The Getty in Los Angeles: Possibly the Best Free Art Museum in the West

Whether it's architecture, gardens, sculptures or just plain art you're after, The J. Paul Getty center in Los Angeles, California satisfies just about every aesthetic need a person could have. Completed in 1997 with $1 billion of a $3 billion arts endowment, the Getty Center houses a little of just about everything from early Greek and Roman Antiquities to Irises by Vincent Van Gogh. Admission is free to the public, and, while there is an $8 parking fee to park on the premises, if you're willing to park a few blocks down and walk, you can experience the museum at absolutely no cost to you.

While the views of the city, architecture, and gardens are worth the trip themselves, I went for the art housed there. You take a short tram-ride to the top of the cliff the museum is perched atop. There are several building, but signs point to the information center and it is fairly easy to find. For a mere $5, visitors can obtain what is called "The Getty Guide", an electronic tour guide that takes you through each room and tells about the paintings and sculptures housed within. Since I fancy myself an art fanatic, I skipped the guide and went straight to the first building where the Antiquities are held. (If it's only Antiquities you're after, head on down to Malibu to the Getty Villa, which houses ONLY Antiquities...)

From there, I headed off to my own version of Heaven: The Paintings. All of their paintings are housed on the second floors of each of the four main buildings. I didn't have a lot of time, so I wanted to concentrate solely on the paintings. They start in the Renaissance and End with the Early 1900's and Impressionism. While I recognized about 85% of the artists showcased, if you didn't pay much attention in your college Art Appreciation class, I recommend renting the Getty Guide to help you better understand the art at which you will be gazing.

The Museum is structured so if you want to travel from building to building only on the second floors, you can. I was constantly in awe of the artists I saw at the Getty. I knew they had a Van Gogh, but I was unaware of the other AMAZING artist's works upon which I would be gazing. I saw a beautiful Titian, Holbein, Cezanne, Renoir, several Rembrandt's, Daumier, Courbet, Munch (though not his famous "Scream"), quite a number of Monet's (including his famous "Le Pont Japonais a Giverny"). a Manet, several Degas (including his famous "Star" painting that was on loan from a private collector), a Cassatt, and the list goes on. Most of the paintings were Western European from France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, etc. For an art aficionado such as myself, being within 3 inches of Van Gogh's "Irises" was well worth the trip.

While wandering in and out of buildings, some of the best views of Downtown Los Angeles can be seen from the balconies and terraces. The best sunset view can be seen from the West building and it's absolutely breath-taking. The gardens showcase many indigenous species from the area and feature a Cactus garden, among other specimens. The architecture is very modern and beautiful...really everything about the Getty pleases the eye.

Visitors can come from Tues. to Sun. and, to avoid the crowds, the best time to go is in the late afternoon/early evening. Though located just off the 405 Freeway, tourists can also take a scenic car ride down the famous Sunset Blvd. and it's strip on their way to the Getty. (That's what I did and it was a lot of fun.) The Famous Mullholland Drive is also near the Getty, so tourists can kill several birds with one stone by visiting the Getty. Visit the museum's website at www.getty.edu for more information on everything there is to know about the Getty.