Getty Center to Close Temporarily for 'Major Modernization Efforts'
The Getty Center's nearly 30-year-old campus, perched on the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Los Angeles, will close to the public from March 2027 until spring 2028 for what the institution calls “the most significant series of modernization initiatives since its 1997 opening.”
One of the most memorable aspects of the Getty Center is its siting, Acropolis-like, atop a hill—a situation that requires visitors to take a tram from the parking lot to the car-free campus that consists of a museum, offices, conservation and research facilities, library, and gardens. The tram is one of the major improvements the Getty will make after it closes on March 15, 2027, as outlined in a press release this week. The enhancements include:
- Revitalized galleries and new artist commissions;
- Upgrades to the tram system, a redesigned arrival and departure experience, and new wayfinding support;
- A renovated welcome hall with a new cafe bookstore and retail experience;
- Campus-wide improvements to buildings, public spaces, and utilities that align with long-term stewardship and sustainability goals;
- Upgrades to the campus HVAC system (already underway).
The anticipated completion of the modernization is spring 2028, timed to the opening of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles that July. During the roughly one-year closure, the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, which itself was closed for half of 2025 due to the Palisades fire, will remain open and “also introduce new offerings for visitors, including a gallery featuring a selection of paintings from the Museum’s collection at the Getty Center,” per the press release, “giving visitors the opportunity to experience beloved works of art in a new context while improvements at the Center are underway.”