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Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Nature & parks
In Arcadia, California
0.4 mi from Route 66

Covering 127 acres in Arcadia, CA, the Los Angeles County Arboretum is both a botanic garden and a historical site, sitting at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains right beside the Route 66 corridor. It belongs to the County of Los Angeles and dates to 1947. For travelers who have spent days on the road, it is a big, green place to walk among trees and gardens.

What it is

An arboretum is a living collection of trees, and here it is paired with a botanic garden of many other plants. The grounds also count as a historical site, so a walk mixes nature with a sense of the area's past. The land rolls gently into hills, with the San Gabriel Mountains rising behind.

At 127 acres, it is large enough that a visit can be a short stroll or a long afternoon. On the opposite side of the street sit Santa Anita Park, a well-known track for horse racing, and a shopping center named for it, The Shops at Santa Anita. That makes the arboretum easy to find even for first-time visitors to the area.

A bit of history

The arboretum dates to 1947 and is owned by the County of Los Angeles. Harry Sims Bent is recorded as its architect. Today it combines living plant collections with historic grounds, which is why it is described as both a garden and a historical site. Its full official name also includes the words Botanic Garden.

Visiting tips

Plan at least an hour, and more if you enjoy gardens; comfortable shoes help on a site this size. The arboretum is only about 0.1 miles from the Route 66 line on the map, so it is an easy stop. For more nature nearby, Little Santa Anita Canyon is about 2.1 miles away, and the Huntington Desert Garden and the Desert Garden Conservatory are each about 3.4 miles away.

Practical info

Address: 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California
Phone: +1 626-821-3222
Website: arboretum.org
Hours: Daily 9–4:30
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat nearby

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Twohey's
South Pasadena, CA · 5.7 mi from here
A 1950s-style diner in South Pasadena, founded in 1943 and known for a burger called the Little Stink-O.
Diner & restaurant
Fair Oaks Pharmacy
South Pasadena, CA · 5.8 mi from here
A 1915 pharmacy with an old-fashioned soda fountain, on the corner where Route 66 ran down Fair Oaks Avenue.
Diner & restaurant
Philippe's
Los Angeles, CA · 11.9 mi from here
A downtown Los Angeles restaurant running since 1908 that claims to have invented the French dip sandwich.