The Huntington is more than just an art museum. When you walk in (admission is $20 for adults, $15 for students, and $10 for kids), you can go into a museum that consists of first edition books and manuscripts from famous authors from all over the world. They have the Guttenberg Bible first printing, Canterbury Tales, some Mark Twain, Emily Dickenson, Harriet Tubman, and Henry David Thoreau, among many others! The other half of this building is devoted to antique furniture, spoon, and coin collections from different time periods.

Outside of this first museum, you can walk through the different gardens. It starts with the Desert Garden, which makes you feel just like you are in the desert! We were amazed at all of the plant life we had never seen before! Next, we walked to the Australian section, where we saw a eucalyptus tree - they look like someone colored them! The Zen garden and Bonsai courts were both so relaxing and beautiful! The rest of the area consisted of a Rose garden, Statue garden, and art museums containing mostly American, British, and French pieces. There is a special children's garden that has many interactive things, such as water bells, a prism tunnel, a fog grotto, and fountains for playing. Bring your walking shoes! Don't worry about bathroom breaks - I was able to find a restroom every 10 minutes or so.

Food is available in the English tearoom and also at an on-site restaurant. There is so much to see and do, you won't even know where to go first!

The Huntington is an Art Gallery, Library, and botanical gardens. All of which are spectacular.

I studied Art History at UCLA and actually took a class at the Huntington, where our classroom was right in front of the artwork on the floor of the museum! The Art Collections are distinguished by their specialized character and elegant settings. The Huntington Gallery, originally the Huntington residence, contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of British and French art of the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition to being home to ever-popular Gainsborough Blue Boy and Lawrence's Pinkie, the Gallery also has special changing exhibitions. The Virginia Steele Scott Gallery of American Art brings together American paintings from the 1730s to the 1930s, a permanent exhibition devoted to the work of early 20th-century architects Charles and Henry Greene, as well as changing exhibitions. Some of my personal favorites are the works by Turner.

The Library houses famous pieces and rotating exhibitions. I've seen a special exhibit for Abraham Lincoln that was moving. It featured letters and documents that were important during his presidency and Civil War movements.

The Botanical Gardens are a nice combination with the Museum galleries and library. The weather being almost always in the '70s in Southern California, you are certain to have a nice stroll in these gardens divided by geographical regions hosting plant life and animals from the appropriate countries and lands. My parents are avid bird watchers and find this to be an amazing spot to see some unusual birds.

If you are looking for a day of art and culture, look no further.