Greystone Mansion & Gardens: The Doheny Estate — Attraction in Beverly Hills

Today, I had an extremely distressing encounter with a park ranger, and I feel compelled to share the experience. It was my first time visiting the mansion, so like many first-timers, we relied on Google Maps for directions. Unfortunately, the app led us to the back parking lot instead of the main parking lot. We didn’t notice any signs indicating otherwise, nor did we hear the park ranger—until he suddenly and aggressively banged on our car.

Startled and confused, we immediately rolled down the window. The ranger, instead of calmly explaining the situation, began yelling at us for entering the area. He accused us of intentionally ignoring his instructions, even though we hadn’t seen or heard anyone before his abrupt approach. Despite our immediate apology—acknowledging that we were in the wrong for entering the incorrect area—he continued to berate us. His tone was not just stern but laced with hostility, and his words were filled with unnecessary rudeness.

As a 19-year-old Asian girl, this encounter was more than just uncomfortable; it was genuinely intimidating and felt threatening. I couldn’t help but feel that the ranger’s behavior was influenced by prejudice. His aggressive demeanor and the way he singled us out felt racially charged, especially given the fact that my father and I are people of color. This is not just about an unpleasant experience; it’s about the broader implications of such behavior from someone in a position of authority.

It’s deeply unsettling to think that a park ranger—someone who is supposed to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all visitors—would act in such a hostile manner. His actions made me question whether he was there to protect and assist visitors or to intimidate and antagonize them. It is completely unacceptable for anyone, especially a park ranger, to treat visitors with such disrespect and aggression. His behavior was not only unprofessional but also felt discriminatory, leaving us shaken and questioning our safety.

I believe it’s important to address this issue because no one should have to experience what we did. Parks and public spaces should be welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background. There’s no excuse for this kind of conduct, and it’s crucial that such behavior is not tolerated or overlooked.

Truly was he hired to...

This is a beautiful place to visit and explore the scenery along with its history. There's a lot of stairs while walking around the area. The parking is free and there's plenty of space they offer. However I was very much in shock when this park ranger named Claire approached me. She was very rude and disrespectful to us. Their hours of operation on here and the website is until 6pm, but we were already kicked out before 5:30. She told us that they're already close and we needed to leave now with attitude and was quite rude to us (as we were walking upstairs making sure this is the correct way back to the parking lot). I told her "oh we're going right now" and she continues to talk back to us. Then before we leave to walk to our car I asked her what time they close and she said 5:30, which I thought was odd since it's posted up to close at 6pm on the website and on yelp. Then we get into our car with plenty of cars parked around us to see what our next destination would be before leaving. However, she drives the park ranger car and approaches us while we sit in the parking lot for no longer than 5 minutes to tell us that we need to go and we said okay we will and she said "like right now you guys need to go." I thought it was odd how there's a bunch of cars parked, but she was only telling US to leave immediately. Why demand us to leave when we've only been in our cars for 5 minutes while there's other cars around? She came off insanely rude and I thought it was horrible that she approached us that way. I looked into other reviews and it seems that the way employees here treat us is solely upon our looks. Not sure if I would recommend but I would definitely be wary and...

Easily my favorite free activity in the whole county. Let me tell you why.

This property was once owned by the Doheny family. It is now a public park owned by the city where movies, tv shows and the like have filmed. The grounds is open to the public. The inside of the home is not. You can however go inside by signing up for a tour or attending one of their music events.

Fortunately for me, I live just a couple miles away. On the days that life gets a little too noisy, I walk over here to sit and think while I enjoy the silence and views of the city.

The parking lot takes up a lot of space so there’s plenty of spots. Walking around here reminds me of the south of France and Tuscany. When the premises are sparse you really get to enjoy the stillness of it all. My favorite corner is the pond full of kois and turtles.

While I do understand why it isn’t allowed, I really wish they would reconsider letting people picnic in the grass area. It would be so nice to just lay out in that huge area whilst reading or just being.

I had the pleasure of attending a concert inside on a Sunday. Me and a friend enjoyed an hour of the VART Duo siblings who both play the violin. They were accompanied by Filippo Lugnan, an Italian pianist. What a lovely experience it was.

You can tell the staff takes great pride in the upkeep of this massive property. The grounds are always clean, well kept and all plants trimmed. I always take the time to walk around to smell all the flowers and herbs.

Thank you for staying consistent and letting is enjoy this beautiful property. I love this place so much it’s always the first place I take out of town visitors to. No one had ever been...