Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia: what to see and when to go

This 127-acre garden in Arcadia, California, brings together plants from around the world, grouped by region. Visitors find themed gardens, historic buildings, a lake with waterfowl, and a flock of peafowl descended from birds brought from India. The site also holds a 19th-century adobe and a railway depot.

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Peafowl roam the grounds, descended from birds brought from India in 1879
Features gardens with plants from five continents
Historic Queen Anne Cottage and Hugo Reid adobe are on site
Baldwin Lake attracts ducks and Canada geese
Used as a filming location for movies and TV shows

What is Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden?

The garden covers 127 acres and features collections of plants arranged by their native regions, such as South America, Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean, and Asia-North America. There are also specialty gardens, including aquatic displays, a palm and bamboo collection, and a demonstration home garden. Historic buildings like the Queen Anne Cottage and the Hugo Reid adobe, as well as a relocated 19th-century railway depot, are found on the grounds. Peafowl roam freely, and Baldwin Lake is home to ducks and geese.

The history of Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

The land was once part of Rancho Santa Anita, a Mexican land grant known for its natural springs and sag ponds. Native Americans, especially the Tongva people, lived here for its reliable water. In 1839, Hugo Reid and his Tongva wife Victoria built an adobe by the lake. Over time, the property passed through several owners, including Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, who developed the area and introduced peafowl. The arboretum was established in 1947 when California and Los Angeles County purchased land around the Baldwin site. It opened to the public in 1956 and has grown with new gardens and greenhouses since.

What there is to see

Visitors can explore gardens grouped by continent, themed areas like the Prehistoric and Jungle Garden, and the Herb Garden. The Queen Anne Cottage sits by Baldwin Lake, while the Santa Anita Depot displays railway memorabilia. The gardens are open daily except Christmas, and summer concerts are held on site. Paths wind through meadows, oaks, and bamboo groves, with water features and historic structures throughout.

When to go

Open year-round, the garden welcomes visitors for walks, plant study, and events. Summer brings outdoor concerts with the Pasadena POPS. The site is also popular for filming movies and television, and the Queen Anne Cottage is a recognizable landmark from TV. The peafowl and waterfowl attract bird watchers, and the historic buildings are open for tours.

Parts and collections

Plantings reflect global regions, with sections for South American, Australian, South African, Mediterranean, and Asian-North American flora. Special displays include a palm and bamboo collection, aquatic gardens, and demonstration home gardens. The Prehistoric and Jungle Garden and the Tropical Greenhouse add to the variety.

Why Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden matters

The garden is a frequent filming location for movies and TV, including scenes from "Jurassic Park," "Tarzan," and "Fantasy Island." The Queen Anne Cottage is featured in the opening of "Fantasy Island" and is the subject of local ghost stories. The peafowl, first brought by Baldwin, have become a symbol of Arcadia. The site preserves local history through its adobe, depot, and landscape.

Questions people ask about Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Where is the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden located?

It is in Arcadia, California, near the San Gabriel Mountains, across from Santa Anita Park and The Shops at Santa Anita.

What can visitors see at the Arboretum?

Visitors find gardens arranged by world regions, historic buildings like the Queen Anne Cottage and Santa Anita Depot, a lake with waterfowl, and free-roaming peafowl.

What is the history of the site?

The land was once part of Rancho Santa Anita, home to Native Americans and later developed by Hugo Reid and Elias J. Baldwin. The arboretum was created in 1947 and opened to the public in 1956.

Are there any special events at the Arboretum?

Yes, the garden hosts summer concerts with the Pasadena POPS and is open daily except Christmas Day.

Why are there peafowl at the Arboretum?

Elias J. Baldwin introduced peafowl from India in 1879, and their descendants still roam the gardens and nearby neighborhoods.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Opening times, prices and bloom dates change: check with the place before you travel. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Sim's Park, Coonoor: Thangaraj Kumaravel, CC BY 2.0, source

Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute: No machine-readable author provided. Shyamal assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY 2.5, source

Baldha Garden: Muntasir du, Public domain, source

Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source

Dumbarton Oaks: Boucher, Jack E. (as "creator" of the work), National Park Service, US, Public domain, source

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens: Jllm06, Public domain, source

Callaway Gardens: Thomsonmg2000, CC0, source

San Antonio Botanical Garden: Zereshk, CC BY 2.5, source

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden: Daderot (talk / contribs), CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden