How to Spend a Day at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena

The Huntington Library & Gardens has one of the best gardens in the U.S. While the Huntington Library is a few miles from downtown Los Angeles, many visitors to LA don’t put the Huntington on their to-do list.

In my opinion, a day trip to Huntington Gardens is one of the best ways to spend a day in LA (even though it’s not actually in Los Angeles, but in nearby Pasadena).

I’m sharing some of my favorite garden photos and my recommendations for the best things to see and do at the Huntington – since it’s so large, you can’t see it all, even if you spend the entire day, like I did!

A person in a purple plaid shirt sitting in a chair next to the Huntington's European art collection.

How Much Time Do You Need at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena?

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We were so excited to explore The Huntington that we signed up for the 60-minute Estate Tour, which starts at 9 am – an hour before the official opening time.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the tour and could not find many Estate Tour reviews online.

The tour was a great introduction to the Huntington family. Our guide told us about their passion for collecting rare books, art and furniture while we strolled the garden grounds. Along the way, he provided personalized recommendations tailored to our tastes.

You can definitely enjoy Huntington Gardens in Pasadena without taking the Estate Tour.

But if you want early access, this tour is one I would recommend.

Because you could easily spend the entire day at Huntington Gardens and not see everything!

Is the Huntington Library Worth It?

Most of the library is for researchers, so it is not open to the public. There is a small collection on display, and we spent a few minutes browsing the Audubon folio and reading Lincoln’s letters to General Grant during the Civil War.

I appreciated a quick trip through the library and a chance to use the restroom and top off our water bottles – the day was warming up and it was just after 10 am.

It doesn’t take more than ten to fifteen minutes to see it. But if you are short on time or would prefer to visit one of the art museums, you can skip the library.

Huntington Library Gardens What to See

First off: what to see Huntington Gardens depends on the time of year you visit. We visited in early December, which turned out to be the perfect time to see many flowering plants.

Palm Garden

The Huntington Library Gardens begin with the Palm Gardens just opposite the entrance, which has a lovely collection of palms and cycads.

Jungle Garden

From the Palm Garden, we walked to the Jungle Garden, which a friend had recommended. Shaded paths led us past monstera plants, vines and trees to a small waterfall.

The jungle Garden wasn’t quite as densely planted as I was expecting but it was beautiful and very peaceful with birdsong.

Monstera leaves and large trees in the Jungle Garden.

Cactus Garden

From the waterfall at the Jungle Garden, backtrack to the cactus garden. It is one of the biggest Cactus botanical gardens I’ve seen (second only to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix).

Many of the cactuses were in bloom in December, so we spent a long time wandering past the barrel cactuses and aeoniums admiring the pretty cactus and succulent flowers.

We were lucky to have the cactus garden mostly to ourselves!

Cactuses in the botanical garden at the Huntington.

Australian Garden

Next to the cactus garden was the Australian garden, five acres with shrubs and trees.

I’d never seen an Australian Garden so I was excited, but to be honest it was a letdown.

There weren’t that many things planted, and what was there seemed a bit small, as if they were still building the garden. Perhaps it’s more attractive in another season.

You can’t see all the gardens in a day, so I would skip that one and spend more time on the highlights.

It took us about 2 hours to see all the above Gardens.

Chinese Garden

By that point we had worked up the appetite so we took the free shuttle over to the Chinese Garden for lunch at the Jade Court Cafe (more where to eat at Huntington Gardens below).

We visited The Huntington on Wednesday, which happens to be when the Chinese Garden has live music.

On the day we visited, there were also volunteers running a calligraphy tutorial. We spent a few minutes talking with them and practicing writing before wandering into the garden to enjoy the music.

With a lake, stone bridges, and multiple pagodas that have shaded seating to appreciate the plants, the Chinese Garden is one of the most impressive gardens at The Huntington.

It stretches out over 15 acres. While there were a lot of people visiting, the garden never felt noisy or too crowded.

Pond and pagodas at the Huntington's Chinese Garden.

We were able to explore at our own pace.

I loved the detailed wood carvings throughout the garden and the intricate mosaic pathways made with stones. My wife loved the scholar stones harvested from Lake Tai.

There is a small art gallery in the Chinese garden. When we visited, there was an exhibit of botanical prints.

Mosaic pattern walkway in the Chinese Garden, framed by banana trees.

A large scholar rock on view at The Huntington.

Shoya House

Huntington Gardens newest addition was the Shoya House, which was brought over from rural Japan and reassembled. They were in the process of building a garden around the house, including a small rice paddy.

If the Shoya House is open while you are there, do go out of the way to see it!

Interior shot of traditional Japanese house with rice paper room dividers and tatami mats.

You’ll learn a bit about traditional Japanese homes, Japanese agriculture and everyday life in rural communities.

Japanese Garden

While the Shoya House is authentic, the same can’t be said for the larger Japanese Garden. It is more of a pan-Asian garden, created from artifacts bought from a local merchant.

If you look past the garden’s authenticity, it’s still a lovely place to explore. You’ll find koi ponds, bonsai trees, a dry garden with rocks, a camellia collection, and – my favorite – a large wisteria arbor that happened to be in full bloom during our visit.

California juniper bonsai in the Japanese garden of The Huntington Library

By the time we finished the Japanese Garden, it was getting late!

Rose Garden

We began to make our way back toward the main entrance, passing through the rose garden and the Shakespeare garden on our way.

We had quickly seen each of these on the morning’s Estate Tour but wanted to get a second look.

After we poked about smelling the roses, finding our favorite fragrance, we picked one of the museums to explore. We didn’t have time to see both.

Art Museums at The Huntington

We chose the American art collection because we wanted to see the installation by Betye Saar and an exhibit of WPA prints.

The galleries seemed disorganized with no clear flow. We circled through the museum twice trying to find one of the exhibits.

To be fair, they were installing a new exhibit so some galleries were closed.

If you’re on the fence about seeing a museum or spending more time in the gardens, I’d vote for the gardens.

Los Angeles has so many great art museums (The Getty and LACMA are two of my top picks) – so for me art wasn’t a focus at The Huntington.

The Huntington Shop

It was 4:30 by the time we left the museum.

That left enough time to head over to the massive store. We spent a half hour browsing botanical-themed holiday gifts before leaving a bit after closing time – 5 pm.

There you go – my recommendation of how to spend a day at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena!

You don’t need to recreate my exact itinerary. But in sharing what was worth it and what wasn’t worth it, I hope you can put together your own version of Huntington Gardens what to see and have an amazing day!

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Huntington Gardens?

The Huntington is open every day except Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Admission to Huntington Gardens costs $25 for adults Monday to Thursday. It costs $29 per adult Friday to Sunday.

I strongly recommend you visit during the week if you can, so you avoid the peak pricing and the crowds.

Got a student ID? Students under 18, seniors and veterans can explore the Huntington for $21 ($24 peak pricing). College students can get unlimited admission for a year for $36.

On the last Thursday of the month, Huntington Gardens has a free day. If you can time your visit with the free day, you’ll get to enjoy the gardens and save money. Free admission is first come first served, and there is a capacity limit. Go early if you’re hoping to take advantage of this!

If you are visiting on a weekend, reservations are required.

If you are visiting on a weekday, reservations are recommended. We made reservations since we didn’t want to miss out. We also opted to do the tour, which got us admission an hour before the gardens opened to the public.

Where to Eat at Huntington Gardens

If you are going to spend a day at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, you’ll need to eat.

Picnics are not allowed – so you’ll want to eat onsite.

Fortunately, the Huntington has several restaurants to choose from.

The Rose Garden Tea Room and Café is one of the most well-known. It’s also the only one you’ll need reservations for.

We ate at the Jade Court Cafe, next to the Chinese gardens. The restaurant was really good and there were multiple plant-based options, so that’s what I’d recommend.

Chicken, rice, and cucumber salad from Jade Court Cafe.

There are a couple of other casual options selling salads, sandwiches, coffee and the like.

I hope these photos have inspired you to add the Huntington to your Los Angeles travel itinerary! I know that I’ll be back the next time I’m in LA.

If you have any questions about the Huntington that haven’t been answered here, drop them in the comments below and I’ll update the post!