The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens — Attraction in San Marino

I came here with my parents on Good Friday. We purchased tickets in advance online and arrived just after 1pm. The line to get in was out the door and ridiculously long. There was a person (I'm assuming a volunteer?) Out front answering questions, but he wasn't directing us on what to do, if we had to stand in that line to purchase tickets or what. They could used more queuing stantions and signage so the line didn't cross a driving lane in the parking lot... not very safe.

After waiting in line for AGES in the direct sun, we got to a ticket counter to scan the QR code from our tickets we purchased ahead of time and that's literally it. Then we had to get those same tickets scanned again before entering the facility. I think the first line and scanning was a HUGE waste of time and patience because what they did at that counter was done later as you enter past the shop and restaurant. Super inefficient and completely unnecessary. Whoever thought of this process needs to be fired immediately and rethink their life choices. Why should I have to stand in line at the ticket counter when I already bought tickets? And why scan my tickets there when they're just going to scan them again at a mobile cart anyway? They didn't even give any information at the ticket counter. It was such a stupid process. Seriously, if the gardens weren't so spectacular, my overall rating would be very different. Ok, rant over... now onto the good stuff!

We decided to stick to the gardens this visit and bypassed the art galleries. We wandered into the camelia garden and while we were a little late for peak bloom, there were still plenty of very pretty flowers. We wandered into what I think was the Shakespeare garden (maybe?) and then headed to the conservatory. My dad is super into orchids and he had read about a huge one they have and really wanted to check out their orchid collection, but the conservatory we assume the orchids were kept in was closed. Boo. But... the huge orchid he really wanted to see was on display in the Chinese garden and we happened to stumble upon it (again, they need better information on where to find things). Hooray!

The gem of this place is the Chinese garden. It is spectacular! The architecture and landscaping are incredible and could transform you to Shanghai. I wish there was more information available to tell you what everything symbolized. There was a pamphlet box near the entrance, but only a couple of pamphlets in Chinese were left, so maybe they typically have information available. Photos do not do the Chinese garden justice. It is really beautiful here. There is also a restaurant and a grab & go place where we got some much-needed cold water.

The Japanese garden is nice, but a little sad in comparison with the Chinese garden and other Japanese gardens I've been to. The two big features are the pond with the half-moon bridge and weeping willow, and the sand garden. I feel like they could do more with the ceremonial tea house, but it was nice that they included one, as is customary in most gardens in Japan. The bonzai collection (in both the Japanese and Chinese gardens) is outstanding! I wish the signage was a little better. It would be really cool to know the type of tree and how old it is.

My other favorite garden was the desert garden. So many succulents and cacti were in bloom! It was beautifully done and very nice to wander around before heading out.

Their gift shop is really great. Lots of great finds - something for everyone! It was clean and well-organized.

Overall, a very nice day. If they fixed the entrance line situation it would've been a...

My god, where do I start? This is heaven on earth! The Huntington is a world class research library with priceless artifacts that are displayed a fraction of a fraction at a time. The botanical gardens are filled with rare and unique specimens curated from all over the world in spectacular display. Grab a comfortable pair of shoes, you’ll be doing a lot of walking! Parking is free but can fill up throughout the day so get here as early as you can. Reserve paid tickets online ahead of time. There are a bunch of themed gardens to explore including the bigger Japanese and Chinese gardens, which were built using traditional methods and authentic materials. Other places like the rose and desert gardens simply can’t be missed!

The desert garden is a good first stop. As one of the largest outdoor collections in the world, it drops you right into the middle of an alien terrain surrounded by strange shapes and bright colors. The succulents and cacti come alive in ways you’ve never seen before, looming overhead in big spiky columns, and sprawled across the ground by your feet. The Japanese and Chinese gardens are heavy hitters. A nice cluster of bamboo and some koi ponds lead to an artfully arranged collection of bonsai, where you can go to see the rest of the Japanese garden grounds. The Chinese gardens seemed bigger, with unique rock sculptures, pleasing architecture, and more bonsai.

The rose garden is of course a crowd pleaser, and includes a very special rose: The Huntington’s 100th anniversary hybridized rose, which is fragrant (smelled bright and lemony to me) and blooms pink to yellow. My friends volunteer at the rose garden and will come in to prune and deadhead the bushes (applications open a few times a year—definitely on my to do list! Perks include free tickets + free guest pass and discounts on food.)

There are lots of places to sit and relax. You’ll find plenty of wildlife including ducks, lizards, squirrels, and turtles. There are other places too like the children’s garden, and a handful of art galleries to view select pieces on rotation. I haven’t even checked those out yet. Restrooms are clean, and there’s lots of places to throw your trash/pick up after yourself. There are a few dining options inside, which is convenient. You’ll probably spend all day here and will want to refuel! Well priced and pretty tasty. The cafeteria by the entrance is convenience and has great food including burgers, salads, sushi, Mexican, and pizza. There were two sit-down dining places for asian food at the Chinese garden as well. And the newly renovated building next to the rose garden now offers afternoon tea. Reservations are currently running months in advance but hopefully that’ll settle down eventually.

I cannot stress enough how extraordinary this place is. The staff goes above and beyond to keep everything in perfect shape. Please go if you get the chance. It’s a healing experience. It’s comforting to know that in the middle of urban sprawl, you can reconnect with nature and find something as...

Beautiful gardens and museum but some miscommunications and disappointing approach to outside food.

The miscommunications are for areas such as the museum, when you enter it's like going through a training program of where your bag can be, where your water bottle is, if it's open, and after going through it, you are then corrected on it in a different way by someone else inside. I have no tips to really avoid this other than limiting what you have on you.

The biggest disappointment was how outside food is handled. For someone like myself with a food allergy it has made it difficult going out places to eat for a number of reasons I won't drone on about here. So naturally the safest thing for me to do is bring my own. I thought, well of course we can't eat out and around the gardens but there is ample tables and chairs outside of the main pavilion to eat at. I of course was wrong and told that no food could be brought in and the tables to eat at are on the outside of the entrance, down a long walkway. So we walked back to the car to put our food in and walked around the gardens where we saw people eating at benches and walking while eating, people stopping in the walkway slurping their iced coffee. Then at lunch we walked back to the parking lot, ate in the car where we enjoyed the landscape of cars fighting for supremacy over parking spaces, and then returned back to the gardens. For this reason, it was really disappointing, exhausting, and disheartening, taking away from the enjoyment of the visit.

If you are a frequent visitor I could see this not being a problem as after a few hours you would just be leaving. For myself, I was a full day visitor, visiting once every few years (was hoping to go more frequently a year but not after this.)

Parking was not a problem, just a large lot to walk across, even the "close" rows.

Remember sunscreen, hats, umbrella, water (which they let you bring,) comfortable shoes, and some patience for others as it can become crowded.

All around a beautiful garden and landscape, and for the frequent visitor probably a great place to enjoy nature's beauty. For anyone bringing their own food, the extra steps through the parking lot are okay, but it's at least 2+ minutes of extra walking from entrance so just be prepared.

Entrance can be a little confusing, purchased tickets ahead of time, it felt like there was no line management the first time for us to ask a question. Second time coming back in was even more confusing. ( Membership side looked fine though.)

I hope at some point the food restriction is adjusted within reason. (No picnics, no alcohol, eating in designated areas...