The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a truly spectacular world class oasis tucked away right in the middle of a beautiful residential area. The sheer variety and scale of the themed spaces here are unmatched; it easily boasts what are arguably the finest Japanese, Chinese, and desert/cactus gardens in all of Southern California, all meticulously curated within a single property. You can easily spend an entire day just getting lost in the breathtaking landscapes.​Beyond the stunning flora, the estate houses an incredible library and art museum filled with historic masterpieces, rare manuscripts, and fascinating rotating exhibitions. It is also quite compelling to dive into the local history and learn about the legacy of the founder, Henry E. Huntington, and how this magnificent estate came to be. Another absolute highlight of the estate is their fantastic Rose Garden Tea Room. Their high tea service is exceptional and easily comparable in quality and elegance to the famous afternoon tea at the nearby The Langham Huntington, Pasadena hotel. Before heading out, make sure to stop by their beautifully stocked, expansive bookshop, which is filled with unique gifts and don't forget to check out their Saguaro Cactus body lotion which smells amazing, our favorite.​This is undoubtedly one of the definitive must visit destinations in the greater Los Angeles area. We make it a point to return a couple of times every year, and honestly, the scenery changes beautifully with the seasons so we never get bored. Whether you are an art lover, a history buff, or someone just looking for a serene escape, this place delivers a flawless 5-star experience every single time.

We visited this enormous park at an allocated time due to it’s demand/popularity. There were free valet parking services. Our bags were inspected by security guards before entering.There were different garden displays representing various countries such as Australia, China, Japan, Mediterranean etc.There were museums with exhibitions of paintings and artifacts to enjoy.There were also cafeterias in different parts of the gardens.For those with limited mobility, shuttles were available free of charge that drove around the grounds.Certain areas were hilly and had a few steps to get to the gardens. Most parts were however accessible by wheelchairs and pushchairs.Highly recommended.

For a family of four it gets expensive in the weekend ($34 per adult, $15 per kid) but parking is free and you can spend 4-5 hours between gardens and museums. The Japanese garden is spectacular and the succulents are cool too.

My wife wanted to visit the gardens since she is a gardener and bird lover. We took a day and a half to tour the gardens; it really does take that much time to see everything. Getting there was easy, parking no problem, but expect crowds any day of the week.The staff is very helpful, and the available tram is worth riding to get around, especially on warm days (it was in the 80s when we visited; you need a hat). As other reviews said you need good shoes.I visited a couple of the galleries while my wife chased birds. She did see and photographed some birds she hadn't seen before. The galleries were extensive and engaging. The highlight of the visit for me was the rose garden, with the Japanese garden with extensive bonsai tress a close second.All in all, this was a fantastic place to visit, if we come back to California, we would definitely visit again.

I have traveled a lot (49 US states and 20+ countries) and visiting museums and botanical gardens is one of my primary activities when travelling. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover The Huntington until last summer (despite numerous trips to Los Angeles) but I’m now determined to see it in every season. This was my second visit and I loved seeing the new museum exhibits and different plants that were flowering this time. I highly recommend getting there when it opens so you can enjoy all three museums and all of the different gardens. The Chinese and Japanese are unmatched (and I used to be a member at the San Francisco Japanese Gardens), as is the desert garden (I also used to live in Arizona, but this desert garden is amazing). I also recommend the tea room and their fabulous gift shop.