The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino has a staggering 150 acres of gardens to experience with lots of themed gardens to choose from; Jungle Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Herb Garden, Camellia Garden, Japanese Garden, Palm Garden, Australian Garden Desert, Sub-Tropical Garden, the Lily Ponds, the Children Garden and of course, the upcoming Chinese Garden. The Chinese Garden is currently under construction as is the Gallery but the Tea Room located in the Rose Garden is open.

We set our sights on seeing the Japanese Garden and the Children’s Garden for this first visit, understanding that the kids may not last the whole time. It is not a cheap entry at $15 per adult but we were pleasantly surprised that the grounds are immaculately kept and the attention to detail and balance is striking when experiencing all the different views.

My wife put it best when describing it to her mother over the phone that night when she said, “it is basically the Disneyland of Gardens,” which is to say the themed gardens do a wonderful job at transporting you to another place. When you’re in the Japanese Garden you feel as if you are in the scene from the Last Samurai (I believe they may have shot some of it there but can not confirm it). The bamboo forest is fantastic! That’s all I’ll say…

If you’re traveling with small children consider leaving the Children’s Garden for last like we did. After walking a couple miles we were in desperate need of a bench and it worked out well that the northern point in the park has a water park (not in the traditional-sense) where the little ones can splash in the water fountains, bubblers and misters while the grown-ups rest their feet for a moment. On your way out, check out the Rose Hills Foundation for Conservatory for Botanical Sciences building to experience an amazing indoor rain forest.

On our list of things not to miss when going there, I would say here’s a short list to consider, a.) The California Juniper Bonsai Court at the far end of the Japanese Garden, b.) The Bamboo Forest mid-way through the Sub-Tropical Garden, c.) The waterfall toward the end of the Jungle Garden, and d.) The Helen and Peter Bing Children’s Garden (water park).

PARENT TIPS: The are water bubblers throughout the gardens but it wouldn’t hurt to bring a bottle or two of your own and for goodness sake remember the sun block and wear comfortable shoes! They do not allow picnics on the grounds (no tables or benches) which surprised us but we plopped down on the grass between the Jungle and Desert Gardens and had a needed break and a healthy snack and no one seemed to mind.

Related Links:
Huntington Gardens | Virtual Tour
Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens
The Huntington | On the Map
Parentography | More Reviews by Meta-DAD