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The Huntington Art Gallery, San Marino

No. 70 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 1,094,325 visitors in 2025

The Huntington

Los Angeles, United States · City guide: Los Angeles

A library, art museum and botanical gardens on a former estate near Pasadena.

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Photo: Mfield, Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Huntington is No. 70 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 1,094,325 visitors in 2025, down 5% on 2024. The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens was founded in 1919 by Henry E. Huntington and his wife Arabella on their estate in San Marino, next to Pasadena.

It combines a research library with rare books and manuscripts, collections of European and American art, and more than a dozen themed gardens spread over a large site.

The Japanese Garden at The Huntington
The Japanese Garden at The Huntington. Photo: Eric T Gunther, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest, and spring is best for the gardens. The Huntington is closed on Tuesdays; book tickets in advance.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    The Blue Boy and Pinkie

    Thomas Gainsborough's The Blue Boy and Thomas Lawrence's Pinkie, in the Huntington Art Gallery.

  • 2

    Library treasures

    Rare books and manuscripts, including a Gutenberg Bible and the Ellesmere Chaucer.

  • 3

    Japanese Garden

    A garden with a traditional house, a moon bridge and a Zen garden.

  • 4

    Chinese Garden

    Liu Fang Yuan, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, with pavilions around a lake.

  • 5

    Desert Garden

    One of the largest collections of cacti and succulents in the world.

Getting there

The Huntington is at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, about 20 km north-east of downtown Los Angeles. Parking is free; the nearest Metro A Line stations are a long walk or a short ride-hailing trip away.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Buy timed tickets online. Check the official website for prices and hours.
Time needed
Half a day or more.
Currency
US dollar (USD). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is customary: around 18–20% in sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink in bars.
Visa & entry
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, most EU countries, Australia and Japan) need an approved ESTA before they travel; most other visitors need a visa. Canadian citizens generally need neither for a short visit. Apply only on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov and check travel.state.gov for the current rules.

Official information: The Huntington (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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