A variety of special programs complement the exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii. Tickets are required for most events; see details in the listings below.

Admission to the Getty Villa and to the exhibition is FREE; an advance, timed-entry ticket is required for general admission. For more, see information on planning a visit or call (310) 440-7300.

Film

Film Event: The Last Days of Pompeii

Experience the rare 1926 silent film The Last Days of Pompeii (Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei) at Hollywood's historic Egyptian Theatre with live musical accompaniment! Presented by the Getty and American Cinematheque, this extravagant Italian production complements the Getty Villa exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Egyptian Theatre Box Office, or on Fandango. Tickets $11, $9 students/seniors (Box Office only), $7 American Cinematheque members.

Learn more about this film event.

Sunday, December 9, 2012, 5:00 p.m.
The Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Film Series: The Last Days of Pompeii

In conjunction with the exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii. This outdoor film series features two spectacular epic films of the same name. The 1913 masterpiece of Italian silent cinema screens on Friday, October 12, followed by the lavish 1959 version, starring famed bodybuilder Steve Reeves, on Saturday, October 13. Tickets $7.

Learn more about this film series.

Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, The Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater

Lecture

Pompeii on Display: Disaster into Art

The modern fascination with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 and the destruction of Pompeii has inspired diverse works of art, literature, and performance, from masterpieces of painting to a scene from The Simpsons. Antiquities curator Kenneth Lapatin shares his experience developing the exhibition, highlighting some of his most unusual discoveries. Free; a ticket is required.

See Ken Lapatin's recent talk on Pompeii at TEDxSanta Monica.

Learn more about this lecture.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Getty Villa, Auditorium

Symposium

Pompeii: Fascination and Fantasy

Discover how Pompeii and other ancient sites destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 have been an obsession for modern writers and artists of the first rank. Speakers explore topics such as fictional heroines, spectacular re-enactments, virtual-reality reconstructions, and Pompeii in modern and contemporary art and film. Participants include Mary Beard, Victoria C. Gardner Coates, Shelley Hales, Kenneth Lapatin, Jon Seydl, Adrian Stähli, and Nick Yablon. Free; a ticket is required.

Learn more about this symposium.

Saturday, November 17, 2012, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Auditorium

Performance

Villa Play-Reading Series: Ensemble Studio Theater/LA presents
The Vesuvius Prophecies: A trilogy of new plays by Tom Jacobson

One smoldering volcano, two bickering families, three ingenious plays, and a time span of nearly 2,000 years. As Tom Jacobson's dramatic trilogy unfolds, past meets present in a mysterious Roman villa overlooking the ancient city of Pompeii. Free; tickets required. Tickets available beginning Thursday, October 18.

Deus Ex Machina by Tom Jacobson
A team of contemporary archaeologists fulfill an ancient Roman prophecy that ends the world.
Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.

Clytemnestra by Tom Jacobson
Electra told from Clytemnestra's point of view; an irreverent revision.
Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, 2012, at 4:00 p.m.

The Rosy Fingers of Dawn by Tom Jacobson
A wealthy Roman family stages a fake Greek play in Pompeii in A.D. 79.
Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about the Villa Play-Reading Series.

Saturday, November 3, 2012, 1:00, 4:00, and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 4, 2012, 1:00, 4:00, and 7:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Auditorium

Gallery Course

Pompeii: History and Myth

Explore the realities and fantasies of Pompeian archaeology with educator Shelby Brown and Kenneth Lapatin, curator of the exhibition. Revisit the ancient sites buried by Vesuvius in A.D. 79, examine the early excavations, and discover their transformation at the hands of modern writers and artists. End with a tour of the galleries to learn the curator's perspective. Course fee $35; $28 students. Open to 30 participants.

Saturday, October 6, 2012, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Meeting Room and Museum galleries

Studio Course

Acrylic Painting

Whether you're just starting out or are brushing up on your skills, learn how to paint with this quick-drying medium. Work from ancient and modern paintings in the Museum's collection, the exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection, and still-life objects in the studio to independently realize your ideas on a canvas. Course fee $65 (refreshments provided; parking not included).

Sunday, November 18, 2012, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Meeting Room and Museum galleries

Talks

Curator's Gallery Talk

Kenneth Lapatin, associate curator of antiquities, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads an hour-long tour of the exhibition. Sign-up begins 15 minutes before the tour at the Tour Meeting Place.

Monday, September 24, October 8 and 22, 2012, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Museum galleries

Exhibition Tour: The Last Days of Pompeii

A special one-hour tour of the exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection. Sign-up begins 15 minutes before the tour at the Tour Meeting Place.

Wednesdays–Fridays, September 13, 2012–January 4, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays, September 15, 2012–January 6, 2013, 1:00 p.m.
Monday, December 31, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Getty Villa, Museum galleries

Family Activity

Family Festival Celebrating The Last Days of Pompeii

Grab the kids and run! A daylong festival of crafting, performances, and other family-friendly activities complements the exhibition exploring the role of Pompeii in the popular cultural imagination. Free; reservations required.

Learn more about this festival.

Sunday, December 2, 2012, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Getty Villa

Free GettyGuide® Multimedia Player

Why does Pompeii continue to fascinate after hundreds of years? Hear the strange and surprising stories of the ancient disaster. Pick up an iPod touch at the GettyGuide Desk on the first floor of the Museum.