Little Landers Historical Society, based in Tujunga, provides all-volunteer docents for the Bolton…read moreHall Museum. Named after the Little Landers who formed farm-based colonies long before the current farm-to-table focus, the mission of the Society is to maintain Bolton Hall and to preserve the local history of the Sunland-Tujunga area. They also run the adorable gift shop in the museum featuring books on local history and gift items such as T-shirts, plates and greeting cards. Membership is $20 per year and includes a subscription to the LLHS newsletter, "The Cornerstone." What a great way to keep local history alive! The docents offer tours of Bolton Hall on Sunday and Tuesday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. They also offer monthly programs focused on local history. Admission is free to the museum and to all events. More info here: http://www.littlelandershistoricalsociety.org/index.htm

Stone Barn Nature Center is a small educational center dedicated to the wildlife and community…read more It's located within the Deukmejian Wilderness Park. I came to visit and was greeted by Jackie, a young blue eyed and beautiful woman, at the reception desk. She was informative and affable. Let me tell you about this center, the history of the stone barn dates to 1898 when the property was acquired by George Le Mesnager, a French emigrant and prominent Los Angeles vintner, from Dr. Benjamin Briggs, the founder of La Crescenta. Between 1914 and 1918, George's son Louis constructed the original stone barn and shed along with several other buildings that no longer exist. They were used for storing equipment and grapes until 1920, when Prohibition ended the winemaking industry and forced the Le Mesnagers into the water industry. As the turn of the century, this center is a place to learn about the wild animals in the Cresenta valley and LA County. It's a great place for kids and family. Overall, it's a nice center to bring kids or kids at heart.

So impressed with this little nature center that opened not too long ago! Went to Deukmejian…read moreWilderness Park for a picnic/hike party and found this little gem! Lots of cool activities for the kids, and it's got a little history of the area. Definitely a fun place to check out if you are visiting the park. Entrance is free!

The tea house sits behind a small Japanese garden with a pond with koi fish, bridge, waterfall, and…read morelotus flowers. While small it's very serene and has mostly everything a traditional Japanese garden needs. The teahouse has some events but it's rarely open. You need to really pay attention to their website and keep checking back the event page. I find this is the most current, even more than their Instagram. I saw an event for matcha tea whisking workshop, but it was sold out unfortunately, but it looked cool and I was able to catch a glimpse inside of the teahouse which looks very traditional. The garden around the teahouse is open Mon-Thurs 10am-3pm. This is a really cute place to stop by if you live in Glendale/Burbank and walk around and sit near the pond or bring a book and sit in the grass. If you live farther just be forewarned that the gates to the garden are not always open when they say they are open. I've been here around 3 different times, and it wasn't open which was really annoying because I don't live anywhere near Glendale and I came out specifically to see the garden. The best bet to go is when there is going to be an event at the teahouse that way you can be certain or if you are already coming out here to go on a hike in the mountains behind the park. For something larger check out my list of other Japanese Gardens: bit.ly/3CLXWV9

Their watermelon slushie with boba sort of changed my view of the world. It comes with a price…read morethough.

My mom and I took my kids to see the Christmas markets in France this past December. It was a…read morebucket list trip for my mom, and while my boys had a great time, the travel was complicated and arduous, mostly because of my wild three-year-old Wade B. A couple weeks later, my husband and I took the boys to the Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens. They had an absolute blast, and my five-year-old Leo B. declared, with utmost sincerity, "I think this is the nicest place I've ever been." Matt B. and I had been once before, almost a decade ago, with our friends Caroline Y. and Scott S., when we were all young and childless. We came back together, this time with five kids, and as much as I enjoyed it back in the day, I found it even more compelling this second time around. The magic was amplified ten times by the presence of my sons, who absolutely loved all the beautiful, colorful lights. I did buy them shitty Christmas light necklaces, one of which broke almost immediately, causing considerable strife. The alternative, of course, was to deny Wade his request before even entering the garden, where he would badger me every time he saw another child with the necklace. I was not surprised to see that most of the children seemed to have them, every parent having made the same calculation on their way in. Smart and evil of Descanso Gardens to put that vendor right by the entrance. I'm guessing Enchanted is their big revenue generator for the year, and this is a McKinseyish way to maximize. The kids oohed and aahed at every exhibit, marveling at all the colors and lights. We oohed and aahed right with them, and had the additional pleasure of watching them play and interact with the elaborate, immersive displays. They loved the tulip fields, the model trains, the stained glass houses, the trees and music and light. There was also a large platform that served as a dance floor for small children, who partied to the ambient music. Wade was especially taken with this stage, and the one part of the night that did not go well was when I yanked him away so we could see the rest of the installations. It was cold and the kids were up way past their bedtimes, but we all had a blast at the Enchanted Forest. When pressed, Leo admitted that Paris was in fact as nice as Descanso Gardens, but the point was made. Come Christmas, we can take the boys to France or we can just drive to La Cañada and buy a few tickets that support a wonderful botanical garden. We might even manage the latter every year.

Wow! What an unexpectedly cool experience!…read more Pro tips: 1. Bring whatever you like to keep you very warm in weather that seems cool normally but in the woods is icy cold. It was 51 and according to the weather app felt like 47 but I'm here to tell you it was COLD COLD more like 32 imho and head, hands, neck and feet coverage is a must so you can enjoy it. Suggest a warm beanie, gloves, and a down type jacket. Definitely jeans or long pants. I grabbed a blanket from my car to wear! 2. It's an easy walk, but for those with wheelchairs or canes or walkers it can be bumpy and some areas are a bit tricky. Also given all the rain, it can be dirty dusty muddy so wear shoes you don't care about. 3. Bring your best camera bc the photo ops both with people and without are plentiful. Make sure everything is charged as there's no common area to charge things easily. I'm sure you can try the restaurant or store in case of emergencies. Or go back to your car. 4. Be prepared to walk a very slow mile. Lots to see and photograph. Took me about 1:15 and I took my time. You can definitely do this much faster if solo and not easily amused or maybe not big on pics. And you can take a lot longer if you like detail and creativity amidst a natural space. 5. It's dark despite tons of lighting so be wise when walking. 6. Parking is free and easy. Just follow the signs or people. There is a walk to the line from the car. Lots of walking in general. 7. Our park reservations were for 6pm. I arrived around 6:10 and the line took about 20 mins. Was done by 7:40. 8. Cute shopping at the beginning before entering an next to the line to get in. It is an outdoor nursery type shop and two small indoor Knick knack type stores. Prices are typical tourist type prices. Also next to it is a coffee and pastry stand but you have to go first and then get in line or get out of line if you have people to hold your place as there's a line to get goodies. 9. Farmhouse is a restaurant on site. Checkout their Yelp. Make reservations as they book up fast. Good for groups. Food imo is average. Standouts were the beet salad, French fries, short rib appetizer, salmon and halibut. They use minimal seasoning at this place so if your health requires less sodium you're good! Get the pan fried crispy skin salmon lol. 10. If you're trying to cut costs there's an El Pollo Loco right as you exit the freeway coming here and before going up the hill to the park. 11. Great holiday thing to do with a large group. Entertainment for most everyone. If you're an outdoorsy, artsy, creative loving, enjoy exercise and family time type, this will be right up your alley!

I love visiting Descanso Gardens -- this is not our first time here, and we keep coming back again…read moreand again. The gardens are beautiful in every season. Right now, roses and poppies are in bloom, and there are still a few camellias left. Lilacs, magnolias, tulips, and mimosa have already finished blooming, but there's still plenty to enjoy and see. One of the great things is that you can visit for free with an EBT card -- just show it at the entrance, which makes this place more accessible for families . There is a large free parking lot, which is very convenient. Inside, you'll also find a few cozy coffee spots and a nice gift shop. It's a perfect place for a peaceful walk, to relax, and to enjoy nature. Highly recommend!

A nice place to take a long stroll and look at nature…read more They offer a wide variety of plants, trees, artwork and some water features. I would highly recommend that you go on a day when the weather is moderate and that you wear comfortable shoes. There are some cool ponds with Koi fish. Parking is free and there is a lot of it. There is also a restaurant called the Farmhouse on the property which had some pretty tasty food in a nice setting.

RE: There's another review for Rockhaven Sanitarium at:…read more https://yelp.to/ZIov0ej5Kbb We Are Friends of Rockhaven! Agnes Richards founded Rockhaven in 1923 after being a psychiatric nurse and witnessing the cruel treatment of women with mental illness. She made sure to call each and every patient a resident, and treat them with respect. The beautiful history of Rockhaven Sanitarium (or home for the Golden Age Stars) is the most vivid piece of history that's been forgotten by so many. My favorite actress Billie Burke (Glinda, the good witch), Mrs. Topper, and, well, just too many of her parts to list resided there until her death. Do you remember Elly May Clampett? She was played by Donna Douglas, who was also a resident at Rockhaven as was, Clark Gable's first wife, Marilyn Monroe's mother, Marion Rose of Vaudeville's Statler and Rose, Broadway's actress and producer, Peggy Fears; I'm just naming a few of the long list of golden age stars that have resided at Rockhaven. And, when you're enjoying the walk you can feel the glow they left behind. It's closed now due to the COVID pandemic but we're able to go once in a while to clean up a little and just 'be' in it's past. To relish in the feeling of just 'being' there, is amazing. You're able to touch all of the past around you! This is something I've seen only in LA and its surrounding areas. This type of museum interaction is priceless; it's like watching a golden oldie but, being right next to the star you admire(d) so very much. There's a group called Friends of Rockhaven that loves and cares so much for the Sanitarium; it's so heartwarming. One of the many protectors Joanna Linkchorst has allowed us to become one of the many friends of Rockhaven and contribute to its survival. It's been such a pleasure and an honor to help in any way we can and my sincere hope is that it won't be sold for demolition or forgotten. Thank you so much, Friends of Rockhaven for all you do!

This is such a gorgeous property with a lot of history - a real gem in the middle of Montrose. I…read morehope it can be rehabbed and turned into something historical and useful for the community. Definitely look into taking one of their free tours (donation optional at the end). Joanna and Mike are so knowledgeable and passionate about this place, it's really worth your time if you like history, architecture and are fascinated by mental health institutions of the past.

We did the Kellog house tour and our tour guide was great. She was very knowledagable of the…read morehistory of not just the house, but the surrounding city/cities as well. The length of the tour was well worth the money, I also know that some stories are passed down through history or just lore. We enjoyed our experience and how everyone got into character/dressed as the era. My next goal is to do the Disney mansion tour. See you soon

If you're a Halloween fanatic and want to learn about the dark history of Orange County, then this…read moreis for you. It's truly amazing to see how much support this place has done.

Came here to check out the art gallery and library grounds after work and was glad that they close…read moreon the later side. You really do feel the opulence as you drive through the mirador entrance up this long driveway to get to the library. Free parking but it does get packed since many people also park here to access the hiking trails next to the library. This is a beautiful library and many people do come here to study as I noticed most tables were filled. However, there is a loud buzzing sound from the lights but I guess it becomes background white noise if you are used to it. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Brand, their family and how the library was are on the library walls so you can learn more about how it all started. The art gallery this time around has an exhibit from Thinkspace, featuring artwork of over 70 artists, on now until March 29, 2025. I really enjoyed the art pieces and took photos of the ones that really impressed me. The grounds features Brand Park, the Japanese tea house (closes early like 3pm), Doctor's House, which is a historical house, and a couple of hiking trails. Overall, a cool place to check out and just 15 minutes away north from downtown Glendale if you need to grab a bite to eat.

We love this place. Great Library. Great park. Always amazing community events happening here…read more The staff is very helpful and friendly. Bathrooms are always clean. I always want to take pictures of the main building as if I never have before and I always forget the front doors do not work. Did I already review this place? I forget. Thank you

It's a beautiful, peaceful place to walk around and relax. They have a nice museum and beautiful…read moreviews. I love nature.

Super expensive and disappointing. We paid $74 for two adults tickets at $2/each and $35/for 1…read morehours worth of bouncing + 10 game tickets. Games were disorganized, the people working appeared to be "over it" and unenthusiastic. It looked like a glorified bounce house party with 7 bounce houses. There was broken glass on the ground near the bounce houses, super dangerous especially if little kids are asked to take their shoes off want to go from house to house. I would definitely not recommend or go back. Your better off going to the grocery store to buy a pumpkin too! They were selling them for $17-$22 each!!! At Vons they have them for $5!

Very cool in every way even for locals and natives of L.A…read more The tours for Destination DTLA are no longer available, but a lot of similar groups have taken it upon themselves to emulate and offer great experiences. We stumbled into two and enjoy our day, but also made our own tour based on DDTLAT. Lot of amazing architecture, art, history, and fun/ From the Spring Arcade to Saint Vincent Court, views from the Westin, eats at Garo's, a stroll near Angel's Flight and loaded more. Your LA Tours seems to have taken over - but they also do tours throughout greater Los Angeles https://www.yourlatours.com/ Parking is easy with several paid lots throughout. If staying at a hotel or closeby you can't go wrong with getting some extra steps in to the start of the tours.

What a fabulous walking tour! I was doing a good friend a favor by taking his friend, who came to…read morevisit from New York, to walk around LA since my friend was working all day. I thought it would be a cool idea to do a walking tour in downtown since it has so much history and great restaurants. We met at the Arcade in the Spring Arcade Building. The tour was about two hours with a mini break at the grand central market. Our tour guide did such a great job at telling the history, of the beautiful buildings and streets around the downtown of LA. This tour was Totally worth it. Thank you Carmen for helping us set up our tour!