Getty Villa to Point Dume: A Malibu Evening With Kids
Quick answer
Allow 2–3 hours at the Villa, then 45 minutes at Point Dume before sunset.
🆕 The Getty Villa reopened on 27 June 2025, six months after the Palisades Fire. The buildings and the collection came through unharmed. The grounds look thinner — over 1,300 fire-damaged trees were removed.
Entry is free, but you need a free timed-entry reservation, booked ahead. Daily numbers are capped.
Open Wednesday to Monday, 10am–5pm. Closed Tuesdays.
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Phone (310) 440-7300.
Parking is $25 — but $15 after 3pm. For a sunset itinerary that is free money.
Point Dume: free 2-hour parking at the top, on Cliffside Drive. ⚠️ The Westward Beach access road beyond the pay gate is closed until further notice.
You need a car. Metro Bus 134 stops opposite the Getty Villa, but not Point Dume.
Start at the Getty Villa in the afternoon and finish with sunset at Point Dume. It is the best evening we had in Los Angeles, and it costs almost nothing.
But a lot has changed since we did it, and this page has been updated for it. The Getty Villa closed for six months after the January 2025 Palisades Fire and reopened on 27 June 2025. It is open. The collection is fine. The grounds look different.
Here is the whole evening, in order, with the current hours, the current prices and the bits that have changed.
🆕 Is the Getty Villa open? Yes — here is what happened
The Getty Villa reopened on 27 June 2025, six months after the Palisades Fire forced it to close in January that year.
The buildings and the collection were not harmed. Staff sealed the galleries and put out small fires on the site, and the museum came through structurally intact.
The grounds did not. More than 1,300 fire-damaged trees have been removed, and the outer grounds carry visible burn damage. The site looks thinner and more open than it did in older photographs, and it is worth knowing that before you arrive so it does not come as a shock.
It reopened on a reduced Friday-to-Monday schedule to limit traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway. It now runs Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesdays — but this has changed more than once, so check before you go.
Access is from the Pacific Coast Highway only. The Sunset Boulevard entrance has not reopened.
We visited Getty Villa in July 2024, just previously to the fire.
Getty Villa — tickets, hours and parking
| Address | 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA |
| Phone | (310) 440-7300 |
| Open | Wednesday–Monday, 10am–5pm |
| Closed | Tuesdays, and major holidays |
| Admission | Free — but a free timed-entry reservation is required |
| Parking | $25 · $15 after 3pm · $10 for evening events |
| Military parking | Free, Memorial Day to Veterans Day |
The two things that catch people out:
1. You cannot just turn up. Entry is free but you need a timed-entry reservation, booked online or by phone in advance. Daily numbers are capped to manage traffic on the PCH, and weekend slots go early. Book as soon as you know your dates.
2. The parking drops to $15 after 3pm.
That second one is the whole reason to do this as an evening itinerary rather than a morning one. Book a timed entry for the afternoon, arrive after 3pm, pay $15 instead of $25, spend two hours in the galleries and gardens, and walk out with the light already going gold — which is exactly when you want to be driving up the coast to Point Dume.
You save $10 and you get a better evening. Almost nobody writes this down.
What to see inside — and the bit our kids liked
Two to three hours covers the galleries, the gardens and the café comfortably.
The Villa is a recreation of a Roman country house, and the gardens are as much the point as the galleries.
The Outer Peristyle Garden is the long formal garden with the reflecting pool — the picture everyone takes. The Herb Garden is smaller, planted with the things a Roman household would actually have grown, and it is the one worth slowing down in.
And the thing our children got most out of was the inscriptions — trying to work out the ancient lettering on the pieces, guessing at words, arguing about it. That is the version of a classical museum that works with kids: not the labels, but the puzzle.
The drive up the coast
Point Dume is about twenty minutes north of the Getty Villa on the Pacific Coast Highway, and the drive is half the pleasure.
⚠️ But the PCH is not what it was. The Palisades Fire closed it, and it reopened fully on 23 May 2025 — with lane reductions, lane shifts, reduced speed limits through the burn area and ongoing repair work. Conditions have been changing throughout 2025 and 2026.
Allow more time than the map says, and check current conditions on the day. The stretch between Pacific Palisades and Malibu in particular has been running well below normal speeds.
This is one to re-verify before every trip — it is the kind of thing that changes month to month.
Point Dume — parking, and what has changed
Point Dume is a headland with a short bluff trail, a viewing platform and one of the best sunsets in Los Angeles County.
Address: 7103 Westward Beach Road, Malibu, CA 90265. Phone (310) 457-8144.
⚠️ Current access restrictions — check before you go:
- The Point Dume Beach access road beyond the pay gate is closed until further notice, because of erosion
- The Birdview Avenue entrance is closed during construction hours, 5am to 3pm
- Restrooms 1, 2 and 3 are closed due to erosion damage; temporary chemical toilets and hand-washing stations are in place nearby
Where to park:
There is free two-hour parking at the top of Point Dume, on Cliffside Drive. With the access road situation, this is the practical way in — and two hours is comfortably enough for the trail, the viewpoint and the sunset.
Some disabled parking is available along Cliffside Drive. The Westward Beach lot is paid and operated by LA County.
There is no parking in the residential streets, and it is enforced. Do not try.
⚠️ And the timing detail that matters most for a sunset article: the state beach day-use parking runs sunrise to sunset. If you are parked in a gated lot, know when the gate closes. The free Cliffside Drive parking is the safer choice for a sunset visit — but set a timer for your two hours.
The trail and the view
A gradual ascending trail leads up an ancient coastal bluff sand dune to the headland. It is short and manageable — genuinely fine with children.
There is a boardwalk below the summit leading to a viewing platform, which is where you want to be for sunset.
From the top you can see Santa Monica Bay, the Malibu coast, and on a clear day Catalina Island.
Wildlife: California grey whales migrate past between December and mid-April, and the bluff is one of the best free places in Los Angeles to watch for them. Outside those months you are more likely to see dolphins — we did — and there are usually sea lions on the rocks below.
Dogs are not permitted on the trails or the beach.
Allow 45 minutes for the walk up, the viewpoint and the sunset itself. Arrive a good half hour before sunset, because the light in the twenty minutes beforehand is better than the sunset.
Zuma Beach, if you want sand instead of a cliff
Zuma is immediately north of Point Dume — wide, clean, and much easier with small children than a bluff trail.
If your family would rather sit on sand than climb, do Zuma instead of the headland. Same coast, same sunset, no walk.
Doing both is possible but tight. Pick one.
The drive back
Coming back down the PCH after dark, with Santa Monica lit up ahead of you, is genuinely one of the nicer drives in Los Angeles.
The Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel is visible from the road as you come round, and if you have the energy it is a reasonable place to stop for something to eat on the way home.
Internal link: Santa Monica Pier with kids
The evening, in order
| Time | ||
|---|---|---|
| From 3pm | Arrive at the Getty Villa | Parking $15 after 3pm |
| 3–5pm | Galleries, Outer Peristyle, Herb Garden | Free with a timed ticket |
| 5pm | Drive north on the PCH | ~20 min, allow more |
| ~5.30pm | Park free on Cliffside Drive, Point Dume | 2 hours free |
| Before sunset | The bluff trail and viewing platform | Free |
| After | Drive back down the PCH to Santa Monica | Free |
Total cost for a family: $15.
Check sunset time for your date before you plan the afternoon — in Los Angeles it moves by more than three hours between December and June, and the whole itinerary hangs off it.
Doing it with kids
- The Getty Villa is calm, shaded and stroller-friendly, and two to three hours is about the limit for most children
- The Point Dume trail is short and gradual — fine from about four upward
- The bluff has drops. Hold hands at the top.
- It gets cold and windy at Point Dume once the sun goes — bring a layer each, even in August
- Toilets: the Getty Villa has proper facilities; at Point Dume several are currently closed. Go before you leave the Villa.
- Food: the Villa café is decent; there is very little at Point Dume. Bring something.
Where we stayed
We stayed at The Biltmore Los Angeles in downtown, about 40–50 minutes from the Getty Villa depending on traffic and PCH conditions.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Internal link: our stay at The Biltmore Los Angeles
Affiliate link: see current rates for The Biltmore
Is it worth it?
Yes. This is the best evening in this whole Los Angeles series, and after the Getty Villa’s $15 afternoon parking it is close to free.
Book the timed ticket the moment you know your dates, arrive after 3pm, and be at Point Dume half an hour before the sun goes down
Getty Villa and Point Dume: FAQ
Is the Getty Villa open after the Palisades Fire?
Yes. The Getty Villa closed in January 2025 because of the Palisades Fire and reopened on 27 June 2025. The buildings and the collection were unharmed, but more than 1,300 fire-damaged trees were removed, so the grounds look thinner and there is visible burn damage on the outer areas. Access is from the Pacific Coast Highway only, as the Sunset Boulevard entrance has not reopened.
Do you need tickets for the Getty Villa?
Admission is free, but everyone needs a free timed-entry reservation booked in advance online or by calling (310) 440-7300. Daily visitor numbers are capped to limit traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway, and weekend slots fill quickly, so book as soon as you know your dates.
What are the Getty Villa opening hours?
Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, closed on Tuesdays and on major holidays. The schedule has changed more than once since the museum reopened in June 2025, so check before travelling.
How much is parking at the Getty Villa?
Parking is $25 per vehicle, but it drops to $15 after 3pm and $10 for evening events. Military personnel park free from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Booking an afternoon timed entry and arriving after 3pm saves $10 and sets you up perfectly for sunset at Point Dume afterwards.
How long does it take to visit the Getty Villa?
Two to three hours covers the galleries, the gardens and the café at a comfortable pace. The gardens are as much the attraction as the collection, particularly the Outer Peristyle Garden with its reflecting pool and the smaller Herb Garden.
Where is the best sunset spot in Malibu?
Point Dume, from the viewing platform reached by the boardwalk below the summit. The headland looks out over Santa Monica Bay and the Malibu coast, and on a clear day you can see Catalina Island. Zuma Beach immediately to the north is the easier alternative if you would rather sit on sand than walk up a bluff.
Where do you park at Point Dume?
There is free two-hour parking at the top of Point Dume on Cliffside Drive, with some disabled parking along the same road. The Westward Beach lot is paid and run by LA County. Note that the Point Dume Beach access road beyond the pay gate is currently closed due to erosion, and the Birdview Avenue entrance is closed during construction hours from 5am to 3pm. There is no parking in the residential streets and it is enforced.
Is the Point Dume hike suitable for kids?
Yes. It is a short, gradually ascending trail up an ancient coastal bluff sand dune, and a boardwalk below the summit leads to a viewing platform. It works from about age four upward. The bluff has drops at the top, so hold hands, and bring a layer each because it gets cold and windy once the sun goes down.
Can you see whales at Point Dume?
California grey whales migrate past between December and mid-April, and the bluff at Point Dume is one of the best free places in Los Angeles County to watch for them. Outside that window you are more likely to see dolphins, and there are usually sea lions on the rocks below the headland.
Do you need a car for this itinerary?
Effectively yes. Metro Bus Line 134 stops directly across from the Getty Villa entrance, but there is no comparable public transport to Point Dume, and the two are about twenty minutes apart on the Pacific Coast Highway. Note that the PCH reopened fully on 23 May 2025 after the Palisades Fire but has had lane reductions, lane shifts and reduced speed limits through the burn area, so allow extra time.
Is Zuma Beach good for families?
Yes. Zuma is wide, clean and immediately north of Point Dume, and it is much easier with small children than the bluff trail. If your family would rather sit on sand than climb, do Zuma instead of the headland — it is the same coast and the same sunset without the walk.
Reflections on a Perfect California Day
Our day had been a blend of culture, nature, and pure joy. From the ancient treasures of the Getty Villa to the stunning cliffs of Point Dume, and finally, the golden sunset on Malibu Beach, it was a day that reminded us of why we love exploring California so much. As we settled in for the night, we knew we’d carry the memories of this day with us for a long time.
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