10 Reasons Why Museum Hack's Tour of the Getty Museum is Totally Worth Your Saturday
Los Angeles city views from the South Pavilion's observation deck at the Getty Center.
Piano Curve architecture outside the Getty Center.
Hello and welcome to our California family adventures! This blog post is all about our family trip to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. And more specifically, we took Museum Hack’s fun tour through the enormous museum.
Keep reading to find tips on how to maximize your own visit to The Getty, including great spots for photos with panoramic LA city skyline views.
All About the Getty Museum
The Getty Center, commonly referred to as the Getty, is a museum and research center located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in California. It is a campus of the J. Paul Getty Trust, which also operates the Getty Villa in Malibu.
The Getty Center houses a vast collection of art and artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, manuscripts, and decorative arts, from ancient times to the present day. The collection features works from Europe, America, and Asia, with a focus on Western art from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
The Getty Center is known for its striking architecture and beautiful gardens, designed by renowned architect Richard Meier. The complex is situated on a hilltop overlooking the city of Los Angeles and provides visitors with stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
Museum Hack’s Tour of the Getty Museum
I consider myself to be somewhat of a pro at Museum Hack Tours, this past tour at The Getty Museum was my third time around. Every excursion is like a completely new experience because each one is custom curated by the guide. During our Los Angeles visit we were guided by Baxter on the Un-Highlights Tour. I highly recommend him if you get the chance to join one of his tours!
Columns at the Getty Center Garden Terrace Cafe.
Birds of Paradise Garden at South Pavilion's observation deck at the Getty Center.
Pro Tips from a Museum Hack Veteran
A Lot of Naughty and a Little Less Nice
The first thing you should know about a Museum Hack tour is there’s going to be a lot of “adult” themed topics discussed, i.e. sex, drugs, violence and pretty much any other taboo subject you can think of. The best part is you'll feel totally classy while indulging your naughty side.
With that being said, you’ll want to make sure that the friends and family that you bring along with you are down for the cause. Putting it bluntly, don’t bring overly conservative or easily offended folks with you on a Museum Hack Tour. With the right crowd you’ll have a blast, but with the wrong one you’ll end up with some awkward silences.
Vase of Flowers By Jan van Huysum on display at Getty Museum East Pavilion.
Polaroids of South Pavilion's Upper Deck at Getty Center.
Arrive Early
The parking garage for the Getty Museum is located at the bottom of the hillside and you’ll have to take a tram up to the the museum main entrance. The entire process of boarding and riding the train can take up to 20 minutes. To avoid being late for your tour, give yourself a good buffer of time.
Travertine Stone Walls at Getty Museum.
South Pavilion's upper deck at the Getty Center.
Ditch the Stuffy Art Talk
When you’re taking the “Un-Highlights Tour,” you won’t be stopping to look at the most popular or well-known pieces of artwork. You can forget about analyzing brushstroke technique and labored conversations about art periods. Most of your conversations will be anecdotal with some interesting tidbits on the history surrounding certain pieces of art.
Los Angeles skyline views from Getty's South Pavilion's upper deck.
Smarty Pants Tour Guides
The Museum Hack guides are very knowledgeable and really take the time to do their research. You’ll feel comfortable and encouraged to ask all kinds of questions, which often leads to some lively discussions.
Family photos inside Cactus Garden at Getty Center.
Family photos inside Cactus Garden at Getty Center.
Dress Cute But Comfortable
There will be many photo opportunities during your visit to the museum, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. You will also be on your feet walking around for at least 2 hours so be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.
Central Garden inside The Getty Center.
Getty Center Courtyard.
Eat Beforehand
A rookie mistake I made on my first tour was rushing straight to the museum and skipping breakfast. My rumbling stomach and low energy was a bit of a distraction and slightly detracted from my experience. Museum Hack tours are highly energetic and engaging, you’ll have much more fun when you’re awake and fully charged. If you’re a caffeine addict, don’t forget your morning coffee before the tour!
Central Garden outside The Getty Center.
The Perfect Daytime Date
Shake up your routine and take your sweetheart out for a few hours of fun. Whether you’re in the beginning phases of dating or an old married couple like us, your Museum Hack adventures will make for some fun pillow talk later on. Take the time to reconnect and maybe make some new friends.
Rebar and bougainvillea trees in Central Garden outside The Getty Center.
Bachelorette Party
If you’re looking for a sophisticated but still risqué way to celebrate upcoming nuptials, a Museum Hack Tour could be perfect for you. Plan a special day of bonding and giggles with your girl gang.
Windows full of light inside Getty Center.
Windows full of light inside Getty Center.
Clear Your Schedule
After each Museum Hack Tour, we like to take the time to explore more areas of the the museum and re-visit some of our favorite art pieces from the tour. If you book another event immediately afterwards, you won’t have to the opportunity to take full advantage of your museum visit. The Getty Museum is an especially large property and it can take several hours to see everything. Don’t forget to check out the gardens!
My Getty Museum Favorites
By far the most famous work of art inside the Getty Museum is Vincent Van Gogh's canvas Irises. I wanted to take a photo with the renowned painting but there was consistently a large crowd gathering in that area.
The Getty Museum’s modern buildings were designed by Richard Meier. Although it houses so many great masterpieces, the museum is in and of itself a great piece of art. I personally love the way the architecture captures the light with curves and strategically placed glass. The off-white color scheme of the buildings combined with the lighting makes for great photography backdrops.
Lastly, the geographic location of the Getty Museum being high upon the mountainside makes for some of the best skyline views in Los Angeles. There’s multiple vantage points throughout the Getty property, providing great photo opportunities.
Red Baroque wallpaper inside French Régence style rooms at Getty Center.
French Régence style antique furniture inside Getty Center.
In conclusion:
The thing I love most about Museum Hack Tours is its ability to make classic works of art not only more relatable and interesting, but it also adds humor and intrigue to a past world that often seems so far removed from modern day. Book your tickets today at the Museum Hack website.
Camera and photography exhibit at Getty Center.
Little Scout at the photography exhibit at Getty Center.
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