Families
Things to do and see when you visit:
The Helen and Peter Bing Children's Garden invites kids of all ages to splash in water, play among topiary animals, make music with pebbles, dance under rainbows, discover fairy doors, and hold the magic of magnetic forces in their hands. This whimsical garden is the perfect space for youngsters to explore the green world and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature.
The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science houses interactive exhibits designed to engage children and families in a wonder-filled scientific exploration of plants. Living plants fill a 16,000 square-foot greenhouse with 50 interactive exhibits and three different habitats (a lowland tropical rain forest, a cloud forest, and a carnivorous plant bog) and a plant lab devoted to experiment stations focusing on the parts of plants.
Travel back in time and meet Henry E. Huntington, the railroad and real estate businessman who founded The Huntington; watch a short video about The Huntington; see a Red Car replica, grab a themed tour guide, create your own masterpiece, and even take a selfie with The Blue Boy!
Explorers Club
Each Summer, Kids aged 5-13 can join The Huntington's Explorers Club and go behind-the-scenes of the art, library, and garden collections with hands-on experiences that inspire wonder, discovery, and fun! Explorers Club runs five consecutive days (Monday through Friday) from 9 a.m.–noon (June through August only) with a different theme each day.
Tips for Visiting
- Ask Me Docents will tell you about events happening today!
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Feel free to ask an Ask Me docent at the front entrance about the family-friendly exhibits, free drop-in programs and activity-based Discovery Carts in the gardens on the day of your visit. The Huntington features 120 acres of botanical gardens, and amazing art and library collections. It’s hard to see it all in one day. Pick a few things that will interest your family and focus on them. If you would like an experience tailored for younger visitors, look for the Just for Kids guide in the Mapel Orientation Gallery, south of the entry fountain.
- For those with a little extra energy
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After your time in the galleries, burn off steam in one of the beautiful gardens or expansive lawns. Listen to the sound of musical pebbles in the Children’s Garden, experience touching a waterfall in the Chinese Garden, or wander through a bamboo forest in the Japanese Garden.
- Getting hungry?
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1919 Cafe offers family-friendly food for little ones including tacos, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and burgers, and is conveniently located close to the entrance. You can also find yummy food at the Freshwater Dumpling and Noodle House in the Chinese Garden. If you brought your own snack and need a quiet place to eat, there is a family picnic area with tables and umbrellas by the Huntington Store.
- Family bathrooms and nursing mothers room
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Family bathrooms are located near the admission windows, in 1919 Cafe, by the Lily Ponds, in the Japanese Garden, in the Chinese Garden, and also in the Children’s Garden. We offer a dedicated lactation room close to the front entrance, in the Education Visitor Center. Please ask for the door code at the reception desk. You are free to breastfeed wherever you feel comfortable.
- Stroller and wheelchair friendly paths
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The steepest and least accessible roads are indicated with a dotted yellow line on The Huntington visitor guide. The Chinese Garden is ADA compliant and the perimeter of the garden is accessible, although there are some steps leading to the inner pavilions. Please use caution as some paths are made of decomposed granite and may be uneven.
More fun things to do online:
Enjoy story time at home and connect with The Huntington's collections through a storybook, brought to life by Huntington staff members. Read along with the video, discuss key concepts after the reading, and create follow-up art projects. These activities are suitable for bookworms of any age and include all the instructions you need!
The Funtington: Family Fun with The Huntington is packed with activities suitable for children of all ages and will have the whole family singing songs, making art, learning how living things grow and change, and becoming kitchen magicians through pre-recorded, activity-based videos.
Enjoy fun activities that encourages at-home hands-on exploration that uses our art, library, and botanical collections as a springboard for personal creativity.