Amanda Olynik

Explore The Huntington (Gardens, Library, and Art Gallery)

The Solo Scale:

What better place to be alone with your thoughts and spend as much time as you like than an expansive set of gardens? Huntington Gardens is ideal to spend a day by yourself, simply appreciating nature.

Located in Pasadena, the Botanical Gardens at the Huntington are just part of the larger estate, which also features the Library and Art Gallery. For those who have a green thumb, it’s the Botanical Gardens that are the real draw. Don’t be fooled by thoughts of a garden being small — Huntington is a large enough location that you can spend the entire day there.

If you do venture to the gardens, what will you find?

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden was originally created in 1908 for the private enjoyment of Henry and Arabella Huntington and originally extended all the way to the mansion. Roses were a particular favorite flower of Arabella’s. The garden was designed primarily for display, providing copious quantities of cut blooms for the large elaborate floral arrangements favored in their home. Household records indicate that in one year alone more than 30,000 flowers were used in these massive bouquets, 9,700 of which were roses.

Depending on when you go, the roses might be in full bloom or starting to go off-season. If you’re lucky enough to be there in bloom, it’s truly a perfumery of roses and gorgeous blossoms to admire as you wander through the trellis lined walkways.

The Japanese Gardens

It may seem slightly mismatched, but once you’re done with the rose gardens, you can venture into the Japanese Gardens. There’s also a Shoya House that you can venture into, but be mindful of the hours as it does have days where it’s closed and when it is open, it only operates for four hours (from noon to 4PM currently).

The Japanese Gardens with the moon bridge in the distance.

However, if it’s just gardens you’re after, there’s plenty to see from an impressive bonsai garden to a zen court, koi-filled ponds, and more!

The Desert Gardens

Unsurprisingly, one of the better gardens at the Huntington is going to be the desert garden. Given the proximity to actual desert climates, the expansive cacti and desert gardens will prove that deserts boast a beautiful array of flowering succulents. Plus, you can truly come to admire the variety that there are to desert plants.

It’s the first time that I’ve seen a desert garden that was more than a small room of plants. To this day, it’s the garden that I was most impressed with, and a must-visit if you’re at the gardens.

That’s just a sampling of the themed gardens. Huntington Gardens is a full-day experience because once you’ve visited the ones that I mentioned, you can keep on exploring at your own pace.

Want more details about the other gardens you can visit? Check out the details at the website here, and you can find a list below of the remaining gardens that I haven’t already mentioned.

  • Australian Gardens
  • California Gardens
  • Camellia Garden
  • Chinese Garden
  • Herb Garden
  • Jungle Garden
  • Palm Garden
  • Ranch Garden
  • Shakespeare Garden
  • Subtropical Garden
  • And even more!

If you’re lucky enough to be at the Gardens during one of the sales and you live locally (or in a country while allows shipping, which Canada sadly doesn’t), you can also pick up something for your garden during one of their sales!

See the Museum

It’s not just gardens that you’ll find. The Library and Art Museum are equally worth your time, though if you’re hoping to wander outside, this might not be what you’re after. Some of the highlights in the Library include a Gutenberg Bible (one of only 48 surviving today) and the Ellesmere Chaucer (the most complete surviving version of the work). There’s a whole host of other categories from British History to Science, Medicine, and Technology works and more.

Ellesmere Chaucer on display

If you’re an art fanatic, you can head over to the Art Museum on the same grounds. Some of the highlighted works here are Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy (1770) and a range of Asian & American art collections to enjoy.

Enjoy the Scenery

When you’re done with the gardens, the art museum and the library, you can still admire the San Gabriel Mountain range in the background. It’s a lot for a single day, which is why it would be worth multiple visits if you’re in the area. That way, you can truly take your time in every area and don’t miss out on anything.

For more information and to plan your visit, check out the Huntington’s website here.

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