Huntington Library, Art Collections, & Botanical Gardens

Such a lovely world here at The Huntington Gardens. From magical sculptures to exquisite fragrant roses from around the world. This is a great respite away from the hustle. One of the loveliest gardens I’ve visited. What makes these gardens so easy is the maneuverability, moving from roses to sculptures to the Japanese and Chinese gardens is fluid and easy.
There are sweet little respites along the way, along with a myriad of corners and cubby holes, sometimes beneath the loveliest shady trees.
I love the Tea House where you can enjoy high tea from 11am-​4pm with a reservation (usually long in advance). I was lucky to grab a seat today with only a few days notice. The rose tea is delicious.
The café, which does not require membership or a ticket is huge and allows for a peaceful rest alongside a collection of water pools and dessert garden landscapes.
Taking pictures today was so fun, something I’ve looked forward to. Nobody bothers me, even if I step in-​between bushes to grab a close-​up of a playful bee resting atop a flower.
I love these gardens!

Day in day out I find myself cramped, enclosed in a claustrophobic city. Skyscrapers, noises, construction, and random spews and spouts coming out of the nooks and crevices of an aged metropolitan. I haven’t even regarded the pollution yet: smoke, noise, riff raft, and random garbage littered around. And then at last, I am able to escape, for a moment, to solace, to the gorgeous Huntington Botanical Gardens.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens features 12 varieties of gardens and 15,000+ unique plants. It began as a ranch in 1903 from Henry Huntington and is now what we see sweeping across 120 acres. There is so much to absorb, smell, see, touch, and experience here. I find myself always strolling at my own relaxing pace, gliding through the fields, and giving time to actually stop and smell the roses. The gardens also feature themed events such as live melodies from the guzheng or various Chinese lutes/​instruments which allow you to further immerse yourself and really commune with nature and those inner thoughts. The setting really allows to you detoxify your subconscious and is an excellent outlet to recharge an often overly cluttered mind.
I usually decide to abandon a defined path during my visits and find myself wandering aimlessly through all the scenic routes and am able to cover most of the gardens and conservatories scattered about. Be apt to have your nose caressed by floral and fresh aromas as you pass through unique botanical fields (but also be wary of a possible encounter with the Titan Arum as I did, also known as the corpse flower and is quite putrid). I often find myself drawn to more of the secluded areas where I’m able to listen to leaves rustling in the winds or the varieties of birds singing. There is a great deal to learn and self guided tours available for the science and art geeks (like myself).
Aside from nature there are an array of galleries and some architecture/​sculptures to be seen. You can have a very well rounded experience if planned accordingly. Take your time to explore and you will probably see, experience, or participate (little activities scattered about) in something new each time.
— — — — -Tips&Tidbits — — — — — -
[] Here is a list of available gardens: Austrailian, California, Camelia, Children’s, Chinese, Conservatory, Desert, Herb, Japanese, Jungle, Palm, Ranch, Rose, Shakespeare, Subtropical and Lily Ponds.
[] Exhibits and Galleries: European, American, Boone, Library
[] Hours and admission:
It’s a shame that the hours are short and the admission a little steep compared to other gardens or else I would probably come here more often (where I deduct a star).
[] If you’re one that likes to plan your trip ahead of time here’s the map:
[] Tour information:
[] Current events and going on’s can be found directly on the main page:
[] Parking can be very crowded on a busy day but not impossible, give yourself ample time.
[] Good place for: Solo, dates, kids, family, friends.
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Stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and head to where you can enjoy the simple intricacies that nature can offer you.

Skip the tea room (it’s fine) and head to the take away Chinese place at the Chinese gardens for an amazing view while you eat. Plus they have beer or Prosecco for a decent price!
The herb garden is often overlooked and is way fun to sniff around in.

One of the most magical places I’e ever been to! Ended up wandering around for around 5 hours. The Japanese Gardens were my absolute favorite! It reminded me of my trip to Japan last year, so peaceful and beautiful. The art galleries were just as breathtaking, and the home of Henry Huntington blew my mind.
I would love to go back again and again!
Tip: wear comfy shoes for all that walking, and bring water!

I know it is called the Huntington Library. I call it the Huntington Botanical Gardens because that was the highlight of my visit!
I was haunted by the immense beauty of the Huntington Botanical Gardens!
Where else can you find an amazing variety of gardens that transport you to Australia, China, Japan and a desert?
I appreciate the amount of effort and detail going into designing and maintaining the gardens! It was a relaxing, mindful and zenful experience strolling through the gardens!
The gardens are under continuous improvement and there are still large areas to be developed so interesting what the gardens will look in 5 years!

Came here for the first time on Memorial Day with my boyfriend and his family. We had been wanting to visit here for a long time, so I’m glad we got to go!
Parking was free and wasn’t too bad, however the entrance fee is pricey! $ 25 for adults. My boyfriend’s brother is a student and his ticket was $ 21, I believe.
Be prepared for a LOT OF WALKING OUTSIDE. Half of the trails are paved, while others are not. Wear comfy shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat!
The Huntington is divided into different sections with different gardens such as the Desert Garden, Japanese Garden, Chinese Garden, Australian Garden, Rose Garden, Herb Garden, etc. Here’s my impression on each one we went to:
Desert Garden: Basically, what SoCal landscaping should look like. A lot of cool succulents and unique types of cacti. After awhile, they kinda start all looking the same.
Japanese Garden: Loved the bamboo forests, but unfortunate that a lot of people carved their names into the bamboo :(I found the lily pad ponds to be a bit underwhelming. In general wasn’t too impressed with the Japanese Gardens.
Australian Garden: Literally seemed like a bunch of trees and dirt.
Chinese Garden: Definitely the best garden of all. Beautiful architecture, bridges, various ponds/​lakes, etc. Felt like we were actually in China!
Rose Garden: Loved it, but found it to be smaller than I was expecting! Lots of unique types of roses.
Herb Garden: Kinda boring. Just go to your local grocery store instead: P
There are also several buildings that are kind of like museums and hold beautiful works of art. We only made it into the American and European art buildings, but I believe there are several other buildings. I thought the art was cool, but I’ve seen more unique pieces at other art museums.
Overall, I had a great time at the Huntington and would like to come back to check out the buildings/​gardens I didn’t get the chance to see. I’d also like to do their afternoon tea sometime.

We 5 of us visited the Huntington on this special Saturday Afternoon. Entrance fees were $ 25 each. Got a sticker on chest.
We checked ourselves in Library Exhibits first, viewing ancient books & writings, then turned to visit European Art for art’s/paintings collection, went thru’ Palm Garden, Desert Garden, Subtropical Garden, Rose Garden and then into Japanese Garden. We spent most of our time in Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden, which was in «incomplete» stage. Saw two wedding couples taking all kind of shots on themselves (shot by professionals, of course). Watching people walking, laughing, enjoying the nice weather that day, sipping tea at tea house, eating lunch at food stands (or you may call «restaurants»). What an afternoon!

My mom used take me here as a kid. In college, we’d wander the property for hours. Now I can bring my own son here. On my last visit here, I brought my son, mom, and brother. It was a wonderful way to spend an early Mother’s Day!
While my son liked the library and art exhibits, my mom loved the rose gardens. My son and artist-​in-​training could spend hours wandering the galleries, looking at all the beautiful pieces. My mom couldn’t wait for the gardens. I just liked being out, relaxing in this beautiful bit of paradise in the midst of the chaos of the city.
What was fun about this weekend was it was Shakespeare Day at the Huntington. It was great watching the members of the Independent Shakespeare Co. and the Guild of St. George perform scenes from some of Shakespeare’s plays. There was also members of L.A. Opera performing songs from operas based on Shakespeare’s works on the property as well.
The Huntington has plenty of great workshops coming up. With start of summer vacation coming soon, the children’s art workshops would be fun for my son. There’s also plenty of wonderful workshops, tours, and music events coming up for the adults. There’s even the Tai Chi Series for beginning/​intermediate students on Saturdays.
There’s so much to do for both children and adults here. I can’t wait to come back during a quiet weekday and enjoy all of the tours of the gardens, museums, and exhibits again. I’d also like to revisit the Library and it’s beautiful collection of rare old books and spend some extra time relaxing and taking photos of the Chinese and Japanese Gardens!

Breathtaking, beautiful flowers, gardens, mansions, and people.
I lived in Pasadena for about 8 months and never got the chance to go here. Finally, my friend and I decided to take a tour at the Huntington Library.
Admission is $ 19 for students. We started walking to the rose gardens and then from there to the bonsai garden. From there we walked up to the Japanes and Chinese garden. Everything was so pretty and peaceful. There are many benches in each garden as well as cafes where you can sit and relax/​meditate.
We then went to both the American art and European art museums. We were lucky that Alex Israel art was on exhibition at the European art museum.
Definitely will come back here again to explore this beautiful place even more.

This place is absolutely beautiful! I came here today for the first time ever and I wasn’t disappointed. The Japanese garden was definitely my favorite out of all but all of the other gardens were beautiful as well. The atmosphere was amazing and I saw so many koi fish!
Con: admission was $ 20 but it was well worth the money!

The Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens is simply a magical place. I first visited on Mother’s Day last year, and I was amazed that I had never been to this gem of Pasadena. Since then, my girlfriend and I have returned multiple times. Now that we have passes, going to Huntington is a luxury we can take advantage of again and again. It’s our favorite Sunday spot, allowing us to relax in the sun, smell the roses, and check out some fascinating pieces of Art.
If you are visiting Pasadena or any city nearby, you owe it to yourself to pay the Huntington a visit. Although the price is a little steep for a one day ticket, it is well worth it! Trust me.
I think one of my favorite parts about the Huntington Gardens is that it is a massive park that doesn’t allow dogs. It is blissful to pick a grassy spot in the sun or shade and enjoy the California weather.
Huntington is multi-​faceted. The rose garden is expansive and has a welcome abundance of flowers to peruse and become intoxicated by.
There really is a little bit for everyone here. It’s like a little slice of heaven. The Brody Botanical Center is lush and relaxing, and transports you to various climates around the world. Behind it is the Children’s Garden, which is a must-​see if you have little ones in tow.
If you’re strapped for time, I would also recommend the Japanese Garden. The reflections off the water coupled with the beautiful scenery are so picturesque you may just never want to leave.
One of my only wishes is that it would stay open longer. It closes too early :(just stay open til 6

I took this place for granted since I grew up in the area and it has always been there. I didn’t realize this until a friend was visiting and we went on our own tour of local museums. Getty, MOCA, LACMA, JANM… Huntington is more impressive than any of the others and I might even go as far to say all of these combined.
TIPS
Note their hours. They close rather early and since this place is huge (literally bigger than disneyland), you are going to need some time here.
PARKING
They have their own lot and it’s free. It does get full though.

Gorgeous Garden and a little piece of heaven!
This is my third time at the Huntington Garden and I enjoyed my visit there every time. The garden is huge and it contains diverse collection of plants all over the world! There are separate sections for desert plants, tropical and subtropical plants, rose gardens, Japanese bonsai garden and Chinese bamboo gardens. There are also four green houses that house Exotic collections of orchids, carnivorous plants, water plants and delicate cactus.
The garden is well maintained and artistically landscaped. I really enjoyed the serene lily ponds and Japanese bridges. There is a beautiful Japanese teahouse on display and two art galleries with European arts.
The cost of entrance is $ 25 for adult, with discount for students and seniors. It took me almost 3 hours to go through the park and it was a truly wonderful and peaceful experience.
Highly recommend for locals and tourists!

This is an entire day activity, maybe even two days. This entire place is just astonishing, there are over 10 different type of gardens, my favorite is the Japanese Garden with the zen garden where you can create your own rock pattern to find your peace. It’s a beautiful place. I really like the ponds with the beautiful lilies blooming and peaking through the water. All my pictures are of lilies…
After going to each Country, I mean garden, go inside to see all the art pieces he has collected. I love spending my entire day there just taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful views.

It’s true!!! Be careful these geese are nasty and will attack you!!! My son got bit by one: (No one even came to help us the workers saw but they didn’t ask if he was okay. Thankfully my son was okay but I guess it’s OUR fault for going too close. So FYI those GEESE will be bite if you get too close.
This place is pretty expensive $ 23.00 for admission for adults and $ 10.00 for children. It’s a beautiful place and all and I’m sure the upkeep with the plants, flowers costs a lot but $ 23.00 is a lot of money to me. I know they offer free day but you gotta request them in advanced. Maybe one day I might just do that. Anyhow I had a great time, there were sooo many beautiful gardens and the pictures you can get here are amazing. Make sure you bring a nice camera because you can capture some amazing moments.
Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Desert Garden, Children’s garden, Rose Garden, there are sooo many gardens. You will enjoy them all. Some of the plants smell so expect some stinkyness.
I can’t really describe how beautiful these gardens are. You just need to visit yourself. Wear comfy shoes, expect to spend a good few hours here or more and just enjoy! I would definitely come back!

Just got on a membership plan with my mom, who had one previously and enjoyed the perks to being a member, like the annual plant sale. The plants they sell are propagated from their own gardens. That happens every April, so it’s coming up, yay!
Got a membership after being here 5 times over the past 10 years. I primarily come for the flowers and not the library/​museum. It never gets old coming here, it’s so beautiful, every sight looks like a postcard here. The memberships come in tiers, but I just got the lowest tier, which is a great deal if you plan on coming back, because then it pays for itself. I could come here just to hang out in the extraordinarily «zen» Japanese garden, which next to the Chinese garden is my favorite to visit.
Oh, but it’s hard to pick favorites here, I love the rose garden, too. Right now in early spring all the roses are blooming like an explosion! It smells so amazing you can hardly believe it. My favorite rose «strain» (?) was the George Burns one, which was multicolored with yellow, red and orange.
Other things I liked were the koi pond with lily pads and the gorgeous flower bed of delphinium flowers. The delphinium come in many different shades of white, soft lavender and deep blue and deep purple.
Really, when you come here, you might even start taking pictures in the parking lot! That’s how pretty it is. Already planning my next visit.

Such a beautiful place to go explore. I went here this past weekend with my sister and I was surprised at how large this place was along with the scent you smell once you park. We got totally lucky on parking by the way as it was so close to the front! It is just so nice to be away from the computer screen and walk around the garden and admire the landscape.
$ 25 for adults — and my sister used it to apply to the membership so she can check this out with her hubby and the rest of the family for next time. We spent half of the morning to half of the afternoon here.
We first stumbled across the desert garden in which we lost interest after staring at cactus and other succulent plants after 15 minutes. We did not get to check out the Japanese garden as we ended up walking past it but we came across another section of it. With a baby in tow, it is a tad hard to walk down the stairs by the garden next to the herb garden. However Baby A (my niece) had a lot of fun as she slept through a good portion after laughing for a bit. She liked being outside of her stroller to stare at everything.
The Japanese part that we went through was very serene. We did not go through the Chinese one as both of us were deep in talk when we walked past. The Rose Garden did not go into bloom yet but the Shakespeare section was pretty with the different colors. Such a gorgeous place to go through and just enjoy nature.

Huntington Library is incredibly beautiful and diverse, giving people the opportunity to explore museums and plants from different gardens (Japanese, Chinese, Desert, etc),
+ There are tons of parking and signs that help you remember where you parked
+ $ 25 admission fees for adults, $ 21 for students. I felt the prices were high, but I suppose it takes a ton of water to keep the gardens green and luscious
+ My favorite part was the bonsai garden! So cool to see tiny trees
+ A LOT of walking, so be sure to bring water :)

This place has a hefty price tag for non members ($ 25) but if you spend a few hours here it seems like it’s worth the money.
The grounds are incredibly large. It’s easy to spend a few hours here walking from garden to garden. There are a lot of flowers and trees here.
My favorite spots were the museum and library buildings. There were some interesting artwork (mostly European classical style, no modern art here) and I randomly stumbled upon the famous «What did I just read» meme, which was hilarious!
The library with the relics was pretty cool. We saw a lot of old documents from famous people like Abraham Lincoln’s handwritten letters, books from the 1600’s etc. if you are a history buff you would love this place.

We went on the Thursday free day. You have to get tickets 1 month in advance. Try to register an account on the website
ahead of time and it will make it much easier to book online. You can request the 1030am or 130pm time slot. They allow 4 – 5 tickets at a time. They do ask you to put the name of who is going but we left ours blank and they didn’t seem to care at the front desk.
We had a great time. The parking lot is free. The grounds are magnificent. It is really really big so you can’t see everything in one day. Make sure you grab a map. Our favorite sites were bonsai exhibit, Japanese garden, greenhouse and desert garden. The cactus were HUGE! The grounds were clean and well maintained. There are lots of areas to rest, sit and contemplate the views. The library was neat and we saw our first ever Chinese typewriter. So cool. It’s pretty small area though.
They did have some areas where you can buy food and drinks. Make sure you check out their sleek, modern cafeteria too. The gift shop was also refreshing. Had some interesting eclectic stuff.
Great experience and definitely a bucket list thing to check out if you live in LA!

Love this place. It’s so big and beautiful. So bring walking shoes! The gardens are way beautiful and I don’t think I even looked at everything. The museums are wonderful as well. They had a café [didn’t go] and it’s great for kids as well.

This review is only for the customer service and their ticket purchasing system for the ‘free day’. For anyone thinking of trying to get some free day tickets, really don’t waste your time because they make it impossible for you to get!
I logged onto my computer earlier than 9:00am to reserve one free day ticket. At exactly 9:00 am when it said they would be available I was able to select one free ticket, but then when I hit add to card it had somehow all already sold out in that one minute! By the time all of this was over it was still only 9:00am. Now that I am finished writing this it is still only 9:03. Huntington Library you guys really need to update your system so that it doesn’t sell out all in under one minute. It really is a waste of peoples time who have been honestly waiting to try and get these tickets.

This place is absolutely beautiful. It’s a perfect place to explore, relax, and go on a date. It’s a lot of walking but I think it’s worth it. I visited during winter so the the rose garden wasn’t in full bloom yet. The Japanese and Chinese garden made you feel like you were in a completely different world. Everything was serene in both the Chinese and Japanese gardens.
The food here is great as well! My husband and I had reservations at the tea room. The scones at the tea room were amazing and our server made sure that we had warm scones and hot tea at all times! I also recommend getting gelato at the coffee shop in the front.

I docked the Huntington one star only because the hours are so short. This could and should be an all-​day visit to see the many beautiful and interesting elements: the gardens, the library, the art, etc. But opening at noon and closing at 4:340 is not long enough!
Other than that, the place is spectacular. A rare book library can be a boring place but they have created a well-​thought-​out exhibition that has several clustered items: a main one (e.g. a Shakespeare first folio) surrounded by several others from its area, all linked through helpful explanatory labels that give context to the whole group. Other rare book libraries could learn from this example! I had a nice chat with a kind curator who was changing one of the exhibits (which must be done frequently to protect the books from sitting too long open to the same page).
The art collection is stunning. I stared almost breathlessly at many of the paintings. It felt like making a pilgrimage. Good explanatory labels, too, so I got art history lessons as I went along.
Although it was a beautiful, sunny day, I never got to see the gardens. Too little time!

Pictures don’t do this place justice! Absolutely gorgeous scenery… expect to do a lot of walking though. They also serve food and beer here! It just sucks that everything closes so early.
This is a good date place if you’re trying to «woo» a girl but if you’re a guy, trying to have a good time, don’t go here. The whole day will be a full on photoshoot with you taking pics of her near every little flower bush or hipster looking tree. Also, bring your self stick too! I saw no shame in the selfie game here. People were even laying on the grass taking selfies.
Another thing, don’t go on a popular date or holiday! It’ll ruin the experience since you won’t be able to get a pic without someone else in it and it’ll be harder to maneuver the place since you’ll be trying not to walk into anyone’s pics. So don’t go on Valentine’s Day! Go on Halloween or something lol

I love the Huntington!
I have an annual membership that I maintain for two reasons. First, to do my small part in supporting this great cultural resource. Second, any time I drive down the 210, I can stop off and enjoy a little time strolling the grounds and gardens, or have lunch at the Chinese Pavilion or drop by to visit some of my favorite art pieces.
The grounds are expansive, with a remarkable botanical garden. The art collection is one of the best in the LA area, including a gallery of English portraits from the 17^th and 18^th century that might be the best there is– it includes the «Blue Boy», and my personal favorite, «Pinky».
The rooms of the original Huntington mansion overflow with fabulous paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Van Dyk, as well as many of their contemporaries. The furnishings give sumptuous example of the manor houses where the pictures origionally hung. Several seperate galleries house important collections of American art and furniture.
And the Huntington is the Huntington Library. It houses one of the most important collections of books anywhere. Scholars from around yhe world come to study original sources. Even for those of a less scholarly bent, there is something magical when you look at (not 1, but 2!) Guttenberg bibles. Or read over a letter from Charles I, in his own hand, wanting to be sure of the support of a baron against Parliment’s demands! Or look at Audobon’s beautiful rendering of birds in one of his original folios.
Too much to see in a day, and that is why I bought an annual membership!

The Huntington Library is my happy place. I love the gardens, the museums, the special exhibits, and especially the bookstore! I’ve been waiting to review this place until I could dedicate the time to sit down and right a proper review and now it’s time.
The Huntington is great for the family, an outgoing with friends, people of all ages and walks of life that can appreciate art, history, and nature. It is a large estate with many educational features. There is an extensive library (they even have a Gutenberg Bible) as well as rotating history and art exhibits, and featured historians that do presentations there regularly. There are also classes offered monthly, some are free and some come at an additional cost. I definitely recommend checking their monthly calendar regularly because there is always so much going on.
If you’re not into the education aspect, that’s okay, because there are so many beautiful gardens! Some of the popular ones are the Chinese, Japanese, Rose, and Desert gardens. As you enter into each of them you feel as if you’ve entered into different worlds. You can wander through the gardens for hours (I do pretty frequently). They are all so different and beautiful in their own way. The Chinese, Japanese, and Rose gardens seem to be usually crowded with families and people that like the scenic photo-​ops, so on days when I want to escape the crowds, I venture into the Australian, desert, and lily pond areas. They’re usually not as crowded and definitely more peaceful.
*tip for those that have challenges walking far distances– there are checkpoints where workers on golf carts will pick up visitors and drive them to other parts of the estate.
One can easily spend all day at the Huntington and that is okay because there are plenty of places to eat and relax. There is a coffee shop by the entrance. If you walk a little further into the pavilion, there is a café with reasonable prices (I have gotten the hummus sandwich with pickles and chips for $ 9). There is a Chinese café in the Chinese gardens and the food is actually good, much better than I anticipated. If you eat there, make sure you try there Jasmine green tea. There is also the infamous tea room in the rose garden. NOTE: if you plan to dine in the tea room, you must make a reservation ahead of time. That can be done online or by phone. It is ALWAYS packed. But honestly, you can’t beat tea and sandwiches in a rose garden on a Sunday afternoon.
And lastly, if you visit and fall in love (like I did), I highly recommend buying a membership. There are several levels of memberships and you can add one person to your membership for free (so really it’s like 2 for 1). If you go a few times, the membership pays for itself, as it costs $ 25 for each visit if you’re not a member. And there are many perks of a membership here. There are regular members-​only events (that are quite fabulous), 20% discount at the bookstore for contributor levels and above, free passes (the number of passes depend on the member level), entry into the estate early and later, and some other stuff I don’t remember at the moment. But I live in their bookstore/​gift shop and I have to actively prevent myself from buying everything in there, so my discount comes in handy more often than not.
Ok, that’s it. Go to the Huntington, you will not regret it.

So glad that I got a membership this year! Went on an overcast Sunday afternoon and had a fun, relaxing time. This is my 2^nd time here. The 1^st being years ago. The map is helpful to know what is in the buildings. You do not really need it while walking the gardens as there are signs directing to the other gardens and it just flows.
You can spend a lot of time in the library exhibition. A lot of reading on the history of California. Also some original writings of Shakespeare and thinkers like Emerson. They touch on restoring of old books. We were in here for about an hour and a half.
The gardens are always fun to walk. My favorites are the Japanese one and the Desert garden. I was unable to get to all of the gardens just like the buildings. They do garden tours as well. Depending on how many people they can gather up. I downloaded the Huntington app. Gonna use that next time. Hope I remember headphones.
Maybe I will check out the gift shop next time. It looks like a Pottery Barn from the outside. Got some hot chocolate on the way out at the café. They also have a larger café near but not at the front. Look forward to my next visit.

I’ve been here twice. Once a decade ago and I really only came to the Japanese garden area. Then this past weekend as my sweet BF got us a year’s membership. We stayed for about 3 hours. Any longer than that and you’ll prob need a meal break. We saw the literary building, some of the gardens and got hot drinks at the coffee shop. I really enjoyed a lot of what I saw. The zen garden and the bonsai displays were my fave for this trip. There was also a celeb sighting! There is a lot of walking, good for exercise tho! It’s best to come during non sweltering summer hours as I think that’s when I came the first time and we left cause it was so hot. Parking is pretty easy too. The good thing about this museum is it’s very big and it has both an outdoor and indoor element. There are a lot of places to rest and a couple of cafes too.

I’ve had a membership here for a few years now. Great place to take the kids throughout the seasons. They have expanded the exhibits over the years and there is a new café there to try out. Not to mention plenty of places to sit and eat your food. You could even bring in a picnic and sit at one of the benches.
My favorite times to come here are for the flower sales, especially the orchids. I also like the Chinese New Year festivities, and the décor in the Children’s Garden for Halloween.

If you want to spend ½ day exploring history and culture while walking around enjoying the wonderful weather of L.A., this is the place to be. I also think that this is a beautiful place for photography if that is what your like to do. The general area is so big that you will not feel crowded even when there are lots of people there. I do see a few restaurants inside the park but be prepared to wait in a long line during the weekend.
Admission is a bit pricey (approx $ 26/​person in the weekend). I do see that annual pass is an option if you want to come here often. Overall, I enjoy my time being here.

Way more than I expected — which was a hour-​ish long walk around some gardens. Im so exhausted from the day that I’m surprised I’m even typing this hah. Garden after scenic garden and then you get to browse their collections of art and their library. Make sure your camera is charged so you can take plenty of pics — hours n hours can be spend wandering around — we were there for at least four! Don’t be a dork like me and wear heels. Comfy footwear for plenty of wandering.
It’s a pretty odd location in a resi neighborhood in San Marino w large gates at entry. The parking lot is a good size w poor signage but just park anywhere and walk in cause none of the spots are that far from the entrance.
They have a tour that’s included w entry price that was decent. Though it didn’t go through all of the gardens, the hour long tour gave a decent overview and layout of the grounds while giving some back story to the location and what it’s been used for — lots n lots of movie filming here, apparently.
My fav, by far was the Chinese Garden as well as the library. They have really interesting pieces of work from authors and notable historic figures along w insight into their past. Very coool!

How many times have i visited Huntington Library? I would say 6 times.
**Beautiful landscapes/​gardens surround you as you enter the premises. Grab your kids, loved ones and or elderly and head out here.
Info.
–General admission is .
Adult – $ 23 weekday and $ 25 on a weekend
Seniors– $ 19 weekday, $ 21 weekend
Students-​$ 19 weekday, $ 21 weekend (proof of id)
Youth – $ 10
Children – Free
Hours:
Closed– Tuesdays!!!
Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Fri– 12pm to 4:30pm
Sat-​Sun– 10:30am to 4:30pm
Closed on all major holidays
Different gardens;
–Palm Garden
–Jungle Garden
–Desert Garden
–Australian Garden
–Lily Ponds
–Jungle Garden
–Shakespeare Garden
–Rose Garden
–Subtropical Garden
–Herb Garden
–Children’s Garden
–Chinese Garden
–Japanese Garden
& Art buildings
Only service dogs allowed
No tripods/​flashbulbs allowed
No picnics on grounds
**NOTE** Get your walking shoes on because you will be doing quite a bit of walking. I also don’t recommend going in the summer because the heat will affect your mood/​time spent there.
Have fun!

I absolutely loved this place!!! I can’t believe I’ve lived in LA all these years and had never been here.
This place is perfect to come with friends, family or your significant other. You can come and walk around for hours and enjoy the scenery every step of the way. There’s beautiful botanical gardens to visit especially on a sunny day.
There’s different libraries you can visit and learn a lot of things you weren’t expecting to read about. I was here with my husband for about 3 hours and I have to say we still didn’t get to see it all.
You can come enjoy some food and coffee at the café or the tea restaurant. No matter where you are walking by you are guaranteed to take some beautiful pictures. I will most definitely be back here again!

GIVE YOURSELF AT LEAST 4 HOURS HERE!!! This place is huge.
This is not some dinky stroll through the park or small garden. This place is HUGE. I am so sad that I did not do more research because I was expecting 1.5 — 2 hours to be plenty of time. It does not look that big when you first get in and then you walk in and realize just how much of a trek it is to get to the different gardens. The place is gorgeous and you hear so much about the Getty in SoCal, but definitely not enough about this place.
I will stop telling people to check out the Getty and to go here because this place is AWESOME. I only had time to briefly check out the Chinese, Japanese, Lily Ponds and part of the Desert Gardens, but I will be back with some picnic food, camera and PLENTY more time.
The Chinese and Japanese gardens were so peaceful and I could see myself just spending hours there strolling or taking some time to just sit and read a book.
I did not even check out any art so my next visit will be less rushed and I will be able to enjoy all the beauty this place as to offer.

After a third trip to the Huntington Library, it’s still charming and beautiful with something new to explore and enjoy. One trip is not enough since there was is so much ground to cover. Since I’ve seen most of the exhibits during the my previous visits, I only saw the American Art collection.
Since it was warm autumn day, it was great to see different gardens while finding shade in different spots. With a bamboo trail, bonsai trees, a zen garden and beautiful landscaping, the Japanese Garden tends to have the most visitors. My friends and I ate lunch at the Chinese Garden, which also had nice picturesque spots with a pond, bridges and pagodas. I also loved the Desert Garden filled with so many succulents and cacti with a landscape that reminded me of Arizona. The Desert Garden Conservatory is only open on Saturdays, which was filled with pots of dessert plants. I also loved the rain forest feel of the Botanical Center. There is also a cute Children’s Garden with tunnels, sculpted shapes like a volcano, and fountains.
The gift shop is a must stop too. Whether if you’re into Shakespeare, gardening, or tea, there are different sections with themed mugs, books and gifts. I love the Huntington Library because of the beautiful gardens and cannot wait to go back.

Library, art collections, and botanical gardens are exactly my idea of fun. I’ve always wanted to visit this huge research institution and I was thankfully able to during a visit to L.A. It exceeded my expectations and I would happily go back.
Open every day except Tuesdays. Admission is $ 23/​weekdays and $ 25/​weekends for adults. Admission is free on the first Thursday of the month with advance tickets.
The Library: Huge collection of rare books and manuscripts, specifically focused on British and American history and literature. Popular items include the Gutenberg Bible, letters from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Abe Lincoln, first two quartos of Hamlet, some drafts of Walden, and other manuscripts. The library is also used for scholarly research.
The Art: Again, enormous collection of artwork, focused mainly on 18^th-​19^th century British art and American art in the 1950s-​60s. 650 paintings, 440 sculptures.
The Gardens: More than a dozen themes, including Australian Garden, Desert Garden, Herb Garden, Japanese Garden, Chinese Garden, Shakespeare Garden, and much more. We only got through the Desert, Lily Ponds, Japanese, Chinese, Rose, and Herb Gardens on our visit.
My favorite gardens were the Japanese, Chinese, and Rose Gardens. The Japanese Garden features koi ponds, ceremonial teahouse, large bell, bridge, and bonsai collections. Very tranquil. The Chinese Garden has a huge manmade lake with pavilions that’s reminiscent of the Summer Palace in Beijing. There’s also a teahouse here. They’re in the process of expanding the Chinese Garden to include more pavilions, structures, and a penjing collection. Again, very peaceful and serene in the Chinese Garden.
The three-​acre Rose Garden has more than a thousand different cultivars. It’s a sensory sensation here due to the beautiful colors and fragrant smells. I loved walking through the rows of rose beds and noting the various names of the roses, like Hotel California, Audrey Hepburn, and other well-​known names.
Open M-​F except Tuesday 12 – 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 — 4:30. During summer, it’s open every day except Tuesday from 10:30 — 4:30. Highly recommend!

This is probably the only library I have walked in on my on will and actually enjoyed. This place is great for both local and tourists. If you are not from SoCal and you have time, you must stop here if you get a chance. Its a pretty nice park with a historic library, art galleries, gardens and tea room All the gardens are amazing — I cannot believe how many they have! My favorite one is the Japanese Garden. There are also tons of art galleries.
If you are local and live nearby, why not get an annual pass? You can come here for a nice walk, read a book, study and whatnot. Definitely a great place for photos and a date. There is plenty of parking and if you are a student you get a discounted admission!

I miss this arboretum more than any other place in Los Angeles. The estate is beautiful beyond simple expression. There is something apropos about its status as a large research institution. You can find an original copy of the Canterbury Tales, among other treasures.
Gardens are divvied up by category. The japanese garden has a bonsai exhibit, a zen garden, a classic home, and a dramatically sloped bridge. The bridge is always roped off to discourage accidents. As a child I remember thinking that the rope would be cast aside for a short hour each day, during which people would compete to cross to the other side.
Chinese Guardian Lions guard a thicket of bamboo (fun fact: the male is the one with a paw on an embroidered ball, and the female is the one with the cub). You can tell how quickly the bamboo grows by seeing how high the illicit etchings have risen. I’ve seen countless X loves Y. It’s a good date location.
Be careful when you walk through the cactus garden. Cacti are so plentiful that any act of clumsiness will certainly skewer you. Be sure to make your way to the rose gardens. They contain more varieties than I knew existed. It smells otherworldly in the most glorious way possible.
The last time I visited was with an ex-​beau on an anniversary. I was showing him my hometown and we wandered to the entrance ticketless. We asked people if they had any extra passes, and two women renewing their yearly membership gifted us their tickets for the day. It’s hard to go to Huntington Library and feel ungenerous. It’s expensive but worth seeing at least once.
Advice: if you want to take advantage of free day, get tickets far in advance. Pack sunscreen – it’s always sunny in the sunshine state. Strategically bring your own food. Though the café is nice, it’s unnecessarily expensive. Don’t pass up the opportunity to see Pinky and Blue Boy. They are originals and they are stunning.

I didn’t even know Huntington Library existed until the boyfriend suggested checking it out. We ended up going on a Friday afternoon right after lunch at Dog Haus, but it was so hot that I only lasted for two hours at the venue.
This is a cool date spot, as well as a way to get out, explore and stretch your legs if you’re in Pasadena. Huntington Library not only consists of a large library (we didn’t make it to the library), but also various art collections and a botanical garden. Unfortunately, we only spent time in the botanical gardens before I felt like passing out … so I guess I’ll just have to revisit the venue at some point. At least we got to see all the gardens that I was interested in seeing!
Here were some of the gardens that we made it to:
Lily Ponds: There’s something about water that I always found peaceful, and on this particularly hot day, I wanted to see the lily ponds even moreso. It was definitely calming to hear the sounds of gentle, streaming water and seeing the koi swimming beneath the lily pads. This area of the garden was filled with bamboo forests – which also provided some welcomed shade – and fields of long, lavender flowers that were beautiful to behold.
Japanese Garden: This one had to be our favorite, of all the gardens, and this is the closest I’m getting to Japan for the time being. I think we spent the most time in the Japanese garden. It was here that we sat in the shade of a small pavilion and the boyfriend explained what «komorebi» was to describe the lighting effects at the time; we also took our time going through the bonsai collection and zen court. It was especially cool to see the different patterns raked into the gravel. I think my favorite part of this garden had to be the landscape that included the distinctive moon bridge, koi-​filled ponds and the historic Japanese house. It wasn’t too crowded on the day that we went, so I was able to take really great panoramic shots of the different gardens when we came to a scenic spot.
Chinese Garden: We toured the «Garden of Flowing Fragrance» right after the Japanese garden, and it was neat to notice the differences in architecture and style. The landscape indeed looked like it came straight out of a painting — there was a bridge that went across the lake and everything was completely still and picturesque. We passed through the pavilion and enjoyed the small waterfalls from the limestone rocks.
Rose Garden: I don’t think we actually made it to the Rose Garden because I don’t recall seeing a lot of roses that day (either we didn’t make it or maybe they weren’t blooming?). But I know that this section of the garden is supposed to be extraordinary. I definitely want to see those blossoms one day … perhaps I’ll just have to visit the library on a not-​so-​hot day to make the most of the trip. The boyfriend mentioned that this is a popular place to take engagement photos … if all the flowers are in full bloom, I can definitely understand why!
The art collections consist of both, European art and American art. I wouldn’t mind exploring the exhibits, and I know this is an area of interest for the boyfriend, who was an art major. But books really captivate my interest, so I definitely hope to return to see the library.
According to the website, the Huntington Library features collections that date from the Middle Ages to the 21^st century. This includes works from the Renaissance to British and American literature. I know that I’m most interested in some of the more permanent exhibitions, such as seeing «The Canterbury Tales» and some of Shakespeare’s works because reading those were some of my favorites from my high school English classes.

The Huntington Gardens — das ist ein wundervoller Ausflug, wenn man in Los Angeles ist: nicht nur ein Museum, vor allem einen riesigen, wundervollen Park findet man da vor. Es gibt Gärten aller Art: Kakteengarten, Rosengarten, Kamelien, Kräuter, einen japanischen Garten und, und, undmühelos kann man da den ganzen Tag verbringen und sich vom Trubel der Stadt erholen! Für Kinder ebenfalls sehr geeignet.
Für mich ist es einer der schönsten botanischen Gärten, die ich gesehen habe (er gehört einer Stiftung).
Also, auf der nächsten USA Tour nach California nicht nur Disneyland oder Universal Studios oder Hollywooddas hier ist beeindruckend schön und erholsam!