Huntington Gardens

Activity Overview

The Huntington in San Marino, California is a major cultural and educational center. Aside from an impressive library and art collection the Huntington is home to over a dozen gardens. Each of these gardens is beautifully kept and maintained with thousands of different plant and flower varieties throughout. They are spread out over 120 acres of rolling lawns and make an excellent destination for a relaxing day out. The Huntington is also an ideal location for your child to learn about the natural world thanks to the variety of educational programs which it plays host to for children of all ages.

Things to Do

• The Japanese Garden is probably the Huntington's most famous garden; it has attracted over twenty million visitors since the institution opened its doors to the public in the 1920s. It is a beautifully sculpted place made for quiet contemplation.
• The Chinese Garden is also of note providing a similarly harmonious and tranquil setting for visitors to enjoy. The Desert Garden meanwhile is almost a hundred years and boasts one of the largest collections of cacti and other succulents in the world.
• Every second Thursday of the month the Huntington hosts free lectures on the hottest topics in horticulture today. They follow this with a plant sale. They also host annual spring and fall plant sales; you can check their calendar for dates of their upcoming sales and for details of other ongoing exhibitions and events.

Huntington Gardens Insider Tips

• All of the Huntington's services including the gardens are closed on Tuesdays. It opens at the slightly earlier time of 10.30 am on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Children under the age of 5 can enter the Huntington for free.