The Getty Museum is a must-see if visiting Los Angeles, even if you don't care for museums. You could spend the better portion of a day there without even looking at any of the exhibits! The grounds are absolutely beautiful!

If you see one thing in Los Angeles, make it the Getty Center! It's a treasure and a real asset to the city.

When you arrive at the Getty, you are greeted by smiling staff members. The Getty staff really goes out of their way to be helpful. They're warm, they're friendly and they're always on hand to answer your questions.

The journey to the Getty buildings is interesting in itself. A small train takes you from the parking lots to the main buildings, winding through the hills and affording excellent views of the city. Bring your camera!

The Getty architecture is as stunning as the art. The buildings are well-designed, with lots of natural light and high ceilings. The grounds include a labyrinth of gardens and manicured lawns that is a tranquil place to sit and read, write in a journal, let the kids blow off some steam or simply meditate and relax. There are fountains and flowers; babbling brooks and tall cactus plants. It's easy to lose oneself for the day here!

Do look inside the buildings--you will be treated to some wonderful art. While the Getty does not have as extensive a collection as, say, the National Gallery, they do have an array of beautiful paintings. Van Gogh's gorgeous IRISES is the star of the show, but also be on the lookout for a variety of stunning works by such masters as Edvard Munch, Paul Gaugin, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and more. There are also fascinating changing exhibits with photography, drawings and other works of art.

On a side note, I was very impressed with the children's gift shop. Instead of the usual array of toys and silly souveniers, the Getty shop is heavy on art supplies, pencils, crayons, clay...all the tools a young artist would need to create his or her own art.

And...it's all free. What a gift to Los Angeles!

By and by, the Getty IS accessible by public transport. There's absolutely NO reason to pay up to $40 for a tour to the museum. Simply take the #2 or any other bus to UCLA and transfer to the #761, which stops right in front of the Getty parking lot and the train.

If you are in LA, please make the effort to go to the J P Getty museum. Park for $7 and then get on the tram up to the buildings. The view are outstanding! The artwork is set out in different time periods in different buildings. The artwork itself is phenomenal but the place itself almost eclipses this! The gardens are beautiful and I would have loved to have been there at night to see the views at dusk. The volunteered staff are very helpful and made our visit there more worthwile. We ate whilst we were there and was surpised at the high standard of counter service food. We lunch outside on the patio overlooking breathtaking views. I cannot recommend this enough.

We visited the Getty over the weekend and were impressed -- the beautiful grounds and spacious layout were a welcome change from other boxy museum environments. It never felt crowded, even though the parking lot was full. And what a deal -- $7 to park and free admission! We didn't bring children, but peeked at the "Family Building" and saw hands-on activities and fun. We had a delicious lunch and glass of wine at the outdoor cafe and enjoyed an amazing view of Los Angeles. We plan to come back to the Getty for concerts and special events.