Huntington Library Art Collection and Botanical Gardens
add photosFree Day
Admission to The Huntington is free to all visitors on the first Thursday of every month with advanced tickets. Hours on Free Day are 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
11 Reviews for Huntington Library Art Collection and Botanical...
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00 families found this helpful
"beautiful get-away for yourself, you and a date, or the family"
A friend introduced me to this hidden treasure 10 years ago, and I fell in love with it immediately. It has not lost any of its charm since then. The gardens are nothing short of breathtaking. It is an incredibly spacious property; chances are, even if you've been there before you're likely to stumble across something new each time. The children's garden is great. Lots of water spots to splash around in, a tunnel/fort to play in, among other natural "play structures." If you have the time, make a reservation for a tea time too. It's pricey but lots of fun. If I had a daughter I'd love to take her for a formal tea time there!
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"not for little ones"
This is a beautiful historic home, garden, and art collection. I love going here to see Pinky and Blue Boy. The gardens are exquisite and there are few more pretty. I would say this is not for the under 9 crowd in my experience. Although the grounds are beautiful it isn't very kid friendly. May is a great month to visit and since you are close to Pasadena making lunch plans in downtown Pasadena is very fun.
'11
0 families found this helpful
"the kids love the children's garden."
We have a membership to the Huntington. We do love it. There is a children’s garden and learning center. The kids love going for those areas, but not so much for the other parts of the gardens. My husband and I love the other parts of the gardens and library. And when the kids go to the other parts they do have a good time. We always leave having had a good experience.
It is definitely worth becoming a member if you live in the area. They have wonderful summer concerts and other member (free) events through out the year.
p.s. in the summer time bring a swimsuit for the children’s garden…there is a lot of water play.
1 family found this helpful
"Wake up and smell the magnolias!"
They have a FREE day on the first Thursday of the month, but you have to get reservations the previous month which start being distributed on the first day of the month at 9am. They usually distribute quickly so you have to be on time. Then they will mail you the tickets. All for FREE. Parking is FREE too. You can get up to 5 tickets (children don't need one)
I take my 2 year old almost every month (sometimes I don't luck out). We usually go see the Japanese Garden and he loves to look at the fish and ducks. Then we make our way to the Children's Garden. Kind of hard to find. It is behind the Rain Forest Building (you can go through it). Bring swimsuit for kids and shoes that can get wet. They have small water fountains that the kids can play with. He also loves the rainbow tunnel and the musical rocks.
1 family found this helpful
"Spectacular gardens"
The Children's Garden is a must see when visiting the Huntington Library with small children. My son could not get enough of opening and closing a little blue door that led to an arbor of grapevines, just tall enough for little ones to walk through. It was as if the garden was made just for him with things he loved to discover and interact with.
Our other favorite part of this place was the Japanese Gardens. The bridges were impressive (a favorite of my boys') and the plants and flowers spectacular.
We wandered much farther "below" in the gardens, as everything slopes downhill from the entrance and found quiet ponds, solitary paths and sloping lawns. I wanted to spend the rest of the day relaxing on the grass and studying the leaves on the trees. But my youngsters pressed me on to see the fish swimming in the ponds, and then it was time to go home.
2 families found this helpful
"Explore the Children's Garden"
The Children’s Garden is a total hands-on experience teaching kids all about earth, air, fire and water. My son loved the marble jets (which shoot water into the air), the prism tunnel (a crawl-through experience with changing prism lights) and the magnetic sand (where magnets allow you to create cool shapes). Kids must be supervised while they’re here, but there are plenty of great spots for you to sit back and enjoy the experience, too. Bring a change of clothes, because if they’re doing it right, kids will get dirty and/or wet. This place is a wonderful spot for kids to discover many of nature’s gifts, but it’s not perfect. On weekdays, the gardens don’t open until noon, which seems like lunch time or close to nap time for most little ones. We opted to visit on the weekend instead, which was considerably busier. And although kids under 5 are free (yay!), adults aren’t. Unless you take advantage of all the Huntington has to offer, it’s hard to feel like that’s money well spent. (That said, my 4 year old loved both the Chinese and Japanese gardens, but boy is there a lot of walking!) Consider going on the free day (the first Thursday of each month) for a great bargain on nature fun.
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"Beautiful"
If you are looking for a stunning place to take pictures of your kids, this is it. The gardens are world class. From the first time I went there as a kid, I have loved the Japanese garden. Children love to see the koi in there huge pond. The new Chinese garden is amazing as well. They always have a changing exhibit as well as the regular collection of art. Smaller kids may have a harder time inside the library so if you have kids under 10, you probably want to stick with the gardens.
0 families found this helpful
"Sunday High Tea"
This is a MUST for moms with their daughters...very classy and well done, great selection of finger foods and sandwichs with the crust cut-off, wonderful pastries and the ambiance is great in a setting of botanical beauty on lush grounds.You should either build up your appetite before Tea with a walk through the surrounding gardens or walk through the plantings after Tea and your daughters should dress up for this event !
1 family found this helpful
"Impressive Gardens"
Tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood, the Huntington Library is noted for its great book and art collection as well as beautiful spacious gardens complete with tours and mature trees. It's well conceived and maintained grounds is connected with the Pacific Railroad magnate and Southern California development history. Kids would love to roam around the newly constructed Chinese gardens, as well as the Japanese, Shakespeare and desert gardens. Unique plant specimens make for interesting photography.
Bookstore and restrooms near the entrance to the library. Besides a cafe, there is a small snack cart outside with limited hours.
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"Fun with the Family"
At the 150-acre Huntington, you can walk through perfectly manicured gardens on your way to view a precious scrap of Emily Dickinson poetry or other historical documents and manuscripts. The library is home to many first-edition books, including a Gutenberg
Bible. The wonderful exhibits bring history into perspective, reminding us how people managed to communicate before computers and faxes. The oil paintings, furniture, and decorative accessories are elegantly displayed. There’s a restaurant, the Rose Garden Cafe (enjoy an English tea; 626–683–8131), and an excellent bookshop. The Helen and Peter Bing Children’s Garden offers one acre of kinetic sculptures
and activities for children ages two through seven.
2 families found this helpful
"Beautiful, and the English Tea is a treat"
We often go on the free Thursday, and will reserve a spot well in advance for the English Tea Buffet. My children feel quite grown up when they are allowed to attend the tea, and they especially love the fancy desserts. The gardens are amazing. We also love to browse the main house and all the gorgeous artwork in the many galleries. Even young children can appreciate the beauty. The children's kinesthetic garden will entertain your young children as well. We also love the bookstore, and nearly always buy a plant when the annual plant sales are going on. Our absolute favorite garden is the Japanese garden. It is so amazing, and you feel as if you've been transported across the globe! We also love the bonzai trees! Wow. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, and bring your camera!
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