The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California is an extraordinary place to spend a relaxing weekend and inspire your inner muse. With over 120 acres of picturesque gardens, exploring The Huntington's Botanical Gardens is a day trip in itself.

There are over 15 varieties of gardens: the Australian Garden, Children's Garden, Chinese Garden, Desert Garden, Herb Garden, Japanese Garden, Jungle Garden, Lily Ponds, Conservatory, Palm Garden, Rose Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Subtropical Garden, the Teaching Greenhouse, and the Sculptures on the North Vista Lawn. Some of the most unforgettable ones are the Chinese, Japanese, North Vista Lawn, and Children's Gardens.

The Chinese Garden, also known as the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, boasts of pavilions, bridges, Teahouse, and several walkways surrounding a reflective lake. True to Chinese tradition, this garden is a work of art.

When you're in the Japanese Garden, keep your eye out for the road less traveled use the Bamboo tunnel off to the side. It will take you to the same place as you would if you had headed straight for the stairs, only it will reward you with a memorable cool walk. The Japanese Garden also has a Bonsai Court and decorated Japanese House.

The Helen & Peter Bing Children's Garden at The Huntington will keep your young ones engaged in learning through hands-on interactive play designed to teach kids about the four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The garden's tunneled walkways and teahouse are scaled to kid size to help your youngster feel right at home.

The Huntington's North Vista Lawn appeared in a scene of the movie, The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. It looks just as beautiful as it did in the movie. Rows of sculptures surround the perimeter of the lawn with a backdrop of trees to give it an enclosed feel. There's a fountain at the end of lawn that makes for great vacation photos.

Just as The Huntington is too vast and beautiful to cover properly in one day's visit, this article can only attempt to cover some of the more memorable aspects of the Botanical Gardens.

For more information about The Huntington visit: www.huntington.org.

Address:

1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 405-2100

Admission:

Weekdays Pricing:
$15 adults, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students, $6 youth, free for children under 5.

Weekends and Monday Holidays:
$20 adults, $15 seniors (65+), $10 students, $6 youth, free for children under 5

Memberships start at $100.