Long Beach City College students are now eligible for free rides with LA Metro and Long Beach Transit after the school announced a new partnership with the transportation systems, the Viking News will be posting a different location every week that students can go to using the Metro Go Pass.
Are you looking for unique and fun places to go this summer? The end of the semester is approaching and the LA metropass will still be available for LBCC students at no cost, who are either enrolled in summer or fall courses. One destination, in particular, is considered one of the world’s greatest independent research libraries and holds more than a dozen themed gardens.
The Huntington Library contains 130 acres of botanical gardens, art museums, and a library. It is an independent nonprofit that is funded by grants and gifts, which makes this library an affordable destination. Tickets for students are priced at $21 on a weekday and $24 on weekends (Student I.D. is needed).
Upon entering the grounds of the library you are instantly immersed in an open space layout of a California-themed garden.
In this garden, you will find gift shops, visitor buildings, and various halls. You will also find 1919 Cafe, a coffeehouse that pays tribute to the railroad and real estate businessmen, Henry Edward Huntington, and his wife/aunt Arabella Duval Huntington who founded the Huntington Library.
In the cafe, you will primarily see “red cars,” which reflects the electric railway system Henry Huntington helped consolidate and expand in Southern California. For those reasons, The Huntington Library focuses on bringing enriching history to visitors, through its museum layouts and themed gardens.
However, this is a small part of what the museum has to offer, and visitors are encouraged to reserve a good amount of time to the Huntington Library if they hope to explore all the library has to offer.
Some of the most beautiful gardens the library has to offer are the Japanese and Chinese gardens. These Asian gardens were designed to be as immersive and authentic as the gardens you would find in their respective countries.
For example, Liu Fang Yuan’s garden, which translates to the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, is designed in the traditional style that you would find in a scholar garden in Suzhou, China.
The garden is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens in the world, the 15-acre garden features a tea house, waterfalls, pavilions, and a large lake. One thing that will stand out is a man in traditional Chinese attire playing the flute in the pavilion, while visitors sit and enjoy the sounds of birds and music.
The Japanese garden is next to the Chinese garden, but you will quickly feel the difference in cultures. This garden, in particular, holds a moon bridge, zen garden, and Seifu-an, a ceremonial teahouse, and garden.
Although there are about 10 more gardens, a visitor can enjoy the library has more to offer.
The art museum holds one of the world’s most discussed paintings of the 18th century, The Blue Boy, which was created by Thomas Gainsborough. The painting is currently in the National Gallery in London to mark 100 years since the painting left London.
The Blue Boy is expected to return on June 11 to the Huntington Library.
In a press release, the Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence said, “We imagine this to be the one and only time the painting will travel, given its iconic status at The Huntington.”
The Huntington Library welcomes about 800,000 guests every year. Visitor Angel Tornez said, “Love it here. It’s beautiful. I enjoy the garden with the koi fish the most.”
From the parking lot to the 270 acres of the property, the experience is as enriching as a museum. Yet, it is bright and colorful like a nature hike, so bring comfortable shoes.
This trip takes less than a 2-hour ride on the metro, or a 46-min drive via car.
To figure out what routes are best to take on the metro, visit https://www.metro.net/riding/trip-planner/ .