Getty Center

Click here to view photo gallery

The view from this Mount Olympian vista and the physical campus created by architect Richard Meier have become the major attractions here. The actual museum has less art than the large space might suggest, but what they do have is expertly exhibited and surrounded by easy-to-understand historic information.

The Getty is free to the public. Its academic resources are a godsend to scholars. Same for its art community conferences and funding programs. And artist Robert Irwin's arousing, arresting flower garden is a true site to behold.