Getty Inspired

Walking the Getty Museum Grounds and Floating Garden Maze in LA

A woman stands and is overlooking the maze floating garden at the Getty Center in Los Angeles

One of Los Angeles’s most famous landmarks is home to a floating garden that’s ahhh-mazeing. Head to the Getty Center, take the complimentary tram, and walk straight up the sculpture-lined stairs of the arrival plaza. Just don’t follow the crowds into the entrance hall. Instead, head to Inspiration Point, an incredible vantage of the Getty’s lush gardens, backed by Santa Monica and the Pacific Ocean. This is the epitome of beauty, especially at sunset. Next, head down the stairs, a set of Getty-style switchbacks traversing a natural ravine through a variety of trees, including rare London plane trees.

This descends into a plaza dominated by bougainvillea arbors where the stream evolves into a cascading stone waterfall, the gorgeous centerpiece of the 134,000-square-foot garden. And it’s here you’ll witness the floating Kurume azalea hedge maze. Don’t wade in (only the ducks get to use this maze). Take the time to circle the pool, where specialty gardens offer hundreds of different native and exotic plants, including roses, colorful crape myrtles, and heliotropes. Before you leave, take a traditional tumble down the Central Garden’s lawn hill or find the cactus garden at the southernmost tip, with views of downtown’s skyscrapers.

To get to the Getty parking lot and tram station, take the Getty Center Dr. exit off the I-405. Follow the signs onto Sepulveda Blvd., then take a right onto Getty Center Dr., leading you to the lot ($25 parking, $15 after 3:00 p.m., $10 after 6 p.m. on Saturdays and for evening events). The Getty is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closing late on Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  4. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Tram to Cool Treks

    Elevate your fun, getting whisked from palm trees to alpine wilderness on the world’s largest rotating tramcar. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports you up and away on a 2.5-mile scenic route from the desert floor to the refreshing wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park.

    View
  2. Coming Up Roses

    Looking to spice up your hiking life? Give your partner a rose—Mount Rose! The 10-mile out-and-back peak hike goes up to one of the grandest views in all of Lake Tahoe. Get ready f

    View
  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  4. Vista Hermosa Park in Echo Park Los Angeles

    Vista Hermosa, Echo That!

    Tucked in Echo Park, the little-known gem of Vista Hermosa Natural Park feels worlds away thanks to its serene beauty and thoughtful design. At 11.5 acres there’s still plenty to explore. And it's got a premier view of the iconic Los Angeles skyline.

    View