW on 2009-02-08
Getty Center fountain California from NW on 2009-02-08

It is a place where art and gardens live together.

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🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:Getty USGS.jpg
Getty USGS.jpg
File:GettyCenterGarden031903.jpg
GettyCenterGarden031903.jpg
File:Getty Center fountain California from NW on 2009-02-08.png
Getty Center fountain California from NW...
File:Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles.jpg
Getty Center Tram Station Los Angeles.jpg
File:2003-12-15 Getty Center panorama.jpg
2003-12-15 Getty Center panorama.jpg
File:Getty Center patio.jpg
Getty Center patio.jpg
File:Inner Courtyard of Getty Museum.jpg
Inner Courtyard of Getty Museum.jpg
File:Getty Garden.JPG
Getty Garden.JPG
File:Getty 01.jpg
Getty 01.jpg
File:Getty Center from Central Garden on 2009-02-08.png
Getty Center from Central Garden on 2009-02-08.png
File:Getty Center.jpg
Getty Center.jpg
File:Getty Center view 2008.jpg
Getty Center view 2008.jpg
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