Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → The Huntington

Location: Pasadena Area, Northeast of Los Angeles

Time Required: 4-6 hours

Red Tape/Notes: Open 10am – 5pm daily, except Tuesdays (when they’re closed all day). Admission is $25 on weekdays and $29 on weekends. Reservations are highly recommended if you’d like to dine at the Rose Garden Tea Room (other food options are available which don’t required reservations). For more information, visit The Huntington website.

What’s Nearby?: Allison Mine Loop, Eaton Canyon (Hike), Eaton Canyon (Technical), Little Santa Anita Canyon, Bailey Canyon, Rubio Canyon, Mt. Lowe Railway, Millard Canyon/Dawn Mine Loop

The Huntington is a mishmash of cultural awesomeness. We originally fell in love with this place because we loved strolling their gardens (particularly the Japanese and Rose Gardens, although the Children’s Garden is pretty awesome too), which cover 120 acres with more than a dozen principle areas (there’s a Desert Garden, a fabulous newly expanded Chinese Garden, a Jungle Garden, and lots more). But then we discovered the library, with its collection of rare books and manuscripts, and the art collection, which is housed in three separate galleries, not to mention the fabulous Rose Garden Tea Room which makes some amazing scones, and we were hooked. You could come back here every day for months and still find something new. We find it really amusing to combine a visit to The Huntington with something completely on the other end of the spectrum, like running a canyon in the San Gabriels or buying 12 bags of licorice at the Bass Pro in Rancho Cucamonga. All that culture could be damaging if you didn’t balance it out somehow.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → Los Angeles Area → The Huntington