Getty Center to undergo major renovations, close for a year beginning March 2027 – The Art Newspaper – International art news and events

Getty Center to Close for Yearlong Renovation Ahead of 2028 Olympics

The Getty Center in Los Angeles is preparing for the most extensive overhaul in its history since opening in 1997. The hilltop museum will close for one year beginning March 15, 2027, as it undertakes a renovation estimated at $600 million to $800 million — a sweeping investment aimed at both infrastructure and the visitor experience.

The project arrives after a year in which the Getty Center welcomed 1.3 million visitors, underscoring the scale of the institution’s public reach. At the heart of the plan is the tram that carries visitors from the parking structure up to the campus. The system will be replaced and redesigned, with capacity to transport 400 more people per hour. The new version will also include a musical soundtrack, while the departure and arrival areas are reconfigured to reduce congestion.

The renovation extends far beyond transit. The Getty will rework 27,000 square feet of gallery space, commission new outdoor art, improve parking and accessibility, and renovate the welcome hall with a new café and museum shop. Phone reception and wireless internet across the campus will also be upgraded. An HVAC project is already underway, part of a broader effort to modernize the site before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Katherine E. Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, described the project as “an exciting new chapter,” saying the institution will enhance the visitor experience through “reimagined spaces and new offerings” while prioritizing sustainability.

During the closure, the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades will remain open and host additional programming, including some of the Getty Center’s best-known works. The trust will also open a new permanent space on Sepulveda Boulevard, extending its footprint even as the main campus temporarily goes dark. For one of Los Angeles’s most visited cultural destinations, the coming renovation signals not a pause, but a recalibration for the next era of public access.