There's two floors so much amazing collections to see. The garden area is a work of art. I really…read moreenjoyed it. It's easy to get lost wondering thru each art piece. Can't believe the museum is here in our area. We watched the history of Norton Simon in the theater. Great job narrating his work. I would go again so much to see and be inspire. The Staffs were very professional and courteous.

I've been to this museum twice already since I was amazed at what this location has to offer. It's…read morea smaller museum compared to the Huntington library. If you're a student or have EBT you can access this museum for free. Parking is free as well. You reserve your tickets online & just present your proof of ID for student or EBT. There are 2 floors to this museum & an outdoor garden as well. A mix of European art , modern pieces , sculptures , & Southeast asian art as well. I was here for a good 2 hours for my last visit since I was taking it all in. Once done, I love to grab some kettle chips & a signature drink from their cafe by the garden. I sit & journal for a bit then walk around the gardens. The small souvenir store is delightful in where you can purchase small or large prints of your favorite pieces. Books , trinkets, & museum merchandise is also available. I will come back for their next exhibit to see what other pieces will be displayed.

I spent the day there with my sister who just turned 86. I hadn't been there since I was a young…read moregirl and didn't remember the challenging hills, probably because they weren't challenging to me then. Pushing my sister in a wheel chair was good exercise for me but thank goodness for the golf cart people who were so kind and gave us rides to wherever we wanted to go. We got to see much more than we would have without them. Our lunch was so tasty at the 1919 Cafe, and even enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio. It was a wonderful day. The Museum and gardens where beautiful and inspiring!

One of the most beautiful places to visit in SoCal. My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful stroll as…read moreflowers were blooming all around. Beware that if it's a warm day, I recommend bringing water bottles and some hats or cover to lessen the heat. Current 2026 Prices: Weekdays (Mon-Thu): Adult $29 Senior (65+) // Military // Student $24 Weekends (Fri-Sun, Holidays, Peak): Adult $34 Senior (65+) // Military // Student $28 Youth (4-11): $13 Children (Under 4): Free Members: Sustaining ($175): Free admission for 2 adults in the same household, member event invites, and store discounts. Affiliate ($350): Includes all Sustaining benefits plus early entry to the gardens on weekends Discounts: Seniors (65+) and teachers/professors can receive $20 off, and 2-year memberships can be purchased for a 10% discount as well. Best part of the garden? FREE PARKING. With that said, it's a free parking lot, pretty big but can fill up very fast during peak hours. Street parking is also available but of course, it comes with a longer walk to the entrance of the garden. If you plan to visit during weekends, come early as it gets crowded very quickly, hence the parking situations. After 2-3PM or so it becomes more spacious. From ranges of Chinese gardens to Japanese gardens, desert, jungle, Australian, there's tons of variety when it comes to The Huntington. I'm very impressed as they have plenty of art galleries as well that's part of the pathways. Very much worth it to check those out during your visit. They have plenty of greenhouses as well similar to the La Brea Tar Pits, those are worth a visit as well. Overall, a wonderful garden to visit, and might be one of the best and biggest in California. A must visit for sure and I'm very impressed with their maintenance. Everything looks fresh and clean here, and always a great vibe overall. The gift shop is also a nice visit if you're looking for some souvenirs.

Tried something new thanks to the Los Angeles Adventure Bucket List Scratch-Off Cards and ended up…read moreat Neon Retro Arcade. Came here last night for a date night. Such a fun/ cute experience. Definitely brought out my inner kid. The arcade had a good amount of games, good energy, and was perfect for a spontaneous night out. I have passed by this place many times and honestly wouldn't have gone if it wasn't on the card, so I'm glad it pushed me to try something different. Play for adults I believe was $15 for an hour. Located on Raymond Ave in between Colorado Blvd & Green St. You can find meter parking if you're lucky or park at the structure nearby.

Came here with a decently sized group as the activity for a birthday celebration before dinner at a…read morenearby restaurant on a Sunday evening. Unsure how they handled making sure they weren't overcrowded or people were waiting too long to get a chance at the games but they did a great job and I never felt like I had to wait (or wait too long) for a machine to be available. They have a large variety of games from more modern ones like Switchs in the back, older versions of Mario Kart, older games in general like Pac-Man and my personal favorite Burger Time. Loads of pinball machines too. The entire facility (and bathroom) were very clean and the ambient noise was never too loud and I never had to yell to talk to someone next to me. Some games will have slightly sticky or unresponsive switches but it's just what happens with the amount of people that use these machines. We had an issue with a pinball machine and they were very quick to come help fix it and immediately get us back to playing. Overall a solid experience, not what I'd actively look for myself, but would gladly go again if someone else wanted to.

I love that the USC Pacific Asia Museum offers free admission. There is also plenty of free parking…read moreon Union St. Fyi~they are only open Wednesday to Sundays from 11am-5pm. It's pretty tiny, so you'll likely finish browsing within an hour. Unfortunately, only the Crossroads Silk Road and Collection Highlight galleries were open when I visited, but I still enjoyed learning about the pieces. Outside of the galleries was the Garden Waves installation. It felt so peaceful, and I felt like I could sit there the whole day listening to it. I would love to go back one day when the other galleries open back up.

We went today (free in May 2026) and saw "Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry." Very…read moreinteresting and eclectic mix of old and new, a variety of art forms. I liked the 9-tail fox depicted in a couple pieces. Take time to read the descriptions of pieces which interest you. They are usually not too long. You can take time to relax in the central patio with running water and lily pond. Oh, and free parking on the north side of the building with a remarkable bird mural on the wall. Go!

We went last Sunday and I can't believe it's taken us this long to go here! My 4 year old and…read morealmost 3 year old loved this place. We managed to go on the last day of butterfly season and my kids really loved all the butterfly touches. We even purchased our own caterpillars to take home with us :) Parking wasn't too bad and the weather was great on this day, but it was pretty busy. We mostly stayed outdoors and there were plenty of things for the kids to do. Definitely bring a change of clothes though because there is some water play. We'll be back :)

You HAVE to check their event calendar RIGHT before going because they are closed random days…read more.. i've driven over there multiple times only to find that they're closed so what I decided to do was put their event calendar in mine and marked the days that they would be closed and the days that they have toddler Tuesday... Well, it turns out they change their calendar and don't put out any announcement about it and so what I marked down is now incorrect . It's really frustrating. I wish they would send out an update when they decide to change their calendar or maybe just not put out the calendar so far in advance if they're going to change it.. All that being said, this place is great. We come here all the time. I started taking my baby when she was eight months old and I found out about their baby room, which is an amazing developmentally appropriate spot for babies to grow. They have carpet which is essential for babies learning to crawl. If you have a 0-12 month old DO not skip out on this! It's the absolute best part of KS IMO. Now that my child is almost 2. She loves the whole place... Her favorite is the stream... Make sure you bring an extra set of clothes and a towel because your kids will get wet! It's great that they change up their theme so often and that they bring in new items to play with all the time... We particularly love the clay table for the spring and I love the sensory bins on toddler Tuesday. Toddler Tuesday is absolutely wonderful. People always ask how it's different.- well, they set up the art room for toddlers so instead of having crafts where you may have to use scissors don't have something similar like painting ice... They also have sensory bins set up for them as well as some fun activities like sidewalk chalk. There are less older kids there which makes the toddlers have more freedom to roam about.

Parking: very narrow lot entrance in the back…read more You have to enter thru the back where the parking is and not thru the front. There is a small desk with an iPad when you walk in and descend to the lower level. When there is no field trips this place is a great place to bring your kids. It is very quiet and not a lot of high stimulation toys. It is no pretend city but it has some interesting toys such as a beach and surfing installation and a camper van.

Best for toddlers. I brought my kindergarten aged kids and there wasn't a lot to do for them. They…read morestill enjoyed the imaginative play but for the price of the kids plus an adult ticket, it was too pricey for the experience. I wish parents had a lower price than the kids or better yet free especially since there isn't anything for adults. Great place for toddlers and families since it feels safe, has clean facilities, small communal snack break area with a handwashing sink and water fountain nearby.

I would recommend you verify what the installations are before you go along with doing it on a day…read morewhere you can tour the house so it's worth the fee. $9 per person to just see two small installations is too expensive. I believe if you tour the home it's $20 per person and you get into the museum as well. The stag was lovely and polite as well as the property being beautiful.

An opulent, historic mansion on Millionaire's Row, the hoverboard from Back to the Future II, and…read morethe first Finnish consulate in SoCal - these are just some of the things we saw at the Pasadena Museum of History! It was really fun playing tourist so close to home - a true hidden gem, I never knew this museum was here even having lived here all these years lol! We did the Fényes Mansion tour which includes admission to the main museum and is the best way to experience the museum imo. The main museum is currently running an exhibit featuring films made around Pasadena and it was so fun to explore and see things like the BTTF hoverboard and Eddie Murphy's outfit in Beverly Hills Cop, and so many more interesting items and info tidbits. But it's small so it's best to pair it with the mansion tour - which is a fascinating glimpse into the area's past and the prominent family that owned the mansion. It even holds the original office of the first Finnish consul, Y.A. Paloheimo, still intact as it was all those years ago, complete with the consul emblem and his photo with Eleanor Roosevelt. The mansion is one of two remaining fully intact mansions on what used to be "Millionaire's Row" - the other is the Gamble House which is a craftsman - but Fényes Mansion is over the top grandeur! There used to be 52 mansions and these are all that's left :-o And here's a fun little fact we learned - did you know Tiffany & Co made elaborately carved wooden chairs?? You can see them in the dining room of the mansion and they're absolutely beautiful! We learned SO many interesting bits of history about Pasadena and the surrounding area - I won't share it all here - you gotta take the tour - it's totally worth it! But I will leave you with one other fun fact I learned that answered a burning question I had every time I would drive the 210 - this is for the locals - do you know how Michillinda Ave got its name? It came from some of the earlier settlers of the area in the 1870s: Michigan + Illinois + Indiana = Michillinda!! The tour is a great experience for local history and I highly recommend it - they're infrequent so if you can get in on a tour, DO IT!! They're around $20 and you can get them in advance via Eventbrite which I recommend bc they sell out (especially on weekends). You can also buy them onsite but the tours are likely to be full. The museum admission is included and they have bathrooms and a small private parking lot available. Shout out to our awesome tour guides Andrea & Paul - tysm for a great afternoon!!

Background On Visit: Last Sunday (4/12/26), the venue hosted the Pasadena Festival Of Tea. We were…read moreone of the participants for this event. Hours Of Operation: They welcome visitors to the garden on many Friday and Saturday evenings and during the day on Sundays. You can check out their schedule of events and admission cost on their website: https://japanesegardenpasadena.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/japanesegardenpasadena/event.jsp?;=&event=1612& Admission Cost: Mostly, $15 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday, it's $12. For other events, they post the cost on their website. Location/Parking: Located across from the Arlington Gardens (Free). It's kinda hidden, but just use the gps on your phone to guide you. Parking can be found along Arlington. For special events, they encourage you to park at Westridge School (Orange Grove and W. State St.) and walk up to Storrier Stearns. Ambiance/Decor: The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden is a beautiful and charming retreat with a quiet and tranquil elegance. The place is small which contains many of the much admired design features found in the most lavish of Japanese-style gardens of its era. As Kendall Brown states in his book, California Japanese-style Gardens, "this is the genius of Kinzuchi Fujii: this was once a flat area of two tennis courts; now it is a masterwork. 1) Classic Niko-an Teahouse, the garden landscape offers a variety of other beautiful details. 2) Numerous gathering points, seating areas & vistas 3) Four original bridges plus the original cedar log Japanese Waiting Bench 4) Two large interconnected, irregularly shaped koi ponds 5) The sounds of two waterfalls, one cascading down a 25-foot hill 6) An artful dry riverbed for rain overflow winding through the garden 7) Cooling shade everywhere from spreading sycamores & old oaks 8) Many tons of boulders & stones 9) Granite statuary & stone lanterns Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden For Thought: Wouldn't mind coming back to re-center myself. I did a have nice time.

This is the most difficult Botanical Garden to get in touch with…read more The hours they have posted on their website are wrong, no one picks up the phone after calling several times and leaving several messages. I went in person last weekend, and it was closed despite their online hours posted. The lack of clarity even upon walking up to the venue is not clear. They have no signs stating they are closed and it's clear they do not care to return voicemails. Please do not waste your time going there.

If I just say "Gamble," that may not mean much. But if I say "Procter & Gamble," now you have a…read morebetter idea who these people were and how much money they had. I can almost guarantee the company makes many of the products you buy all the time. The Gamble House in Pasadena is an architectural (Craftsman) gem. If you want to go inside, you need to book a guided tour. Book your tour well in advance or you will likely get shut out. We saw it happen. There are multiple tour choices but the basic option is a one hour docent-led one. I highly recommend it. The docents are passionate about this property and it shows. By the way, if you don't want to spring for a tour (or you get shut out), you can still walk around the porch and/or the grounds for free. You don't have to be an architect or a design junkie to appreciate the tour. If you like style, or even history, you will enjoy the experience. (Or maybe you are a "Back to the Future" fan; yes, the exterior was shown in the movie.) And it is only a one hour tour, after all. The exterior is gorgeous but the interior is beautiful, too. The lighting, furniture, materials, and just the colors are lovely. For a home that was built about 115 years ago, it is in remarkable condition. It is well worth visiting.

Came to check out this very historic house which also serves as doc browns house in back to the…read morefuture! It's always cool to be walking through places that seem like a time capsule especially when everything is original and in mint condition Lovely tour and lots of great details and things to see!

It's always a nice time when visiting the arboretum. You can buy tickets ahead of time or at the…read morefront. There are no paper maps, but there is one at the entrance and throughout the park. Bring sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, a fan, water and some snacks.

Growing up in Arcadia, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden was a place everyone…read morealways talked about when looking for things to do. It's a beautiful spot to visit, take photos, and explore the variety of plants and animals. It's a great activity for families, and kids under 2 get in for free. I did a full loop and was able to see everything in about 2-3 hours. Daily admission can be a bit pricey at $18, but if you have someone with an EBT card, you can get two adult entries for free. Student tickets are also discounted to $14. Definitely worth stopping by. Parking is completely free and located right in front.