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Zoos, Gardens & Nature Centers
Los Angeles County

Queen Anne House at Los Angeles County Arboretum

Queen Anne House at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.

Some of the African jungle scenes in the African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn were filmed at the Arboretum of Los Angeles County.


Alpine Butte Wildlife Sanctuary Between 130th Street East & 135th Street East, Lake Los Angeles 93591; (661) 944-6881
Aquarium of the Pacific 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach 90802; (562) 590-3100
Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve 15101 W Lancaster Rd, Lancaster 93536; (661) 724-1180
The Arboretum of Los Angeles County 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia 91007; (626) 821-3222
Big Rock Creek Wildlife Sanctuary Avenue 0 1.5 miles West of Alpine Butte, Big Rock Creek; (626) 398-5420
Bird Sanctuary (Griffith Park) 2900 N Vermont Ave, LA 90027; (818) 243-1145
Brand Park Whispering Pine Tea House & Garden 1601 W Mountain St, Glendale 91208; (818) 548-3782
Butte Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Avenue I near 190th East, Hi Vista; (626) 398-5420
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium 3720 Stephen White Dr, San Pedro 90731; (310) 548-7562, TDD (310) 548-2052
Catalina Island Interpretive Center 1202 Avalon Canyon Center, Avalon 90704; (310) 510-2514
Chavez Ravine Arboretum (Elysian Park) (off Stadium Way btwn Scott Ave & Academy Rd) 1880 Academy Way, LA; (213) 485-5054
Descanso Gardens
Also visit Descanso Gardens Guild
1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge 91011; (818) 952-4400
Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area 28000 Devil's Punchbowl Rd, Pearblossom 93553; (661) 944-2743
Eaton Canyon Nature Center 1750 N Altadena Dr, Pasadena 91107; (626) 398-5420
El Dorado Nature Center (El Dorado Park) 7550 E Spring St, Long Beach 90808; (562) 570-1750
Exposition Park Rose Garden 701 State Dr, LA 90037; (213) 748-4772
Fern Dell (Griffith Park)) 5375 Red Oak Dr, Los Angeles 90027; (323) 666-5046
Gerhardy Wildlife Sanctuary 240th Street East & Avenuve O, Antelope Valley; (626) 398-5420
Huntington Library & Gardens 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino 91108; (626) 405-2100
Jackrabbit Flat Wildlife Sanctuary SE corner of 116th East & Avenue T, Pearblossom; (626) 398-5420
James Irvine Garden, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center 244 S San Pedro St, Los Angeles 90012; (213) 628-2725
Los Angeles Zoo 5333 Zoo Dr, LA 90027; (323) 666-4090
Mescal Wildlife Sanctuary Between Highways 138 & 18 near 223rd Street East, Antelope Valley; (626) 398-5420
Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden (UCLA) Tiverton Dr (UCLA); (310) 825-1260
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (California State University, Long Beach) (Earl Warren Way-CSULB) 1250 Bellflower Blvd,
Long Beach 90840; (562) 985-8885
Montebello Barnyard Zoo Grant Rea Park, 600 Rea Dr, Montebello 90640; (323) 887-4595
Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center 23600 Roscoe Blvd, West Hills 91304; (818) 883-6641
Peck Road Water Conservation Park 5401 N Peck Rd, Arcadia 91006; (626) 334-1065
Phacelia Wildflower Sanctuary 200th Street East & Avenue D, Antelope Valley; (626) 398-5420
Placerita Canyon Nature Center 19152 Placerita Canyon Rd, Newhall 91321; (661) 259-7721
Point Vicente Interpretive Center 31501 Palos Verdes Dr West, Rancho Palos Verdes 90274; (310) 377-5370
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden 1500 N College Ave, Claremont 91711; (909) 625-8767
Rose Hills Memorial Park 3900 Workman Mills Rd, Whittier 90608; (562) 699-0921
San Dimas Canyon Nature Center 1628 N Sycamore Canyon Road, San Dimas 91773; (909) 599-7512
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys 91406; (888) 527-2757
Sepulveda Garden Center 16633 Magnolia Blvd, Encino 91316; (818) 784-5180
South Coast Botanic Garden 26300 Crenshaw Blvd, Rolling Hills Estates 90274; (310) 544-6815
Theodore Payne Wildlife Sanctuary 223rd Street East & Avenue V, Llano; (626) 398-5420
Tillman Water Reclamation Plant Japanese Garden (Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area) 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys 91406; (818) 756-8166
Tujunga Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary Tujunga Wash, 210 Freeway & Wentworth Street, Tujunga 91042; (661) 944-6881
UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden 10619 Bellagio Rd, Los Angeles (Bel Air) 90049; (310) 794-0320
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park 10700 W Escondido Canyon Road, Saugus 91350; (661) 268-0840
Virginia Robinson Gardens 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills 90210; (310) 276-5367
Watts Senior Center & Rose Garden 1657 E Century Blvd, Los Angeles 90002; (213) 564-9440
Whittier Narrows Nature Center 1000 N Durfee Ave, South El Monte 91733; (626) 575-5523
William S. Hart Park (wilderness preserve) 24151 San Fernando Rd, Santa Clarita 91321; (661) 254-4584
Wrigley Memorial Botanical Garden 1400 Avalon Canyon Rd, Avalon 90704; (310) 510-2595

The California Poppy is the state flower of California (declared as such in 1903). It just so happens that the largest and most brilliant natural display of this beautiful flower normally takes place March through May just north of Los Angeles at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve. This 1,745 acre State Reserve, 15 miles west of Lancaster, is located on California's largest and most consistent poppy-bearing land. Seven miles of trails, including a paved section for wheelchair access, allow hiking or strolling through the wildflower fields. The broad views of this hilly landscape provide eyefuls of brilliant wildflower colors.


Descanso Gardens is famous for its camellias.


The Exposition Park Rose Garden consists of 19,000 rose bushes.


The South Coast Botanical Gardens was reclaimed from land that once was a mining facility and later used as a garbage dump.


The largest monkey hand tree in California may be found in the Virginia Robinson Garden.


William S. Hart Park was once the home and ranch of silent film cowboy star William Hart.


The Aquarium of the Pacific is one of the largest aquariums in the nation, featuring nearly 1,000 species (totaling more than 12,000 individual marine animals) in 19 major habitats and 32 focus exhibits. The aquarium highlights the marine habitats of three Pacific Ocean regions: Southern California-Baja California, Tropical Pacific and Northern Pacific.