Descanso Gardens

Beautiful garden with a very different vibe from the other two botanical gardens in the Pasadena area. We enjoyed the mountain feel, the fresh air and the beautiful views of the mountains. There are lots of areas to leave the crowds and sit. We really enjoyed our visit. Recommend buying a ticket ahead of time to skip the line and you may have to drive around a tiny bit for parking on a Saturday afternoon.

Beautifully kept grounds, this location is a perfect escape from the hectic workweek! The cherry blossoms have been blooming and the tulips were just starting to bloom! We love walking and exploring this area! Bring a bottle for water! Refilling stations are by the restrooms!

Descanso Gardens in spring is pure magic. I visited during tulip season and it honestly felt unreal — bright colors everywhere, perfectly curated paths, and such a calm, grounding atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where you naturally slow down, wander without a plan, and just exist for a while. The gardens are beautifully maintained, and the seasonal blooms make every corner feel intentional and photogenic without trying too hard. It’s peaceful but not boring, ideal for a relaxed walk, reflection, or simply enjoying nature at its peak. The admission price felt very reasonable for the experience, and parking is free (or included), which makes the visit even better. If you’re visiting in spring, this place is a must. The tulips alone are worth the trip.

This is such a beautiful place. My friends had a gorgeous wedding here about 27 years ago or so. I've been back a few times with friends and family. They have a large footprint and if I lived nearby, I would buy the annual membership and go walking here every day. The flowers are spectacular, but they also have big trees. It's so nice to get out of the city and come here. They have an area with a bunch of model trains. The gardens are very beautiful and romantic. You can take a tour of the historical home up on the hill and then climb behind it into the hills. There's another train big enough to take rides on. The shopping is pretty great at the gift store and we haven't begun to cover how beautiful it is here at Christmas. Highly recommend this place.

Beautiful experience. They were so accommodating even though we got the wrong tickets. We were able to skip the line and get in right away. I haven’t been during the day but the Christmas lights are truly magical. This is a must see for anyone in LA in December.

This place is absolutely wonderful. Lots of trails, a little train to take the kids on as well as model trains running. There is a tiny stream running through. Lots of flowers, plants, and trees. I now have the membership (pays for itself after about 3 visits for me and my wife)

Had the opportunity to go to carved during the Halloween event going on at descanso gardens. Place was very vibrant. It had a very fall Halloween feel to it. Family friendly. Not too crowded. Definitely lots to look at and experience. Very impressed. Will definitely go next year.

As a member of Descanso Gardens, we visit regularly, and I must say the Enchanted Lights event was absolutely stunning! The display features 10 distinct sets, each more beautiful and unique than the last. They offer snacks and hot drinks, and the music, especially the jazz, really added to the atmosphere. The only thing I’d personally suggest is a bit more holiday music mixed in with the jazz. Otherwise, it was a fantastic experience, and I’m so glad we got to enjoy it!

My first time at Descanso Garden and I bought an annual membership to come back even though it's winter. I can't wait for the spring when the flowers bloom! It's such a calming place for a peaceful nature walking. Lots of areas for sitting and enjoying nature. There's coffee shops and places for snacks and food. I love the walk to Steep Hill. It's great for exercise and enjoying the beauty of Descanso Garden.

1/3/25 Nature lovers paradise! Beautiful & carefully curated botanical gardens in the heart of La Cañada Flintridge. It has been a great while since we've visited this wonderful place & today we decided to become members! The big draw for us allow us to visit the other botanical gardens for FREE, yay! Parking is complimentary & this garden is huge! It is 150 acres filled with lush trees, artificial streams, ponds & lawns. There are mallard ducks swimming in the pond. Outside food is not allowed but you may bring a water bottle (or canister, there's a water fountain or dispenser available). A convenience market is open for purchasing snacks & beverages. Picnic tables are also available to enjoy your treats. Our membership cost $80 per household/year. Individually, tickets cost $15, please see photo for ticket prices. I am so excited to return another day when it is sunnier & warmer. It was 55°F when we visited & hardly prepared for the chilly weather. The Enchanted Forest of Lights last day is Jan. 5th. HURRY!! Set a date. escape the bustling concrete jungle called Life & walk into the forest of Descanso Gardens.

This is the first time I went there. 1) bought ticket online 2) plenty of parking, maybe today is Xmas eve and also slight raining. 3) It look small, but pretty big garden. 4) My favorite places are (a) japanese garden (b) small outdoor model train area. I read some other people mentioned, it is new, just newly open. Very well done. 5) also hsa Elkay filtering re-filling waterbottle fountain. I did not see the enhanted night light event. The day time is very nice.

Enchanted lights is a wonderful place to visit during the holidays. Imagine seeing a lot of lights as you walkthrough a forest. It was my first time at descanso garden so first time experiencing the enchanted lights event. Is it worth $50/person? Um I'm not sure but it's neat to check it out if you've never been. They will direct you where to park so it's not too bad and when you buy tickets you select a time of entrance which is helpful. I would suggest going earlier if you've never can especially on the weekends.

Incredible garden. One of our favorite places in the LA area. During COVID, we would come here for outdoor walks. After COVID, we continued to bring our kids here to enjoy the beautiful grounds. During spring, the flowers are really incredible, especially the tulips. They have a huge forest of Camelias as well and the Ancient Forest truly feels like you've stepped into the Jurassic era with so many awesome cycads! They have a little train that runs as well and an amazing gift shop! Great gifts and plants / pots for sale also. There is a cafe in the front and during events, they also have drink vendors throughout the garden. The membership was really worth it for us to use several times a year. The membership also gives a discount and early access to tickets for their events, like Carved (Halloween) and Enchanted Forest of Light (winter holidays). Both events are really spectacular if you want to go. Parking is free, on site.

It's holiday time at Descanso Gardens. Earlier this week, our Sweet Granddaughter had her holiday performance at school. After the show, which ended about 11:30 a.m., they released the kids for the day. As her parents needed to go back to work, Dear Hubby and I took our little star out to lunch, and were figuring out how to spend the afternoon. As we hadn't been to Descanso for a while, that seemed like a great thing to do, and we were halfway there already. SG was all up for it; she remembers that we've made a number of visits to Descanso with her. That's exactly the kind of memories that we enjoy making with her, and hope to install a love of nature, botanical gardens, seasonal changes, and special events. The model train garden space is now open. It was created over the summer and made its debut around Labor Day, I believe. It was the first time that we'd seen it. Very impressive! A lot of love and care when into the design and execution of the layout. I could have spent a lot more time observing all the nuances, special touches, "Easter eggs" with nods to historic train stations around the country, and more. There's a lot to see. Will probably notice something different each time we visit. Well done! All of the light installations are in place for the Enchanted Forest of Light holiday event, which takes place nightly during the season. As the afternoon began to move toward sunset, some of the lights began to come on. It wasn't dark enough to get the full effect, but we got a hint of preview of what it's like after the sun goes down. We would love to bring SG back for the full experience. The holiday season goes by so quickly, so not sure if we'll pull it off, but we'll try. We had time to stroll past the tulip beds, check out the waterfalls, and spend time in the Rose Garden, including SG walking the labyrinth multiple times. That space fascinates her, and it's great to see her have the patience to follow the path. We also had to go to the Japanese Garden to visit the koi pond and observe the red lanterns glowing there. Camelia bushes are budding like crazy and some of the blossoms have begun to pop open. Much more to come in the weeks ahead! This garden is a most certainly a happy and peaceful place for our family.

If you need to getaway this is a great place to immerse yourself in nature. Depending on time of the day and season of the year you'll see blooming vegetation or not. This is a very affordable visit with entry of $15 and if you're a senior or student it's $11, $5 for kids, and free for those under age 5. Parking is FREE! There is quite a bit of parking especially if you come after the morning people leave. Enchanted Forest at night has pretty lights but during daytime you won't see much. Similarly when not in bloom there will be little to see at Rose Garden. There will be art exhibits at the top of the very steep hill. There's also a convenience store for quick bites and drinks near the entrance & restrooms. Restrooms are found throughout the gardens and they're Ok but there's always a smell IYKYK.

I come here all the time and have the family membership. Parking is generous and there's usually no line to enter. I find the general entrance experience to be much better than at the Huntington gardens. Descanso's staff is very friendly and relaxed. The gardens are gorgeous year round. It can get very busy during the day during warmer months, so membership early hours does come in handy. Roses are blooming right now. If you get lucky, you can definitely see their wildlife. It's slightly less manicured than other botanical gardens in LA, but I think it feels much more intimate and like a great place to explore.

I had been meaning to visit this place for years, and I finally had an excuse to. It is a beautiful space to walk through, although because I came in November, I think the life that would have normally been here had already died back. Moreover, I wish I knew they had a nighttime admissions option which I bet would have looked better than the daytime version. Nonetheless, I found the experience quite worth it, especially visiting the Japanese inspired garden space. The gift shop was cute as it had plants for sale (which is appropriate for a garden), as well as cute trinkets that made for wonderful gifts if I had more money to throw around.

I went to Carved at Descanso Gardens, and it was such a fun experience! The whole place was lit up with pumpkins and had the perfect fall, Halloween vibe. It's a great spot to explore--super family-friendly, and perfect for a group of friends too. The path was easy to walk through, and it wasn't crowded, which was nice. The pumpkin carvings were so impressive. They even carved Ryuk from Death Note into one of them, which was such a cool surprise to see! Some of the designs were way more intricate than I expected. They also had snacks, drinks, and some fun photo ops if you want to hang out for a while. Overall, it's totally worth checking out, especially in the evening, if you're looking for something fun to do this season!

Descanso is a beautiful decently sized outdoor private garden with several biomes featured. It's smaller than Huntington Gardens but cheaper and my dad has the membership here and loves to take morning walks here. There is a membership option that allows you to bring a guest for free and I normally accompany him here. I've been here throughout the year but the best time for me is early spring when they have their beautiful tulips blooming or in fall for their Halloween pumpkin displays. They have a small railroad for families of young kids to enjoy as well.

A fun 2 hour walk at night with All the lights. There are so many photo opportunities and it's family and pet friendly. I saw one dog here. Parking is always a mission so please get here with time. They have great hot chocolate, Smores, and churros. Please be sure to check it out for yourself soon.

Just left the Carved Pumpkin event! Lasted about 1 hour & half for us. Went on Wednesday at 7:30. Luckily there wasn't a lot of people so it was very easy to walk around and take our time scoping everything. The miniature city with the line trains above was my favorite section. So much detail put into the tiny buildings! Was blown away! There were lots and lots of different characters carved on the pumpkins. The whole event had a gloomy spooky dark vibe as we made our way. I really appreciate the creativity and time that was put into everything. The event was provided a couple of concession stands offering food/drinks. As well as a gift shop with lots of souvenirs and lots of other cute stuff + plants as well. Overall wonderful experience here! Def one for the books.

Year-round overdue review: If you're looking for a nice relaxing place where you can take in the scenery or snap some photos, this is the spot. The area is small enough to cover within an hour or two so you don't have to worry about your legs falling off by the end of it. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes regardless! I highly recommend stopping by the Japanese Garden when you're there (be aware of crowds)! P.S. The garden is much more impressive come Spring when everything is in bloom ~~~~~ Enchanted Forest (season event) review: The Enchanted Forest is a great event to attend with your friends and family. Be sure to bundle up as temperatures can reach outrageously low. Happy walking and awing at the amazing lights!

Beautiful spot to spend time in nature. We loved it so much we became members so we can return whenever we want. Right now it is winter so I am looking forward to seeing everything in bloom in the spring. Lots of beautiful trails to hike.

This garden has a great mix of native plants, rose gardens, walks to view points and lush gardens such as the Japanese garden and tea house area. There is also a nice art museum near the Boddy house. Plan to spend at least 3 hours here if you want to do some hikes and see all of the major paths.

We really only come here for the holiday events. Carved is a great time here. They have pumpkins they set up and they have lights that make it really fun and interactive for the kids. During Enchanted, they also do these gorgeous lights and a lot of interactive areas. The trees that the kids can step on is always a highlight every single year. My daughter is 10 now and we've been taking her since she was 2 years old. Sadly we move next year BUT we were so happy to enjoy it this last year here. Don't forget to stop by and get some food or hot cocoa. The stands are fun and a "don't miss" !

Located in La Canada, CA; the Descanso Gardens is a lovely botanical garden. I came recently with my mom but as a kid, my mom had a seasonal pass where we'd go all the time. It was wonderful being back to visit. It's a great place to go walking while exploring natures most beautiful work. You can finish the garden within a couple of hours, and there's cafes if you're looking for food or a snack. We definitely got our steps in and made it a full day. Descanso Gardens brings back childhood memories and I'm so thankful to have a place where I can still come visit with my mom to enjoy the day and spend quality time.

Kinda overrated tbh. Entrance fee was 22 dollars for an adult for lightscape. The lights are cool and all but it felt like something I would do if I was retiring and burning my time and money Lights are just lights ‍

I've come here two different years on 4 June to celebrate my wedding anniversary. At that time of year, the rose garden is their pièce de résistance. It is indeed lovely, with plenty of bushes, gazebos, and wooden arbors abloom. The Prehistoric Forest is my favourite part of the grounds. Towering trees, Jurassic Park-esque plants. Peaceful, quiet. That peace doesn't extend to much of the park - in the summer, there are always tons of screeching kids. I don't think there's a time of day that one could escape that. The Boddy House is interesting to see and tour once. I'd like to come back in April to see (and smell) the lilac garden abloom, and the Christmas festivities seem lovely as well. There's a shop with upscale souvenir or gift items. They have a picnic area, but in the summer it will be packed with families.

Located in beautiful La Cañada Flintridge is Descanso Gardens. The botanical garden is about 150 acres; they have a considerable sized exhibit of camellias, one of the largest in the world, all year round, but especially in January (as mentioned by an employee). I enjoyed all the areas, however, my favorite was the rose garden. One can easily spend 2 hours here--just taking photos and taking it all in. There are parts I did not get to explore. Nevertheless, sky gazing is allowed and encouraged to watch the clouds drifting. Birds chirping was music to my ears. You see, you get a sense of wild right in the middle of the city (an urban oasis). Many areas were shaded, most paths had cement trails, and a perfect way to get steps in. If you are falling off your workout routine, this is a sign to get back on it. You're welcome! It definitely has a way of making fun even funner. They have a gift shop, restrooms, and a market--outdoor picnics are allowed in the entrance area, but not inside the gardens for preservation. I would love to visit again perhaps for an evening stroll for the enchanted forest of lights. Parking was easy in, easy out. Tip: Descanso railroad begins 7/13/24

Descanso Gardens sits on 150 acres of cultivated and wild land nestled into a natural bowl by surrounding mountains. Explore our many paths and trails, verdant woodlands, lush gardens, and colorful native flowers. I recommend going in spring because I think it would be beautiful There's plenty of walking paths with beautiful green lush landscapes. It has a tranquil vibe There's snack bars serving food, drinks, etc. Don't bring outside food and beverages, except for water bottles, into the gardens because they're not allowed. They're provide picnic tables at the entrance so you can enjoy your own food and drinks outside the gardens. Refreshments are available for purchase in the courtyard near the entrance to Descanso. No animals, except service dogs, are allowed in the gardens. It's smaller than Huntington Library, but it's definitely still worth the visit if you're in the area. There is plenty of parking at Descanso Gardens and parking is FREE!

What I love about living in Los Angeles is that we get to enjoy so many gems to go and enjoy. We just have to find them! This Descanso Gardens is one that truly is very enjoyable to visit for the beauty of it, vibrant blooming flowers, the nature walk and the serenity and peaceful atmosphere it has. It makes you feel like you're totally away from the city when you're not really. The gardens, the trees and the little animals you see walking around like little rabbits, turtles, birds singing and chirping, or fish swimming by the little lake makes you feel like you're in an oasis! A very nice reprieve to the very busy city! My girlfriend was able to obtain the free tickets for us all 4 of us that were available on Tuesdays, but if you can't wait for that, you can walk in and pay $15 entrance fee. Not bad at all for what you can experience inside the vast garden. We all enjoyed all the gardens, specially more so at the Rose garden where my girlfriend and her hubby got married hmmm about almost 30 years ago. Revisiting the place on their anniversary was very special! We got to stroll and walk around the grounds and we enjoyed all the gardens, including but not limited to the rose garden, the Japanese Garden, and just all the colorful bushes of flowers and trees all over! Parking is free and we came here last month so it was very hot but there are some trees that gave shades to cool down. Make sure you bring water with you because you will be needing it and wear sunscreen and hats!

The Descanso Gardens located in La Canada Flintridge California hosted an event for the holiday Halloween festival

Stunning light displays. Friendly customer service. Plenty of access to drinks and snacks. Super gift shop with lots of nice crafty items and plants. Great holiday activity for the whole family. Lots of kids, but well behaved.

A gem in our community. Members can go anytime without a reservation/ticket. I can visit on a whim! I dropped my Huntington Library and Garden membership because you need to schedule your visit.

Descanso Gardens is a great place to immerse yourself in nature.This was our first time here and the flowers were in full bloom. The gardens are well kept and the Boddy House has fun exhibits. My favorite was the rose gardens. There are plenty of areas where you can sit down and rest or picnic. Admission $15 Parking is ample and free Restaurant has quick eats like desserts, fruit bowls & sandwiches Staff friendly and helpful If you are looking for a relaxed activity, I highly suggest visiting Descanso Gardens

We bit the bullet and got a family membership for $99 per year. It was so worth it for us because leveraged the AHS reciprocal membership when we traveled to other gardens in various parts of California. So we got free admission to those other member gardens, so we got our money's worth from the annual membership. We were also able to attend the sneak peek of the newly created model train depot at Descanso before the general public. Got train tickets at a discount too. Lucky us. The kids love the train so we'll be back to ride it again and again.

For only $15 dollars per adult, Descanso Gardens is a great way to have a date, take a relaxing stroll, have a picnic, or take some really beautiful photos at. Before entering the gardens, there's a great little coffee truck by the gift shop that you can grab a coffee or pastry at before you enter the gardens. If you want something a little more filling, there's also a full on restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Now on to the gardens, as the seasons change, so do the gardens and the types of flowers in bloom. When I went tulip season was just ending so there was only the tiniest spot where there were a handful left. Luckily though the rose pavilion was in full bloom and sooo gorgeous! As you walk through the gardens, each area has a theme and a map is given to you so you can follow the trail to view each area. It took us about 2.5 hours walking through and enjoying each part of the gardens. I was a little disappointed at the Japanese Gardens as there weren't many flowers and the actual spot seemed a bit neglected compared to other Japanese gardens i've visited. Also not sure if the 'Lakeside Lookout' is usually a clean and blue lake but when we were there it looked more like a swamp. We barely even realized we had reached the lake until we were at the end of it. Overall though a nice place to walk through and enjoy some lunch

Deck the halls this holiday season! Christmas has gone up several levels because of this place. I'm somewhat of a late bloomer and finally pulled the trigger on coming here with my girlfriend. We were pretty blown away by the exhibits. They had some really cool lights here that made our date night even better! If you are feeling festive this season, check this place out. It's also great for the family and even better if you bring your kids here. They'll love it!

Here for the Cherry Blossoms (Prunus) at DESCANSO GARDENS on 03.09.2024, but found it a bit underwhelming. I know these delicate blooms are spectacular but brief. It could also be due to last weeks rain storm. Nonetheless, we still enjoyed the beauty of the very few in bloom in the Japanese garden as well as the tulip field, and train ride. We purchased our admission tickets online a couple of days in advance. If you're also interested in riding the small train, then you'll have to purchase additional ride tickets onsite at customer service. It's $5/pp and it was about a 10-minute wait for a 10 minute ride around the Promenade. It would've been nice if the ride was narrated by the conductor, but I will say the safety coordinator was upbeat and informative. We recently visited Butchardt Gardens in Canada, so I couldn't help to compare. Overall, Descanso is on a much smaller scale but offers enough space to wander and enjoy enough color to brighten your day! Check out the gift shop at the front entrance, which has a focus on artisanal products and plants for purchase. If you've worked up an appetite, you must visit the snack bar or convenience shop for grab 'n go items like popcorn and a yummy, fresh made Hibiscus Lemonade!

These gardens are so beautiful. It's the perfect spot to read a book or just enjoy the sun on a blanket. I love that you can get coffee, snacks and even drinks during Happy Hour. Our entrance fee for 2 retired people and two adults was $51. The membership allows you to visit a ton of others gardens for free as well.

The fam went here for the Enchanted holiday light experience. Parking and entry were seamless. The 10 displays were well thought out and different enough from one another. Some were obviously more amazing than others but its personal taste. Overall, we spent about 1.5 hours. I hope there will be another version next year.

It's rose season so now is a perfect time to go if you're looking to take photos or just to enjoy the rose garden in full bloom! I finally had the chance to go to Descanso Gardens after having it on my bucket list for a while. Be prepared to come in comfortable walking shoes since there are some steep areas such as the hilltop gardens. There are signage/maps everywhere that can help guide you where to go and drinking fountains as well. Parking is free. One adult ticket is $15 and you can purchase it online or in person at the visitor center when you're about to walk in. While the gardens are very beautiful and well kept, I felt that there wasn't much to do. It really does depend on the season and what specific flower you want to see. Overall, it was a great experience. I got a total of 6k steps in and it took me about 2 hours to explore the whole area.

Festival of nights, really nice, the entrance is crazy, 20 minute drive, took us 1 hour to get to the parking lot then it was full, had to look for parking in the streets, the walk wasn't to bad, we parked 1 block away.

My last visit the Descanso was in 2019 when I attended my first Enchanted Forest evening. It was such an amazing experience. The light show was spectacular with every play on light imaginable. We went back again this year and it was the same delightful show but they had food this time! I remember they had cocktail offerings the last time but this time, they had such a nice variety of food offerings. Most places that don't serve food will have finger foods or store bought items. But the gardens had a variety of items to choose from. Plus they really made an effort to accommodate to different tastes and dietary restrictions. So thoughtful and so well executed. We split the impossible patty melt which was SO good. The bread they used was so crispy and soft. I know it's weird for me to talk about food when reviewing a garden, but it's the thought they put into it that I really appreciate. Well done.

On a Wednesday morning, at around 10, during spring break, the gardens were reasonably serene and quiet. As we moved towards noon, they grew more and more packed and at times pretty noisy. If you like the quiet, go early. You will need 2-3 hours to stroll around, take pictures, and rest. The gardens are gorgeous, well-maintained, and clean. The flowers are in full bloom and many of the plants have labels which is informative. It is a family/ senior/ kid friendly environment. Most people we met were nice and courteous. One or two in the parking lot were not. Plenty of parking even at around noon in the extra lots outside the main parking lot. Check-in was easy. They have all sorts of discounts. Make sure to check their website before you go. Suggestion: The little ponds here and there have stale stagnant dirty water. Take care of that or in a matter of days, you will have a mosquito problem.

We took advantage of the good weather and decided to visit Descanso Gardens. It was a very nice, peaceful, scenic stroll around the gardens looking at different beautiful blooms. We enjoyed every minute of our time here. I was in love with the tulips. They are in super bloom. The size in every bloom is larger than my palm. The camellias and calla lilies were also huge in size. I recommend visiting this place. Bring a bottle of water with you.

This is a beautiful place!! The grounds are lovely and the views and flowers are awesome! It's nice in every season but in my opinion spring is the best!! The tulips were all blooming and it was stunning!! It's nice to be able to walk around and enjoy so much beauty!! Parking was easy and we had a great time!

This review had been overdue! This is smaller compared to Huntington Library, but has its on charm. There is a nice shop, cafe, train ride and also the Boddy House to explore. We went here during springtime and love looking at the colorful flowers - especially the pretty Camellias! The Japanese garden was also lovely. There's a lot of parking space. Overall, it was good experience. Would come back here again.

Absolutely love Enchanted at Descanso Gardens!!! It'll take about an hour to an hour and half to walk through the entire course and everything is absolutely stunning! The lights are synced to the music and changes every so often and some of them are interactive as well! The pictures really do speak for themselves already and it's great for both adults and kids! Depending on the week, the tickets get sold out pretty quickly so make sure to purchase tickets in advance! There's also free parking in the lot! They also change up the light shows every year so even if you've been here before, there's always something new to see! Fantastic event and a must see!!!

Absolutely breathtaking! My boyfriend and I visited Descanso Gardens while on vacation, and it was such an enchanting experience that we canceled the rest of our plans to keep exploring. The gardens are a perfect blend of beauty and tranquility - every corner feels like stepping into a postcard. From the serene Japanese Garden to the vibrant rose collection, it's a feast for the senses. The staff were friendly and clearly passionate about the space, which made our visit even more special. It's the perfect spot for a peaceful stroll or to simply soak in nature's beauty. We'll definitely be returning whenever we're in the area!

Descanso Gardens is one of our family favorites. With art, nature a tea house and fresh air...you can't miss seeing this space.

This place is really something special. Get ready to relax in the heart of nature! Descanso Garden in La Cañada/Flintridge is really a gem that should be experienced by everyone. As nature goes, the time of year does determine what is in bloom. Don't expect every flower to be in peak season. Their website is a huge help when it comes to what is in season and what has past. Now as the garden goes, it is big and lush throughout. Walking shoes are preferred, and there is plenty of shade under the oaks when you get a little further out from the main areas. The highlight for us was the Japanese Garden, serene, clean and you are instantly transported to another time! They did a great job with this and it really does stand out as a highlight to us every time. This garden is very well maintained, clean and has hundreds of flowers, plants and trees that are the perfect backdrop for dozens of pictures. Buy your tickets ahead of time, strap up some walking shoes and head down to Descanso Gardens for a couple hours. The time goes by fast but you will enjoy every minute there.

We stopped by here on our anniversary trip, we love to find local gardens (bonus if there's a Japanese Garden included!) So many little paths to follow and explore, the place was quiet, quant and beautiful. It was hot and I was grateful they had water fountains around for drinking. Wonderful views, a great escape from the hustle and bustle! Their gift shop was very nice - we picked up a little cactus to come home with us and it's currently thriving.

I went to their seasonal Enchanted event. I never been to the gardens before. I ended up getting an early slot in. Thankfully I did. It was easy to get parking and there wasn't too many people. I found out about this via TikTok. I was curious to check it out. I would say enjoy it for thr atmosphere it delivers. While there are instagramable sports, getting the right lighting as this is an evening event in the winter, can be tricky. The displays are very well done. The ancient forest and flower power sections are my favorite. They did have food and drinks available, i went with the boozy cider and it was alright. Overall, it was a neat experience. The best way to experience this is to really be in the moment.

Finally made my view to Descanso Gardens! Great place to take a walk in the nature & all the fresh air in. It is decorated beautifully for fall with all the pumpkins and hay. Parking is plenty and it's free. Coffee cart outside has great lattes. Cashless payment only. Such a fun experience with the kids, my son found the trees and all different colors stimulating. He took the best nap afterwards :) Will definitely look into membership options as their christmas event is starting soon. 10/10 recommended!

What I love most about Descanso Gardens is the extensive collection of camellia flowers. If you ever come visit during camellia season, you will be blessed with an abundance of colorful blooms in their camellia forest. I also like how shaded it is and how walking around the gardens is like a hike itself with varying degrees of difficulty. If you get up to high point in the gardens, you are blessed with a nice view of the mountain in the distance. It is also nice that Descanso Gardens is not as crowded as Huntington Library or the LA Arboretum. It is nice to enjoy some peace and beautiful scenery.

This garden is always very enjoyable! Nested against the mountains in a quiet neighborhood. The gardens is a manageable place to visit for the day with free parking. To add to the fun you can bring your own picnic or you can buy food and refreshment at the gardens! They even have alcohol drinks: wine bottles, beer and canned cocktails! This is a great place to visit on warmer days as a lot of the grounds are covered by trees. At the gardens you can visit the Japanese gardens, rose gardens, pond or a house. There are flat areas and hills leading to the mountains. For kids there is a small train to ride for a fee. The gardens often have special events too. We were there during the carved display. This is a special event for Halloween at night where there are a lot of pumpkins, spiders and more! During the day you can visit without the lights. A little less scary for kids! And they have a free day once a month too but must get tickets in advance. Check their website on how to get free tickets.