The Huntington Botanical Gardens

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, usually called The Huntington, is in San Marino, California, near Los Angeles. Henry E. Huntington and his wife Arabella set it up as a place to study, collect and enjoy books, art and plants.

Besides a huge library and art collection, it has about 120 acres of themed gardens. The best known are the Japanese Garden, the Desert Garden full of cacti and succulents, and a large classical Chinese Garden. It is one of the best places in the United States to see how different plants grow around the world. It is open to visitors who want to learn about books, art and plants.

Who was Henry Huntington?

Henry Edwards Huntington (1850-1927) was a businessman who helped Southern California grow. He led the Pacific Electric Railway, a streetcar system that linked far-apart towns around Los Angeles. In 1903 he bought the 600-acre San Marino Ranch and later helped found the city of San Marino in 1913. With guidance from his wife Arabella and art experts, he gathered one of the great collections of books, manuscripts and paintings.

What you can see

The Huntington holds a library of rare books, an art museum focused on European art of the 1700s and 1800s and American art, and the botanical gardens. The gardens show plants from many climates in separate areas, such as the Japanese Garden, the Desert Garden and the Chinese Garden. Together the library, art and gardens make it a research and education centre as well as a place for visitors.

On the globe

The toy globe marks The Huntington in San Marino, California, near Los Angeles. Zoom in to find the gardens and library.