The Huntington

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The Huntington

Overview: A very viable candidate as LA County’s cultural superlative, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens rivals any cultural epicenter in the world. That’s how good The Huntington is. The Huntington Library (widely known as) is officially located in San Marino but when looking up information regarding The Huntington Library, consider it a part of Pasadena (east).

A bit about the area surrounding area may add to the magnificence of The Huntington. San Marino, as someone once put it, is “old Pasadena money.” San Marino is one of Hollywood’s favorite locations to shoot movies and television shows. The city website describes San Marino to a T: “Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed our community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties, surrounded by beautiful gardens with wide streets, and well maintained parkways.” Having never visited San Marino, just east of Pasadena, I was bedazzled by the spacious plots of land between the huge, immaculate houses and mansions, rolling lawns and wide streets. San Marino’s neighborhoods, in my very modest opinion, are more picturesque than those in Beverly HIlls. If you keep in mind how affluent San Marino is, you’ll realize how extremely well-preserved, nurtured and cultured The Huntington is.

The Huntington Library is named after Henry E. Huntington, the nephew of Collis P. Huntington, a railroad tycoon who took part in building the Central Pacific Railroad. With his preexisting tie in the railroad industry via his uncle, Henry Huntington parlayed his business savvy into more electric railways companies, real estate and power and utilities. The iconic businessman accumulated great wealth over the years. His vast empire not only created employment for many, but helped cultivate and modernize the south land both economically and culturally. He started collecting books and manuscripts in the very early 1900s. His promotion of culture and intellect was evidenced by his support of various organizations. But, Henry’s greatest cultural legacy is demonstrated in the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botannical Gardens.

Throughout 207 acres, the all-inclusive Huntington Library offers the casual visitor and the visceral an enormous array of intellectual and visually stimulating sites. First, arriving at The Huntington is a pleasure as you drive through the beautiful San Marino neighborhoods to the Oxford and Stratford streets where the Huntington is located. The parking lot is vast and there is ample handicap parking at near the entrance of the Huntington. Walk or wheel down a paved path through a lane of trees. At the end, prominent in the sunlight, the enormous Huntington entrance pavilion stands. Around this area is the ticket booth, bathrooms, coffee and tea stand and bookstore. You’ll receive and map, receipt and a sticker when you purchase your ticket. You must wear your sticker in a visible spot.

The Huntingtons’ collections reflect the founders’ three interests: books, arts and botannical gardens.

There are a couple of sections to the library: first and foremost is the staff and research library outside the entrance. This section reinforces the place’s mission that The Huntington pursues research and advancement. The other wing houses the rare books and manuscript collections. Of note is a first edition print of John Milton’s Paradis Lost, some Shakespeare works, Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer, a nice collection of notable writers and thinkers such as John Donne, who represent The English Renaissance, a bronze bust of Lord Byron and the Abraham Lincoln exhibition. The walls along the two level library collection are packed with innumerable amount of works.

The library collection wing is just east of the entrance pavilion and there is a nice path (among the countless paths) to the library with some statues along the way. Throughout the entire grounds, you’ll find hidden paths, secluded and recessed benches and other sorts of nooks and crannies, especially in the gardens. That’s part of the magic of The Huntington; it offers a retreat from the city.

Across from the library is The Huntington Art Gallery, originally Henry Huntington’s residence. It’s a mansion you can see from the moon (okay, not really). The splendid mansion gives you an inside look into the lifestyle of the ultra swank back in the early twentieth century.

Converted into the Huntington Art Gallery, the gallery assembles world class works of European art and displays the detailed furniture and tapestries of the mansion as well. The art gallery’s library stands out with a ceiling that almost reaches the sky, creating an unconquerable and reverent study room. The walls of the library are lined with a vast amount of books. The sets of furniture in the gallery is of course partitioned with ropes.

Beyond the furniture, the mansion’s (virtually) dozen rooms or so on the ground floor and the second floor hold the British paintings, sculptures and other objects such as silverware and a piano and harp. Some of the exhibitions have been donated and many collected by Henry Huntington. Of note is Thomas Gainsborough’s Blue Boy, one of the largest draws of The Huntington. Henry Huntington purchased this painting for approximately $700,000 in 1921. On the first floor, there is an alcove of sorts across from the staircase with a stained glass window. This art gallery holds around 1,200 art pieces.

The second building which houses The Huntington’s art collection is the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. This gallery features American artwork of various mediums from the 1700s to the 20th century.

The largest treat, physically, of The Huntington, is of course the dozen or so themed botanical gardens. Originally a ranch, the 120 landscaped and cultivated acres feature rare and exotic flowers and plants. Take a map with you and decide on which of the dozen you want to visit during your day visit at The Huntington. Some of the outstanding gardens are The Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, The Lily pond, The Jungle Garden and the Desert Garden.

Visitors are taken by the exquisite Japanese Garden. Covering many acres, the Japanese Garden traverses a stream, rolling hills, a pond and much more. There are bridges and pagodas throughout and a bonsai exhibition. The serenity of the Japanese Garden is matched by the beauty of The Chinese Garden (also known as Liu Fang Yuan, or the Garden of Flowing Fragrance). Next to the garden’s scenic lake are structures and halls with sloped roofs, replicating Chinese architecture. You can even enjoy some tea next to the pond at the tea shop in The Chinese Garden. Just south of the Chinese Garden sits the Conservatory, a 16,000 square foot greenhouse with various habitats, including a rain forest and cloud forest.

For a drier scene, visit the Desert Garden on the west side of The Huntington grounds. The extensive Desert Garden holds the distinction of being one of the largest collections in the world and is nearly a century old. Opposite the Desert Garden in theme and location are the Jungle Garden and Lily Ponds. The Jungle Garden features tropical plants and flowers near a waterfall. The Lily Ponds’s paths lead to several serene bodies of water in which some wildlife such as turtles live and water lilies.

The Huntington Library should be one of the top priorities of your visit to Los Angeles. Parking is free. The hours during Saturday and Sunday are from 10:30am – 4:30am, and 12pm to 4:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays through Fridays. Tuesdays are closed. Get to The Huntington on the weekends early.

Location: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
Site: www.huntington.org
Ph: (626) 405-2100

Cost:
Weekdays: $15/adults, $12/seniors, $10/students, $6/kids
Sat – Sun: $20/adults, $15/seniors

Accessibility: The Huntington Library is wheelchair accessible for the most part. Certainly the library, museums and conservatory are wheelchair accessible. Some of the gardens may present challenges, however. The paths around some of the gardens are somewhat steep and curvy, so you may need someone to help push you around the paths. Some of the gardens do have various access points, with some flatter than others. Wheelchairs are loaned out. Call (626) 405-2125.

Getting There: www.metro.net