Summer in L.A. means long days, warm nights, and a good excuse to spend more time outdoors. Few plans capture that better than wandering through a garden at golden hour, when the heat breaks and the light turns soft. The Huntington is giving Angelenos exactly that chance this season. The San Marino estate is hosting “Twilight Garden Strolls“, giving visitors the rare chance to wander its grounds as day turns to dusk.
The event opens up its gardens for evening exploration, letting visitors relax with friends and family after regular hours. It’s a different pace than a typical daytime visit, with cooler temperatures and softer light across the gardens. Sunday, July 5 already came and gone, which means only four evenings remain this summer.
The Huntington Botanical Gardens
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens spreads across 130 acres of themed landscapes, from a Japanese Garden with koi ponds and a 320-year-old relocated Shōya House, to the 12-acre Chinese Garden built with Suzhou artisans, to a Desert Garden holding more than 2,000 species of cacti and succulents. Add in the Rose Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, and the Children’s Garden, and the estate’s 16 gardens turn a single visit into a walk through completely different corners of the world.
Visiting after hours changes the experience entirely. The gardens usually pack in crowds under the midday sun, but an evening stroll trades that for quiet paths, longer shadows, and a rare after-dark look at grounds that close well before sunset most of the year.
Key details
📅 Dates: Sun., July 12 | Sun., July 26 | Sun., Aug. 9 | Sun., Aug. 16
🕓 Times: 4:30–8 p.m. (July dates) | 4:30–7:30 p.m. (August dates)
🎟️ Tickets: Reservations required; member and public pricing vary
⏰ Arrival: Ticket time is the earliest entry, not a fixed start
More details and tickets are available through The Huntington’s calendar listing. With summer moving quickly, the remaining Sundays offer a low-key way to catch the gardens in a different light before the season winds down.
