Getty Villa

The Getty Villa, built by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty to house his collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities and designed in perfect replica of a villa in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, is an excellent alternative if whisking your date away to Tuscany isn't exactly within your budget. Even without the free performances of Shakespeare plays and Italian operas, the antiques and the finely planted grounds overlooking the coast are worth exploring. Parking is usually $15, but admission is always free. You'll need to use a car to get there because it's perched on a cliff next to the Pacific Coast Highway.

On the grounds of the Getty Villa, there are four different gardens that are filled with Mediterranean-native flora that are thought to have been nurtured by the ancient Romans. The Outer Peristyle garden, which is a precise reproduction of the one at the Villa dei Papiri, is the largest garden. Manicured bay laurel, boxwood, oleander, and viburnum plants are used to mimic traditional Roman landscaping schemes. The Outer Peristyle garden has rows of date palms lining each long side, and pomegranate trees at each corner, both surrounded by ornamental plants like acanthus, ivy, hellebore, lavender, and iris. The garden is filled with replicas of Roman bronze sculptures discovered elsewhere and at the Villa dei Papiri.

Location: 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California