Los Angeles

Getty Center, Villa Won't Reopen Before January

September 4, 2020 / 2:48 PM PDT / KCAL News

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Getty Center and the Getty Villa will not reopen until at least January 2021 due to ongoing COVID-19 public health restrictions.

LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 28: The Central Garden of the Getty Center is seen October 28, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. The J. Paul Getty Museum?s recently departed antiquities curator, Marion True, is facing trial next month in Rome over allegations that she knowingly received dozens of stolen items. Also, reportedly, Greece has renewed a claim that some items were stolen as well and should be returned. The allegations could not only cost the museum its reputation, but some of its prized possessions of Roman, Greek and Etruscan works. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

The Getty Center, which is perched in the hills of the Pacific Palisades above the 405 Freeway, and the Getty Villa, located off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, have both been closed since March.

With Gov. Gavin Newsom's July mandate that indoor museums remain closed, Getty officials say they have no firm dates for reopening – even for their extensive gardens and outdoor areas at both locations. Other local attractions, such as Descanso Gardens and The Huntington in San Marino, have reopened their outdoor areas to the public again, albeit with plenty of new safety measures in place.

Visitors enjoy the garden at the Getty Villa Museum in Malibu, California on April 18, 2011. The Getty Villa exhibits classical antiquities collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. The Villa is modeled after a Roman country house buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

The announcement comes a few weeks after the Palisidian Post reported three members of the Getty Villa staff had tested positive for COVID-19.

When the Getty Center and Getty Villa reopen, officials say they will do so with very limited, timed-entry tickets that must be reserved in advance, and new safety measures required by Los Angeles County health officials.