Getty Center

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Center exhibits European paintings, sculpture, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and photographs. The collection is displayed chronologically across five public pavilions: the North Pavilion houses the oldest art, while the West Pavilion contains the newest. The museum's extensive photograph collection is located on the lower level of the West Pavilion.

The Getty also holds the Stark Collection of contemporary and modern sculptures installed at the Center. While the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades focuses on antiquities, the Center's collection emphasizes European art from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum is home to an estimated 1.8 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the United States.

The Getty Center is recognized as an engineering marvel and a landmark of modern architecture. Its Central Garden, designed by artist Robert Irwin, is a 134,000-square-foot work of art featuring over 500 varieties of plant material, described by Irwin as a 'sculpture in the form of a garden.' The institution has launched major initiatives such as Pacific Standard Time, exploring the artistic legacy of postwar Southern California, and the Open Content Program, making public domain artwork freely available.

The Trust awards the Getty Medal, its highest honor, recognizing extraordinary contributions to the arts. The Center's design incorporates white noise from numerous fountains to create a serene environment, and its robust structural engineering serves as a model for seismic safety in museum construction.