We asked if the Getty should move. Here's how readers responded

“Should the Getty move?” Times creation professional Christopher Knight asked successful a caller commentary. “Should the Villa, and the Getty Center successful the fire-prone Brentwood hills nearby, some evacuate — for good?”

The thought occurred to Knight successful the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that tore done the Pacific Palisades and Altadena successful January, resulting successful 1 of the costliest earthy disasters successful U.S. history.

“Fires volition travel again, and contiguous ‘fire hurricane’ has entered the lexicon,” writes Knight. “Words similar ‘unprecedented’ and ‘extraordinary’ accompanied dazed descriptions of a determination occurrence play that has been different regular for centuries.”

If the museums were to move, wherever would they go? “The county’s soon-to-be-vacated Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration is simply a monumental, precocious Moderne civic gathering whose 1960 squad of architects included the trailblazing Paul Revere Williams, the archetypal African American subordinate (and later, fellow) of the American Institute of Architects,” Knight writes of the downtown structure. “Is adaptive reuse of the Hahn gathering for an creation museum’s needs adjacent possible?”

We asked L.A. Times readers if they thought the Getty should move. Here’s what they said:

Responses person been lightly edited for benignant and clarity.

“Absolutely not! The venue is simply a large portion of some the Center and the Villa. That is what makes the Getty Museums truthful ‘special.’ One enactment is to acquisition further surrounding onshore if 1 is acrophobic astir imaginable aboriginal fires. There are nary guarantees successful life. Live connected the borderline a little! And bask 2 of the astir astonishing and unsocial museums successful the world! Another enactment is for a 3rd imaginable Getty Museum successful downtown L.A. I americium definite the Getty radical tin make an arsenic unsocial and peculiar abstraction there. They did an fantabulous occupation with the contiguous ones.” — Greg Virelli

“No. As the nonfiction describes, the museum’s effect to the caller utmost threats were good planned and successful. The thought that a wildly costly determination to different determination would marque it impervious to aboriginal catastrophe (earthquake) oregon onslaught is wishful thinking. The tract and mounting (of the Villa successful peculiar but besides the Center) are integral to the creation collection’s show and interpretation, and evidently not simply a container. The question of entree to communities is different substance entirely, and surely 1 that they proceed to grapple with. One could ideate greater concern successful moving shuttles from the closest metro stations, for example. And portion it’s not wrong their jurisdiction, the metropolis should instal a sidewalk and motorcycle lane connected Sepulveda, arsenic it is presently intolerable to get successful immoderate mode different than centrifugal transport.” — Todd Lerew

“As the world’s richest arts organization, the Getty has the resources to usage the Getty Center and the Getty Villa for different worthy functions,” writes Knight.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

“I emotion the Getty Center and particularly the Getty Villa, but it would beryllium disastrous and heartbreaking to suffer immoderate collections astatine some of these facilities. However, honestly, I don’t cognize that I would sojourn a caller Getty installation successful downtown L.A., since downtown has its ain acceptable of challenges, homelessness, deficiency of parking. Perhaps if determination was nonstop oregon adjacent by Metro rail, I’d consider.” — Nancy Gill

“No! No! No! I person adored the Getty Villa arsenic nary different depository successful my 88 years. I person lived successful New York City, traveled London and Paris, and person ever had to unit myself to walk clip successful museums successful those cities. The Getty was peculiar due to the fact that it was the Villa. Imagining the radical surviving and moving determination gave it a magnitude others don’t have.

“I would adjacent similar to person artwork fakes, if necessary. Most radical wouldn’t cognize the difference. But the acquisition would beryllium maintained.” — Suzanne Barber

“I interest astir an earthquake and a fire. People volition spell anyplace the creation is. As you eloquently said, protecting the creation is paramount. I would hatred to spot the Getty arsenic an ivory tower, but it is truthful ample it could service galore purposes for galore people. And the Villa could person a parkland astir it… I anticipation the Getty employees, portion acting with courageousness retired of emotion for the Villa, were fixed medals, bonuses and agelong vacations! Thank you for penning an important and thoughtful article.” — Denah S. Bookstein

“Yes, definitely. The determination to downtown Los Angeles would exposure thousands much radical to the unthinkable creation of this priceless collection. The determination is ideal, surrounded by bully infrastructure that would heighten the beauty, past and architecture of, successful my view, 1 of the astir beauteous downtowns successful the nation.” — Patrick Edwards

The Getty Villa pool, usually clear, is filled with ash from the Palisades fire, which burned astir the acquisition halfway and creation depository Jan. 22, 2025 successful Pacific Palisades, Calif.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

“That’s a truly provocative and absorbing question. The cardinal crushed for collecting museums to beryllium is to sphere and support the collections. And the masterpieces of the Getty are irreplaceable. Given the imaginable for catastrophic occurrence successful some locations, I could spot a melding of the Villa and Getty Center collections into 1 ample museum. They could past usage the Villa arsenic much of an “experience” for visitors (with reproductions) arsenic good arsenic a probe center; the Getty Center surely could go a university, possibly focusing connected creation conservation, creation history, adjacent creation practice.” — Anne Farrell

“No. Sounds similar it was built with occurrence extortion successful mind. But surely a reappraisal should beryllium done and updated. Plans established for moving the astir priceless successful the lawsuit of a fire, unless they’ve already done that; similar into an underground bunker oregon vault. It would instrumentality a Herculean effort with a fig of unit required to bash that, and often there’s nary time! As you say, ‘An reply awaits.’ ” — Lisa Morris

“Yes. I’m not 100% certain, but I judge that a determination to different determination for the Getty (both museums) is an thought whose clip has come.” — Sanford Forman

“One thought would beryllium to acceptable up an auxiliary tract that could assistance anchor the Palm Springs and Coachella area. It mightiness beryllium a bully program to determination portion of the postulation to a safer site. The Foundation could prosecute a clime alert designer that could physique a authorities of the creation installation that is harmless from earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, windstorms, acerb fog, PCH postulation jams and immoderate assortment of ‘Mad Max‘-styled vandals. It would beryllium rather enjoyable to enactment successful Palm Springs and besides sojourn a Getty depository connected the aforesaid trip.” — Forest Grey

“Not successful the abbreviated word possibly — but I instrumentality to bosom your remark astir the dearth of Eastside taste access. It’s a transgression oversight by the county. I’d suggest a phased attack — possibly a satellite(s) oregon a partial determination downtown. Whatever it whitethorn beryllium — a bulk of Angelenos person small entree to the Getty ‘Paradise.’ ” — William Moreno

“The Getty is much than a postulation of artworks. Sort of similar Richard Serra’s celebrated (or infamous) ‘Tilted Arc,’ if you determination the Getty, it benignant of stops being ‘The Getty.’ There’s thing tract circumstantial to the institution. Part of what makes it iconic is the location. These buildings and the surrounding scenery is important to the section and planetary knowing of Getty. Is it imaginable to determination the collection? Maybe, sure. I deliberation it’d beryllium a immense mistake though. A amended effect to concern, successful my opinion, would beryllium to treble down connected preventative measures.” — Abigail Mortensen

“You marque a almighty statement to determination and consolidate the Getty holdings downtown from the position of occurrence menace and greater accessibility to the public. If I callback correctly, the Getty Center faced beardown disapproval erstwhile it was planned due to the fact that of the fortress-like determination requiring some a travel connected the traffic-plagued Interstate 405 and a monorail thrust up a cliff. But downtown L.A., contempt a mates of light-rail lines and a subway, is not municipality Manhattan, N.Y., with its dense web of convenient nationalist proscription to aggregate museums for millions of New Yorkers. And let’s beryllium honest, a ample percent of Getty visitors spell to the 2 museums for the wide ambience of the architecture, the gardens, the reflecting pools and the view. The Hahn analyzable would relation fundamentally arsenic a faceless warehouse for the priceless creation objects, akin to the now-labeled Geffen Contemporary astatine MOCA. I fishy that unsocial would engender capable absorption to render specified a determination moribund simply arsenic a effect of endless debate, the mode truthful galore intriguing ideas dice successful Los Angeles.” — Vic Turner

“If the 2 museums were to move,” writes Knight, “where would they go?” He suggest L.A. County’s Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration tract successful downtown.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

“While it’s an absorbing and provocative idea, wherever is safe? In the Ring of Fire wherever freeways topple, is anyplace genuinely safe. Fires interruption retired everywhere, adjacent monolithic ones. There is nary saying that anyplace a depository moves won’t beryllium the ‘Appointment successful Samarra’ for the collection. The Getty has proven it has done an exceptional occupation of stewardship. If anyone appreciates the bequest they clasp it is the Getty. Having worked with the Getty, I americium definite they volition lone enactment to continually upgrade their already established systems and procedures. I americium assured that the collections are arsenic harmless successful situ arsenic tin be.” — Jordan Peimer

“As gutwrenchingly achy arsenic adjacent conceiving of leaving the Villa and Center is, the thought of losing the collections is wholly unimaginable. My hubby was a satellite people artist. And we visited the Getty to nourish our souls galore times implicit the years. There conscionable is thing comparable to it’s postulation anyplace connected the planet. I deliberation protecting it has to instrumentality precedence implicit everything else. So, yes, I would beryllium successful favour of moving to a safer location. The thought of turning the Villa into a replica of an past Roman surviving quarters is simply a superb thought and eases the stroke of moving somewhat.” — Jane Franks

“Yes. The Getty is adjacent to Mission Canyon Landfill that covers hundreds of acres and is filled with toxic discarded and highly explosive, highly flammable landfill gases. There person been fires determination successful the past.” — Janice England

“Yes! I didn’t deliberation the Getty should bash a happening until I work this nonfiction and learned that the Hall of Administration is being vacated. What an accidental for our city! That gathering is gorgeous! Majestic. A gem! Move the collections there, but support the sites arsenic taste centers — a bigger bonus for the city. More to love!

“If the Hall of Administration isn’t utilized properly, it volition rot, taking down a immense swath of downtown, which has been successful question for immoderate time. The Getty postulation would reinvigorate the full area, but the metropolis needs to perpetrate to creating shady greenish abstraction — each the mode to Pershing Square, which should beryllium returned to its archetypal glory with fountains and trees. Create much one-way streets, and person respective thoroughfares to pedestrian-only. Add trees and solar-collecting pavement — voila!” — Christine Goethals

“No, neither depository should move. Each tract is integral to the ngo of the institution, peculiarly the Getty Villa. Each was built with information to earthy disasters including fires. As a Getty Villa docent, I find the tract peculiarly inspiring and beauteous and cannot hold to return.” — Susan Bowles

“Thank you for this incredibly informative article, 1 of the champion I’ve work connected the interaction of the fires. Not definite however consciousness astir moving from the existing Getty facilities yet, but the writer makes a compelling statement for the Hahn Center. I volition accidental that taking out-of-town visitors up to the Getty Center connected a beauteous Southern California day, we’ve blown galore a caput arsenic they look retired to the Pacific.” — Geoff Case

“If the determination is made to determination the Hahn Center seems to termination 2 birds with 1 stone, preserving the 1960 architecture and lodging irreplicable creation objects.” — Bonnie Carruth

In 2019, the “ominously named Getty Fire broke retired astatine Getty Center Drive and raced up the hills supra the museum’s parking operation and its adjacent sculpture garden,” writes Knight.

(Los Angeles Times)

“Yes. The adjacent clip mightiness beryllium it — buildings whitethorn beryllium hardened, but precise small withstands fires arsenic they are now. Happening comparatively adjacent unneurotic (2019 and 2025) is simply a wide informing that the country is simply a occurrence zone. Ignoring specified a informing leads lone to 1 thing, whether that’s adjacent twelvemonth oregon successful different six.” — Emily Cikovsky

“Definitely not! As you constituent retired successful your nonfiction some the Getty Villa and the Center are 2 of the astir occurrence resistant buildings successful L.A. arsenic witnessed by their deficiency of harm successful the latest firestorms. Moreover Getty has the fiscal resources to acquisition and support cutting borderline occurrence extortion technology. But successful the lawsuit of the Villa determination is an adjacent much compelling statement against a move. The Villa’s architecture and its carnal determination are indispensable for knowing the creation works it contains. The gathering that houses its creation is simply a faithful replica of an past Roman seaside villa built successful the archetypal period AD whose ruins were uncovered successful Pompeii. The landscaping, reflecting pools, water vistas are integral to the appreciation of its past Greek, Etruscan and Roman creation collections. Finally, arsenic a Malibu nonmigratory for 35 years and seasoned subsister of galore fires including the latest inferno, if I was forced to fly from another, I would happily spell and clasp up successful the Getty Villa and beryllium successful nary hurry to permission it!” — Diane Hines

“Maybe. Reasons: I retrieve the Bel Air fire, autumn 1961. The occurrence jumped Sepulveda Pass. There was harm to Mt. St. Mary’s College, connected Chalon Drive. That’s the aged sanction for Getty Center Drive. I was a UCLA student, student-teaching astatine Paul Revere Junior High (now Middle School), with evacuees successful my parent’s house.” — Mary Stewart

“No. I spot they cognize what they’re doing and if they deliberation they’re safe, I’m bully with that. Then again, aft proceeding what JD Vance said successful 2021 astir universities and professors, possibly some Getty museums and each of america funny parties should find a bully hiding place. I fearfulness for academia.” — John Finley