If there is one thing for certain — the quickest way to put my husband to sleep is by visiting an art museum. Throw in a guided walking tour, and we have a comatose situation on our hands!
Kevin checks out the artwork along the Museum Hack Tour of the Getty. So far, he’s awake!
So needless to say when I mentioned that I booked us on a 2-hour art tour of the Getty Center in LA, he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy. But as usual, he went along with my plans even though he wasn’t exactly sure WHY I was so excited about an art tour.
I’m fully prepared to throw elbows at the first sign of snoring.
That was, until I told him that it would be a juicy, behind-the-curtain tour at the Getty run by a company called Museum Hack. I first came across Museum Hack a few years ago when I was looking for unique things to do with my parents in LA. We never had a chance to do it together before my mom passed away. But I figured, why not be tourists for the weekend? I know my mom would have loved it.
A beautiful day at the Getty Museum in LA.
A Tour with All the Juicy Gossip
Our guide Vic had an infectious energy and passion for all things art. And the very first stop included a piece of art I would have never even stopped to look at. It was a glass bottle in the shape of a German guy… Also, known as a “joke glass.” It turns out that it was an old-time mug for drinking booze! The drinker had to guess how to drink from the vessel — and if any liquor was spilled, he was required to start again with a full glass. Basically, it’s like a drinking game from college now on display in the prestigious Getty Museum. Who knows, that classic beer bong you got from the Jersey Shore might one day pop up at the Getty? Okay, probably not…
Checking out the glass bottle in the shape of a person that is actually an old-time drinking mug.
Vic led us from one gallery to the next. She showed us the statues outside including one that had a removable penis (which actually was stolen a few years back!). The work of art is of a horse and rider by Marino Marini called Angel of the City for famed art collector and socialite Peggy Guggenheim. When Guggenheim commissioned the piece she insisted on it having a removable rod (aka penis) that could be screwed on and off to allow for a quick manning-down of the rider in case she had a prudish guest on her list. I can only imagine the well-heeled Ms. Guggenheim, quickly unscrewing the statue before the big shin dig!
The horse sculpture and rider with his “removable rod”
Today, the very prominent “rod” is permanently affixed. So don’t feel tempted to tug it off, or face the wrath of the Getty security! Clearly, this isn’t your grandma’s tour.
It’s All Fun & Games
After getting an overview of the museum and checking out the gorgeous view from the outdoor gardens, we were ready for one of Museum Hack’s signature elements — an interactive game. Now, I gotta admit, I wasn’t sure that I was going to be into this part of the tour. Really? A game?! But it turned out to be more fun than it sounds. Really!
Vic sent us on our way to take photos on our iPhone of how we would go about stealing a piece of artwork. It’s sort of like improv on the spot. Our story involved using a piece of art to slap the security guards on duty (though most tour groups say they’d steal the art by repelling down from the ceiling!). Next, Vic asked us to snap a photo of a piece of art that inspired us. I selected a work of a man wearing a bright white cape since it reminded me of my childhood and performing magic tricks in front of my family (or any audience for that matter!).
My inspirational art — clearly, I could identify with the man in the bright cape!
My story was enough to win the grand prize at the end — a free magnet from the Getty gift shop. Hey, I love anything free so I’ll take it. And speaking of gift shops, you better know where I ended up at the end of our 2 hour tour. Yes, the gift shop is pretty amazing. And we might have even bought something. I couldn’t pass up the book The Chronicles of Old Los Angeles, which outlines how the City of Angels came into existence. Okay, totally not about art but still a fascinating read.
Inside the Getty Museum shop. I love a museum store!
THE LOW DOWN:
- Museum Hack offers tours at six major museums in the US, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, the National Gallery of Art in DC, and the de Young Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in SF, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
- They also have specialized tours including VIP Nights, Bachelorette Parties, Marriage Proposals and Team Building Tours.
- In LA, we joined the “Un-highlights Tour” but they also have a “Badass Bitches Tour” (about women in art!).
- Tours are offered on weekends and $49 per person. Each tour is kept small to allow plenty of interaction with your guide.
- To purchase tickets for their LA tours, you can buy directly here.
- Museum hack also hosts company/corporate tours.
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