BEST OUTDOORS in LA
Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden
270 Arlington Dr, Pasadena, CA 91105
The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden is a historic and serene Japanese garden in Pasadena, California. It was built in the 1930s by Kinzuchi Fujii, a Japanese landscape designer, for Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns, art patrons who loved Japanese culture. The garden features a hill, a waterfall, two ponds, bridges, paths, and a teahouse that was imported from Japan. The garden survived World War II, when many Japanese properties in the US were confiscated or destroyed, because it was owned by the Storrier Stearns family, who were not of Japanese descent, and because it was concealed by a high wall and dense vegetation. The garden was restored in 2007 by Jim and Connie Haddad and Takeo Uesugi, a renowned landscape architect. The garden is open to the public on weekends and hosts cultural events. It is a hidden gem of Japanese culture.
DESCANSO GARDENS
1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Descanso Gardens is a 150-acre oasis of nature and art in La Cañada Flintridge. Founded by newspaper publisher and horticulturist E. Manchester Boddy in 1937, it features thousands of plants, including camellias and roses, as well as the Sturt Haaga Gallery of contemporary art and the Boddy House mansion . It has been a public garden since 1957, and a popular destination for weddings, events, and programs, as well as for enjoying and learning about nature’s beauty and conservation.
LA ZOO BOTANICAL GARDENS
5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, founded in 1966, is a 133-acre zoo that also features plants from around the world. It is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo houses more than 2,100 animals of over 270 species, including more than 58 endangered ones. The botanical gardens display more than 800 plant species, some of which feed and shelter the animals. The zoo is located in Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in the US, which has many recreational and cultural attractions. The zoo is easily reachable by car or public transit and has parking and bike racks for visitors.
HUNTINGTON LIBRARY GARDENS
1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108
The Huntington is a place of learning and discovery that showcases plants from different regions and cultures in San Marino. Founded in 1919 by railroad magnate and art collector Henry E. Huntington and his wife Arabella, it features a library, an art museum, and 16 themed botanical gardens on 207 acres of land, of which 130 are open to the public. The garden has living collections of orchids, cycads, and bonsai, as well as a laboratory for botanical conservation and research. It is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Southern California, offering a variety of programs and events for visitors of all ages, such as exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours, workshops, and family activities. It is a place where art, literature, and nature converge to inspire and enrich the lives of millions of people.
