PARKS AND GARDENS

TopTen

1. Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

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A perfect synthesis of nature and culture, this amazing estate (see The Huntington) houses priceless collections of paintings and rare manuscripts that were started by railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington and his wife Arabella in the early 19th century.

2. Greystone Mansion and Park

prac_info 905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills • 310-285-6830 • Open most days; call for park hours; mansion open for special events only • www.greystonemansion.org

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Popular with wedding planners and visitors in search of solitude, this secluded park affords great views of Beverly Hills. Its centerpiece is a 55-room mansion built in 1928 by oil tycoon Edward Doheny as a wedding present for his son Ned. The estate has been featured in many movies, including Air Force One.

TopTen

Fountain at Greystone Mansion

3. Griffith Park

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The country’s largest urban park is filled with museums, entertainment for children, hiking and horse trails, and the famous Griffith Park Observatory.

4. Virginia Robinson Gardens

prac_info 1008 Elden Way • 310-550-2065 • Tours: 10:30am & 11am (1:30pm on select days); call for schedule • Adm • www.robinsongardens.org

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The 1911 estate of department-store heiress Virginia Robinson is one of the oldest in Beverly Hills. Stroll in gardens with fountains and statuettes past towering king palms and elegant camellias flourishing in this quiet hideaway.

5. Exposition Park Rose Garden

prac_info 701 State Dr • 9am–sunset daily (closed Jan 1–Mar 15) • www.laparks.org/exporosegarden/rosegarden.htm

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This lovely rose garden dates back to 1928 and features about 15,000 rose bushes that bloom from March through November. Great for picnics or for a respite from museums.

6. Wrigley Mansion and Gardens

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The winter home of William Wrigley Jr. (of Wrigley’s chewing gum) Wrigley Mansion and Gardens is backed by a lovely green rose garden and now serves as the headquarters of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.

7. Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

prac_info 17190 Sunset Blvd • 310-454-4114 • Open 9am–4:30pm Tue–Sat, noon–4:30pm Sun • www.lakeshrine.org

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Bathed in an ambience of beauty and serenity, this hidden sanctuary was created in 1950 by Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian-born spiritual leader. Wander over to the shrine to Mahatma Gandhi or the spring-fed lake, meditate inside a re-created 16th-century windmill, or study the Court of Religions that honors all of the world’s major faiths.

TopTen

Windmill at Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

8. Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden

prac_info UCLA campus, Westwood • Open daily • www.hammer.ucla.edu/collections/detail/collection_id/6

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Tucked away in the northeastern corner of the UCLA campus, this delightful little oasis is dotted with 70 sculptures by some of the greatest 19th- and 20th-century European and American artists such as Auguste Rodin and Alexander Calder.

9. Runyon Canyon Park

prac_info At the end of Fuller St off Franklin Ave • 323-666-5046 • Open until sunset (avoid after dark)

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Minutes from the Walk of Fame, this small urban park has some moderately difficult trails and a colorful history – the ruins near the Fuller Steet entrance were built in 1930 by opera star John McCormack, and Errol Flynn lived in one of the pool houses in the late 1950s.

10. Palisades Park

prac_info Ocean Ave between Santa Monica Pier & San Vincente Blvd • Open daily

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Famous for its swaying palm trees and picture-perfect views of Santa Monica Bay (especially at sunset), Palisades Park is a playground for young and old, locals and visitors, families and courting couples. Stretching for 13 blocks atop a bluff overlooking the ocean, the park has benches and lawns that invite picnics and people-watching. A nostalgic curiosity is the Camera Obscura inside the seniors’ center at 1450 Ocean Avenue.

TopTen

Palisades Park

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