Guide to the Getty Villa

The Getty Villa in Malibu includes the only museum in the United States devoted solely to classical antiquities. As such, the Museum building seeks to replicate the ground plan and major architectural features of the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, with the surrounding landscaping modeled on ancient Roman gardens.
This guide presents the full history of the site, as well as that of the ancient structure on which its construction will be based. With over a hundred photos and illustrations, it takes its readers on a tour of the Villa and its gardens, from the new entry court and outdoor theater to the atrium and Museum galleries, including special rooms such as the Basilica, the Hall of Colored Marbles, and the Temple of Herakles. Readers will learn about the installation of the collections, and the planned expansions to the Villa, which will be reopened in late 2005. Additions include a new Villa Scholars program organized by the Getty Research Institute, an analytical laboratory staffed by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), a new training program dedicated to the conservation of archaeological and ethnographic materials co-organized by the GCI and UCLA. New facilities also have been built to house the expanded bookstore and caf as well as educational programs and theatrical productions.