Descanso Gardens
add photosFood & beverage can be purchased at the Café Descanso; no picnicking allowed
3 Reviews for Descanso Gardens
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'10, '11, '12
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"Tons for Families to Enjoy"
Descanso Gardens is a 160-acre urban retreat featuring gardens, woodlands & chapparel. Highlights include the Oak Forest (with its magnificent camellia collection), the Rose Garden, the Boddy House, the Japanese Garden, talking to the fish at the pond & the Children’s Maze.
And even though it doesn’t have a designated Children’s Garden, my kids discovered plenty of places worth exploring. They especially enjoyed searching for fairies and gnomes and playing hide and go seek in the Rose Garden, and bird watching at the pond and lake.
Little train lovers will especially like the Enchanted Railroad. It runs on weekends, but schedules are subject to weather and availability; best to call ahead to see if the train is running at (818) 949-4290. There is a small fee to ride.
Descanso hosts several programs for children & families throughout the year, so check the website before you go.
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0 families found this helpful
"A favorite of mine"
I have been going to Descanso ever since I was a kid and I loved it then and love it now. The gardens are amazing. There are so many fun things to find in all the paths. I wish the Tea House still served tea and almond cookies like it did when I was a kid. If you enjoy photography, you will never run out of pictures here. Bring some bread heels to feed the ducks and a couple of dollars to ride the train. Many evenings & weekends they do programs for children so check their schedule.
2 families found this helpful
"Descanso Gardens"
If you are ever in the Pasadena or Glendale, CA area and you are looking for a great place to enjoy the great outdoors and a hidden gem, go to Descanso Gardens. This place was once owned by Manchester Boddy (former publisher of the Los Angeles Daily News) and is open year-round. Enjoy the multi acre beautiful gardens, observe the wildlife at the pond, ride the small train on the weekends, visit the Boddy house (recently remodeled in 2008), take a tram ride, or just take a nice hike. On certain holidays, they offer special events like Easter Egg hunts and Halloween festivals. In the summertime, they are now offering late nights (Tues-Thurs),and have opened up a a cocktail bar in the Japanese tea garden. A nice touch for after work wind down.
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