The Huntington Library And Botanical Gardens

A great day of exploring

I enjoyed the Desert Garden and Japanese Garden the most at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. The Los Angeles Times and the Right to a Free Press exhibit was shown at the Library Exhibit Hall during the time that I went there. Some of the things shown at this exhibit is the LA Times’ Pulitzer Prize, letters from readers that supported and criticized the Times decision to ban porn ads, and a first issue of the LA Times. I didn’t get to see the Chinese Garden since it was still under construction and the Huntington Gallery was closed for renovation as well. This place is huge, so I suggest spending the whole day there if you want to see everything.

I remember we visited the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens as a senior in high school in Mr. Curnutt’s class. We had a great time. I remember the roman statues that were so neat. It was a wonderful trip.

We visited over Christmas. It was beautiful, even though many of the plants were dormant in the Cali “winter.” I loved the Japanese garden! When we move to California I want to get a yearly pass so I can go whenever I want…there’s just so much to see and it’s all gorgeous!
Also, on a cool note, we saw the famous “Blue Boy” painting which was on display at the museum while we were there. It’s a really famous painting that is featured in a lot of Victorian period movies!

They have a manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and a Gutenberg Bible… I was in awe!

Leave the entire afternoon open, as if you are inclined to go to a place like this you will want to explore all day long.

I spent one afternoon by myself wandering the gardens. I came across a group of young Asian tourists taking a picture in front of a tree or something. I tried to offer to take a picture of the whole lot of them, but somehow ended up being in the picture myself. Random

I was blessed to temp here a couple of years ago, in between jobs. (Great people work behind the scenes – very passionate about their work and bringing art to the people.) Anyway – HOT RUMOR – you would not believe how many people call on a regular basis and claim that they own the “real” Blue Boy. Yep. Some of them have confused an old paint by number kit that was popular in the 1950s with the “real thing”. I remember someone calling me, explaining that they had found this portrait in their grandfather’s attic after he died, they thought it was a long lost painting from the same series, and they were so disappointed that it wasn’t worth a ton of moolah.

I once walked there in the rain, wearing a very good waterproof coat. That was the most gorgeous I had seen the gardens. The rain slowed and eventually stopped, the flowers were simply radiant, AND I got to try the tea without having made prior reservations (because I suppose many cancelled due to the rain.)

It is at least a day’s work to see the gardens and the galleries and the souvenir/gift shop (and maybe have some tea?). It’s always a delight. Lovely for children too, of course.

I was living in San Marino for a while, so this place was right around the corner for me. Definitely definitely worth visiting. If you get a chance to do tea at the teahouse that also is very cool. I loved the bamboo field also, very tranquil.

The above was supa cool, because how often do you see that addition to the mix of flora and fauna? Props.