The hook
A recreated ancient Roman villa sits above the ocean at the edge of the Palisades, full of Greek and Roman antiquities, and it came within a hundred feet of burning down last year.
01Why it's worth it
Oil money built it: J. Paul Getty modeled it on a real Roman villa buried by Vesuvius, and filled it with his collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, statues and mosaics and gold, set around formal gardens and reflecting pools with the Pacific below. It feels less like a museum than like walking into the ancient world with the sound of fountains going. In January 2025 the Palisades fire burned right to its edge; staff and firefighters saved the buildings and the collection, though the grounds lost more than a thousand trees, and it reopened that summer. Entry is free, though you need a timed reservation and pay to park.
02How to experience it
It's on Pacific Coast Highway at the Malibu edge of the Palisades, about six hours from the Bay. Entry is free but requires a timed ticket booked ahead, and hours have been limited since the fire, so check before you go. Give it a couple of hours for the galleries and the gardens both.