The area in Arcadia where the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden sits was first inhabited as far back as 3000 years ago. The original Natives that lived here named it Aleupkigna, which translates to “the place of many waters.” They lived here peacefully and fruitfully until Spanish settlers arrived a few hundred years ago. Natives were given the Name of Gabrielino in reference to the Mission they were forced into and made to convert.
In 1840 a Scotsman with Mexican citizenship became the first owner of the land and built himself an adobe house. Throughout the years the property changed hands several times until one Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin through his hat in the ring. In 1875 he purchased the land for an astounding $200,000. He then set to make changes.
The Entrance to the Arboretum
We entered the main lobby and waited for our tour. Because we had arrived so early, we had plenty of time to mooch around the lavish gift shop and courtyard. The decor is beautifully designed with garden and household items. There are jams, candles, tablecloths, lotions and a host of other merchandise.
With still plenty of time to spare, we ventured onto the Bauer Lawn to see one of the fountains.
Peacocks and other wildlife roam freely. In fact, the Arboretum is an official wildlife sanctuary. We saw dozens of peafowl, some with their young. Descendants of those initially introduced in the late 1800s by “Lucky” himself.
Our Tour
A lady collected us from the main entrance of the Arboretum, and the group walked down towards the Queen Anne Cottage passing the prehistoric forest.
We stopped at Baldwin Lake, which almost surrounds the house, to take some photos. “Lucky” had the water drained, dredged, deepened and a proper retaining wall with boulders was placed along the perimeter in around 1880.
Queen Anne Cottage
The Queen Anne Cottage was constructed between 1885-1886 and believed to be a honeymoon gift to “Lucky’s” 16-year-old wife, Lillie Bennet. His fourth marriage.
The cottage was designed by Lillie’s father, Albert Bennet, who was an Architect.
The newlyweds never did get to stay and enjoy the beauty of the cottage; however. They separated in 1885 before its completion. The house was then converted into a memorial to Baldwin’s third wife Jenny Dexter who had died in 1881.
You may recognise the exterior from the TV show, Fantasy Island.
The Interior of the Queen Anne Cottage
When you enter an old structure like this and close the door behind you, the bygone era comes to life. A different feeling fills the spaces between the walls and the gentle creaks of the floorboards sound unique.
The past reaches out and pulls you into its waiting arms for a fleeting dance across this continuum. All of the belongings in the home speak of long lazy summers with every window and door open. A slight but effective breeze meandering through each room holding cigar smoke and hints of whiskey in its grasp. A ragtime record echoes out from the music room to the front porch for you to sway with as the light fades below the horizon.
These are the thoughts that fill my head as I walk through places like this. Our docent Mitchell was very informative and had lots of information on all of the objects inside the home. But I sometimes wander down the rabbit hole of my mind instead of listening too carefully.
Back To The Interior
Leaving our shoes on the porch, the first room we entered is Baldwin’s library.
Beautiful stain-glass windows cast rainbow coloured spectres filling the libraries footprint. The music room, sitting room and master bedroom are all fully furnished with period pieces.
The spiral staircase leads to the viewing area and bell tower where one can take in the beautifully landscaped grounds and view the clusters of stars on a clear night.
Unfortunately, the viewing area is out-of-bounds to the public.
This cottage was built purely for entertaining only, so there is no kitchen, but it does have a bath with a flushing toilet. Baldwin lived part-time in the adobe property.
Coach Barn
With the tour of the house over, we left to roam the grounds at our leisure.
Just beyond the beautiful cottage is the Coach Barn, also designed by Albert Bennet as an example of Victorian extravagance.
Mr Baldwin used to house his horses and those of his guests here. He even enlarged the building to included his private “Tally ho” carriage.
Just outside the entrance, sits a lavish Doghouse for Baldwin’s Bull Mastiff Guard Dogs.
The Gardens
With our guide map in hand, we walked through the herb garden filled with shrubs, spices and even medicinal plants grow in abundance.
We heard the sound of flowing water and headed over to the Meyberg waterfall. The gentle rush of a meandering stream and small pools complimented with lilies and plant-life.
There were even turtles basking in the sun.
Walking up the stone stairs to the Tallac Knoll, we found more waterfalls, shaded pathways and benches so one can sit and soak in the calming effect this garden has to offer.
The sounds of birds singing in the trees and beautiful butterflies drinking nectar lull you into a fairytale, but it’s better because it is real. We then made our way down yet another lovely pathway. We are using the sounds of trickling waters as our guide back towards the waterfall and to Meadowbrook Gardens.
From the Meadowbrook Gardens, the mountains rise high in the distance, and the valley all around succumbs to nature’s calm serenity.
More lily ponds, meandering streams and sunbathing turtles sit contently in this lush environment they call home. At this point, we backtracked just a little because we needed a restroom break and also wanted to stop and have a little rest. So we made our way towards the Rose Garden.
Rose Garden
This garden was Andrea’s favourite place in the park. The arbours, benches, brick and gravel walkways, and manicured lawns that sit amid the lush Rose Garden make for the perfect spot to get away from it all.
One can imagine having afternoon tea sitting under an arbour. Cucumber and salad cream sandwiches with the crusts cut off— homebaked scones fresh from the oven, with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Very English!
If you pay attention closely at the beginning of the movie “Saving Mr Banks”, you may recognise this spot and the roofline of the coach barn just behind.
Reid-Baldwin Adobe
The Reid-Baldwin Adobe was the original structure on the entire 13,319 acres of Rancho Santa Anita site. In 1840 this structure came to be by Gabrielino labourer for Don Perfecto Hugo Reid out of sun-dried adobe blocks. These were hand made by mixing the clay soil with water and straw. The roof was constructed with raw-hide lashed Carrizo cane and smothered with tar.
The structure was off-limits while under construction and surrounded by fencing, so we were unable to see anything.
Santa Anita Depot
An abandoned 1890s Railroad depot was taken apart brick by brick and moved a quarter of a mile south to its current location at the Arboretum.
This process was started and finished in 1970 after the painstaking photo referencing restoration. Today it has since been refurbished again with period pieces adorning its walls and floors. The track was later installed outside to bring the whole feel of the railroad stop back to life.
We had a little mooch around; the woman inside gave us some information on the kitchen pieces set out on a table just next to the main lobby.
There are some very unique and timeless pieces on display in the Depot. And we think it is definitely worth a stop.
From here we went back up towards Meadowbrook to continue where we had left off. From the Crescent Farm, we walked the perimeter and saw the rest of the gardens in the order below.
Crescent Farm
Don’t you love the rich buttery flakey texture especially when you smother the soft warm crust with melting butter? Oh sorry, that’s a Croissant, my mistake. This landscape showcases all those plants that live in desert environments and need little water to survive.
Rainbow Serpent Garden
Walk along a concrete path with a strange pattern through the Australian inspired landscape. Upon nearing the end, you finally realise you’ve been walking on the back of a snake!
Tropical Greenhouse
Imagine being in a tropical rainforest. Walk through the tropical greenhouse and enjoy all the colourful orchids.
Hollywood and the Arboretum
With Hollywood only being a stone’s throw away, you know they would utilise the fantastic scenery. They have filmed at this location from the 1930s and continue to do so. Blockbusters such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Saving Mr Banks (2013) to name a few. For a complete list click HERE
Our Takeaway
If you are anything like us, plan on spending the whole day here. Booking the tour of the Queen Anne Cottage was a great way to start because you get information. Another plus is you walk through some of the gardens on the way. Andrea loves gardens and flowers, so She is in her element in places like these.
There is so much to see and do, plus they offer classes on gardening and hold special events. There are many reasons and benefits to visiting Gardens. The sense of peace. Stress melts away, the quiet, being out in nature, the fresh air, the sweet aroma of flowers, the sunlight and the exercise.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and we will be back soon.
arboretum in a nutshell
- Address: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA
- Adults tickets $15; seniors and students (with ID) $11; and children 5-12, $5; kids four and under free
- On the third Tuesday of the month, admission into gardens is free (tours not included)
- Hours of opening: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., grounds close at 5:00 p.m.
- The Arboretum opens at 8:00 a.m. for members
- Tour prices vary: docent-led tours of the Queen Anne Cottage must be booked separately. We booked through a company called Eventbrite for $20, which included all the gardens. however, you can book directly with the LA County Arboretum website
location map
- If you enjoy hiking, then check out the link below
- For more exciting places in and around the Pasadena area, click the link below
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