J. Paul Getty's reconstruction of the Villa dei Papiri, the Herculaneum villa buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE, built on a cliff above the Pacific in Pacific Palisades. The galleries are devoted entirely to Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities — sculpture, jewellery, pottery, mosaics, and a particularly strong Cycladic collection.
Admission is free but timed-entry reservations are required. The gardens, with their pools and recreated frescoes, are as much a part of the experience as the galleries. Closed Tuesdays.