“What’s the difference between L.A. and yogurt?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yogurt has an active culture.”
Ha ha.

There was a time when this sarcastic jibe may have been true. But the reality is, today Los Angeles is one the great culture destinations of the world possessing a mosaic of museums that rival New York, London or Paris. Whether your taste tends toward cutting-edge contemporary, classical Greek and Roman, grand English portraiture, Latin American, Asian or the tribal arts of the American Indian, Los Angeles has a museum worthy of your attention. There’s even a museum dedicated to “Jurassic Technology!”

The purpose of this (and a series of subsequent stories) is to provide a visitor’s guide to the museums of Los Angeles. And what better place to start than the two Getty campuses: The Getty Center and The Getty Villa.

Their story begins in 1945 when oil-man / billionaire / art collector J. Paul Getty purchased 64 secluded acres a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean near Malibu. There (in the spirit of his friend William Randolph Hearst) he built a palatial home for himself and his collection. But for years Getty’s treasures remained sequestered behind locked gates, available only to select groups of visitors.

That all changed in 1974 (three years before J. Paul Getty’s death) with the opening of The Getty Villa— a fantasyland recreation of a first century Roman villa, the Villa dei Papiri, in Herculaneum.

Getty reasoned that the home of one of Rome’s rich and famous would provide the ideal setting for his impressive collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan artifacts. His somewhat less cohesive collection of opulent French furniture, paintings and sculpture could be displayed in the rooms upstairs, with a closet-size gallery devoted to the museum’s collection of photography.

But as the Getty’s role as a center for exhibition, art restoration, academic research and international artistic collaboration increased, it was clear that a great deal more space was needed. The answer was the 742-acre Getty Center. Carved from a mountain top in Brentwood and designed by architect Richard Meier to resemble a Renaissance Italian hill town, The Getty Center campus opened to the public in 1997. Since then it has welcomed more the 14 million visitors.

Visiting the Getty Center

When the Getty Center opened it caused a tectonic shift in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Crowds were vast, lines were long, reservations were a necessity, and the galleries were so crowded you were lucky to glimpse one of Van Gogh’s “Irises” let alone the entire painting.

Today visiting the Getty Center is far less traumatic. No reservations are necessary and the museum is open every day except Mondays (and major holidays) from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday (ideal for viewing the sunset). Admission is free, but there is $10 fee for parking.

There is an imposing, rather intimidating aspect to the Getty Center. Just finding the entrance is a challenge. But don’t be intimidated. Once you’re riding the cute little tram up the hill from the parking structure (entered off Sepulveda Blvd.), just imagine you’re on a journey to an ivory tower. But be sure to bring dark glasses because this ivory tower reflects a lot of light!

When you disembark you will be greeted by smiling volunteers anxious to answer questions and provide you with a handy guide to the campus and its gardens. Your first destination should be the museum’s entrance rotunda. Here you will find the information desk, gift shop, coat check and restrooms. The rotunda is also your jumping off point for the five pavilions that make up the museum complex.

The pavilions are arranged thematically and chronologically: North Pavilion (paintings prior to 1600, decorative arts and illuminated manuscripts); East Pavilion (paintings 1600-1800, sculpture and changing exhibits); South Pavilion (additional paintings from 1600-1800 arranged by region); West Pavilion (paintings after 1800 including the Impressionist collection; decorative arts and drawings). The West Pavilion’s Terrace level contains the newly created photography galleries, while the Exhibitions Pavilion provides space for temporary installations.

But since the brain can only absorb so much art at one time, intersperse your gallery visits with a stroll through the cascading labyrinth of gardens designed by Robert Irwin. Plan to have lunch (or dinner) at one of several eateries. The Restaurant at the Getty Center provides the most elegant dining. But I recommend The Cafe downstairs. This self-service cafeteria offers great variety at reasonable prices and balmy alfresco seating. There are also small outdoor food stands and the Garden Terrace Café.

Because of its hilltop location, the Getty Center offers spectacular views of Los Angeles— from the mountains to the sea. If possible stay and enjoy the sunset. A nighttime visit (Saturdays) is also rewarding, because at night the Center seems to float above the glittering lights of the city below.

Visiting the Getty Villa

In contrast to the imposing nature of the Getty Center, a visit to the Getty Villa is like graciously traveling back in time to the golden age of Imperial Rome. Rather than approaching a formidable fortress, the sensation is one of being invited to tour an elegant estate. The fact that the Villa is nestled in a pine canyon and looks out toward sea only enhances the fantasy.

Admission to the Villa is also free. But because of its more intimate scale timed reservation tickets are required. The Villa is open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets can be ordered in advance or on the day of your visit.

The Villa, which reopened in 2006 following a major redesign and renovation, is devoted to Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. Its architecture represents a detailed recreation of a palatial Roman villa. There are two stories of room-like galleries that surround an inner peristyle courtyard and look out to a fountain lined outer peristyle garden. And it is from this vantage point that the full fantasy of the Getty Villa comes into play.

The Villa’s newly designed approach is meant to evoke the sensation of moving through the strata of an archeological dig. As you emerge from this concrete labyrinth the house in all its grandeur gradually appears.

Once inside, the galleries are arranged thematically with titles like: “Gods and Goddesses”; “Stories of the Trojan War”; “Athletes and Competition”; “Mythological Heroes”: “Dionysus and the Theatre”; “Monsters and Minor Deities.” One of the most beautiful galleries is the Temple of Herakles with its sun-burst mosaic floor and centerpiece sculpture, the Landsdowne Herakles from the second century A.D.

During its redesign, an outdoor amphitheater, café, gift shop and auditorium were added. But the house remains the focal point of the campus.

In 2006 when the Villa reopened, the Getty Foundation was under attack for the legitimacy of its acquisition practices. Jests were made that perhaps the displays should be color-coded: Green for permanent, Yellow for under litigation, Red for soon to be heading back to its point of origin. Those issues have now been resolved, leaving the status of the collection assured. It has also resulted in a new lending policy between the Getty Foundation and the governments of Italy and Greece. All's well that ends well.

If you go:
The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles (exit at Getty Center Drive off the 405 Freeway).
Hours: Sunday and Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Admission is free. No reservations are required.
Parking: $10.

The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades.
Hours: Thursday-Monday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Admission is free but time reserved tickets are required.
Parking: $10.
For Getty Museum information and reservations: (310) 440-7300 or www.getty.edu.