A Day at the Getty Center in Los Angeles

Where do you take your Science/Math loving granddaughter to convince her that the arts are beautiful and important?  The Getty Center in Los Angeles!  This was a particularly poignant visit for me, since I had worked at the Getty Center when it first opened in 1997, in both the Research Institute and Museum Education Department for five of the most amazing years of my career, and now I was returning to share the joys of fine art with my daughter and granddaughter.

I have to admit, the tram ride to the top of the of the mountain where the museum is perched in Santa Monica was a great opening for catching the interest of an eight year old.  Good start….. Now, how to keep that interest going!

As you walk out of the tram and onto the sparkling, almost blindingly pale, travertine plaza, the peace and calm of the museum campus flows over you, and it is indeed a campus, including a research institute and library, conservation center, museum curatorial offices, and of course the galleries.

All of these structures so spare and graceful, with flowing fountains and art pieces accenting the spaces between.  The stunning Getty Center was designed by the renowned architect Richard Meier. 

I alerted M. to the fact that if she looked very carefully, she would find fossils hidden on the rough marbled surface of the travertine stone.  During our visit, we found mostly leaf fossils, and a possible fish bone fossil, but it sure was fun to look for them!

Eating is always a great way to make sure that kids are fortified for a museum visit and we started our visit at the café, with a beautiful view of the Santa Monica mountains and valleys as they roll out toward the Pacific Ocean.

Even at the café, we found fun, since the conveyor belt that whisks away your tray was intriguing for a science-loving girl. 

Stomachs full, we finally headed into the stunning galleries of the Getty Center.  The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs.

Fortunately, my granddaughter is so bright and inquisitive, that early on, she was pointing out details in the artworks and decorative arts, that I had never noticed before and she soaked up information about artists and art pieces. 

We particularly enjoyed channeling our inner Princesses in rooms that literally came directly from palaces! 

Naturally, M's attention span eventually reached its limit so we headed over to the “Family Room” where she could explore art in a fun kid-friendly environment.  I have to admit, I had fun wandering through its interactive exhibits too! 

 The museum provides Multi-Media Guides for families to explore the museum, Art Detective Cards, and a Mobile Gallery Game.  The Getty Center Family Events and Activities Website is a great place to plan your family visit!

The collection at the Getty is world-class and the paintings, decorative arts, photography and sculpture are a joy to explore.

When we had soaked up enough stunning art, and needed to get some fresh air, we headed out to the Central Garden. The garden lies at the heart of the Getty Center and overlooks a hedge-maze at its center.  This beautiful space was designed by artist Robert Irwin.  Another lovely garden to view is the cactus garden which projects outward from one of the museum galleries. Fun contemporary sculpture is placed throughout the museum campus grounds.  

The Getty Center is one of the gems of Southern California and provides a family-friendly introduction to some of the great artworks of the world.  We had a great time and can’t wait to go back some day!   Is my granddaughter an art convert?  Well.....we'll see!