Category: Museums

If you want to get out of the city, love flowers, gardening, art, or just need a change from the usual girls night out routine, Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino is a refreshing daytime excursion. Wear comfortable shoes, because there is plenty to see and do here, and about 120 acres of it!

Started by Henry Huntington over 100 years ago, Huntington Botanical Gardens now offers some 15,000 kinds of plants from all over the world. The estate is beautifully landscaped with over a dozen themed gardens, and features a Cafe, Tea Room, and Gift Shop.

In the Japanese Garden you’ll find an upper middle class home from the 1800’s built in the Shoin style, a brook of koi fish, and an elegant high arching bridge. Flowering plum, bamboo, and Japanese Black Pine are planted throughout, with a special pavilion dedicated to Bonsai trees.
This year (2008) the Rose Garden celebrates its Centennial at the Huntington, and the official flower of the Centennial is the Huntington Rose, a many-petaled English rose created by David Austin Nurseries and named specially for the Huntington. The best months to visit the Rose Garden are from May to July, and October to November when the roses are in full bloom.

Starting February 23rd, 2008, the Chinese Garden will be open for the first time to the public. Plants like camellias, pine and lotus are classically landscaped around a 1.5 acre lake, along with hand sculpted stone bridges, and a canyon waterfall against a backdrop of tall California oaks.

There are many other gardens to explore including the Camellia Garden, the Herb Garden, the Australia Garden, or the Jungle Garden, which sits beside a lush Lily Pond. Neo-classical statues, ornate fountains, and benches with fanciful faces grace the well-groomed lawns, or serve as shady spots throughout the Gardens to take a break and decide what to see next.

For after the gardens, there is still more to see. The Huntington Art Gallery remains closed for renovation until May 28th, 2008, but you can still view Gainsborough’s famous “Blue Boy,” and Lawrence’s “Pinky” among other distinguished works of British and French art from the late 16th through the 18th centuries at the Erburu Gallery.

If that’s not enough, the Huntington Library Exhibition Halls display some of the most treasured rare books and manuscripts of Anglo-American civilization, including the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and early editions of Shakespeare's works. Many of these volumes are “illuminated” or feature colorful pages of hand painted illustrations and intricate works of calligraphy.

By now you’ll be pretty tired, but don’t forget to stop by the Huntington Gardens Gift Shop on your way out. Cards with exhibit images, gardening books, hats, shirts, pins, scarves and even parasols are among the novelty items available for purchase.

Adult admission to the Huntington is $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and Monday holidays. Seniors, students, children and large groups receive discounts. The first Thursday of every month is free but you need to make reservations in advance. For gardeners, on the second Thursday of every month, free lectures are given in the Friend’s Hall by authors and gardening experts from all over the world, culminating in plant sales in the Plant Sale Nursery.

The Huntington is located near Pasadena, about twelve miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Photos courtesy of Randolph Scott

Located in the heart of Los Angeles is a wonderful resource that helps foster an appreciation and deeper understanding of art, Barnsdall Art Park. The Barnsdall Art Park features international art displays and exhibits, as well as resources to strengthen the community's knowledge of art, and also houses the famous Hollyhock House, which was designed for Aline Barnsdall by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Things To See

When visiting Barnsdall Art Park there are four major features that you will want to enjoy. First, is the unique view of Hollywood, including a fantastic view of the landmark Hollywood sign. The Park is located on Olive Hill and is situated at the intersection of Hollywood and Vermont.

The second site is the Hollyhock House that was built between 1919 and 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright for Aline Barnsdall. There are scheduled times that you may take guided tours of the home. For parties larger than ten people, reservations are recommended. Tours are available from Wednesday through Sunday at 12:30, 1:30, and 3:30 Pacific Times. Tickets for students and seniors cost $3.00 and adults cost $7.00. Children twelve years and under are free. It should also be mentioned that there is no photography allowed throughout the tours.

During your visit, you'll also want to see the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and the Barnsdall Gallery Theater. The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery features many works of art by both local and international artists. The Barnsdall Gallery Theater features a number of theater groups and showcases live performances.

Classes & Art Workshops

The Barnsdall Art Pak is operated by the Community Arts Division of the Cultural Affairs Department. They also offer many art programs as well as workshops. In addition to these regular classes, the Junior Arts Center provides community art resources for children and youth. For more information or to find out the current list of workshops, visit: http://www.barnsdallart.com

The Getty Villa in Malibu reopened recently after undergoing a huge renovation which began in 1997 (the collection was relocated to the Getty Center in Brentwood). Nine years and $275 million dollars later, the Getty Villa is better than even – housing an impressive collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. If you’ve visited the Getty Villa in the past, or at least before the renovation began, you’ll notice that quite a few changes have been made. Although most of the Getty Villa was rebuilt, the original Roman-inspired architecture and gardens have been preserved.

Admission

Admission to the Getty Villa is free but there is an $8 fee for parking. The fee is good for one car or motorcycle. An advance timed ticket is required for entry and you can obtain it in one of two ways:

By Phone: You can make reservations over the phone by calling (310) 440-7300

Online: Tickets can be reserved online through the Getty Villa website: Reservations

Getting Here

The Getty Villa is located along Pacific Coast Highway in the Pacific Palisades. In order to access the Villa, you must enter from the northbound right-hand lane of PCH.

Opening to the public in December of 1996, the J. Paul Getty Museum houses an impressive collection of Western art dating back to the Middle Ages. Combined with remarkable architecture, lush gardens, and a spectacular view of the city, the Getty Museum provides a truly unique experience

Originally located in Malibu since 1974, the Getty Museum was moved to its current location in Brentwood; meanwhile, the Malibu location was renamed to Getty Villa. The current collection at the Getty Center includes European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture and decorative arts, and European and American photographs.

Getting There

The Getty Center is easy to find and it’s really hard to miss once you get close. If you take the 405, you’ll want to take the Getty Center Dr exit. If the 405 is congested, and it normally is, you can exit onto Sepulveda Blvd which runs parallel to the freeway. Once you park your car, you’ll have to take a short shuttle/tram ride up to the Museum.

Cost

Admission to the Getty Center is free and no reservations are required. The only cost you’ll incur is $8 for parking.