Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
An estate in the valley.
An introduction to San Marino, about 12 miles north-east of downtown Los Angeles, and the estate that became The Huntington.
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Read the city from the estate
The Huntington stands in San Marino, about 12 miles north-east of downtown Los Angeles, with gates on Allen Avenue and Oxford Road. The ranch Henry Huntington bought in 1903 covered nearly 600 acres; today the estate covers 207.
A city guide can give context without turning a neighbourhood into a backdrop. Notice how a house is placed on its land, how gardens are planted for a dry climate and how a private estate opens itself to the public.
A mansion and its gardens
The mansion, completed in 1911, was a major achievement by the architects Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey. Around it, the gardens range from the cacti and succulents of the Desert Garden to the bridges and ponds of the Japanese and Chinese gardens.
Begin with a detail and ask how it was made, repaired and maintained. A photograph alone cannot tell you who carved a column or planted a garden, or the conditions in which they worked.
A Huntington chapter
The Huntington shows a distinctive side of the Los Angeles area: a private ranch and mansion of the early 20th century that became a research library, an art museum and botanical gardens.
Look at the meeting of the two: collections gathered from far away, and gardens shaped for Southern California’s climate.
Make room for context
Pair this reading with The Huntington’s history and the Journal. This is an introduction for visitors, not a claim that our team manages these places, commissions their restoration or represents their makers.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
