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25 April 2011

Huntington Free Day [June 2011]

The Huntington offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month! 

The Huntington, founded in 1919 by Southern California businessman Henry E. Huntington, is a first-class cultural, research and education center.  Located in San Marino (near Pasadena), The Huntington is comprised of libraries, art galleries and botanical gardens.

From the Huntington website:

shakespearefolioLibrary


The Library’s collection of rare books and manuscripts in the fields of British and American history and literature is nothing short of extraordinary. For qualified scholars, The Huntington is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States in its fields of specialization. For the general public, the Library has on display some of the finest rare books and manuscripts of Anglo-American civilization. Altogether, there are about 6 million items.

Among the treasures for research and exhibition are the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, and a world-class collection of the early editions of Shakespeare’s works.

The Huntington also is among the nation’s most important centers for the study of the American West, with an unsurpassed collection of materials that span the full range of American western settlement, including the overland pioneer experience, the Gold Rush, and the development of Southern California.

The Munger Research Center, the newest addition to the Library structure, adds 90,000 square feet of space for scholars and staff, preservation, conservation, and storage.

hugfrenchartArt Collections


The Art Collections are distinguished by their specialized character and elegant settings in three separate galleries on the Huntington grounds. A fourth space, the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, hosts changing exhibitions.

The Huntington Art Gallery, originally the Huntington residence, contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th- and 19th-century British and French art. It serves as home to Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie

On display in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, The Huntington’s American art collection includes works from the 1690s to the 1950s, including important paintings such as Mary Cassatt’s Breakfast in Bed, Frederic Edwin Church’s Chimborazo, Edward Hopper’s The Long Leg, and John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Pauline Astor.

admissionpicBotanical Gardens


The Botanical Gardens are an ever-changing exhibition of color and a constant delight. Covering 120 acres, more than a dozen specialized gardens are arranged within a park-like landscape of rolling lawns.  Among the most remarkable are the Desert Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Chinese garden. The camellia collection is one of the largest in the country. Other important botanical attractions include the Subtropical, Herb, Jungle, and Palm gardens.

To the north of the Scott Galleries sits the Botanical Education Center, featuring the Helen and Peter Bing Children’s Garden, the Teaching Greenhouse, and The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science. The Conservatory provides children and families with exhibits designed to capture the imagination, engage the senses, and teach some of the fundamentals of botany. The Children’s Garden is most suitable for kids ages 2-7; the Conservatory is designed for middle-school-age students.




























Regular adult admission ranges from $15 to $20, but on the first Thursday of every month admission is free.  Because of the immense popularity of The Huntington's "Free Day," advance ticketing is required.  A limited number of tickets will be available beginning on the first day of the month preceding the Free Day.  For instance, tickets for the Free Day on Thursday 2 June 2011 will become available beginning 1 May 2011.  As you may imagine, tickets go fast!  Tickets for Free Day are not available on site at The Huntington.  Free Day tickets may ONLY be obtained via the website or by telephone (see below).

Free Day hours are from 10:30am to 4:30pm.  Only those with Free Day tickets will be admitted; Regular admission tickets cannot be purchased on Free Days.  When purchasing Free Day tickets you will have to choose your entry time, either 10:30am - noon, or 1:30pm -3pm.

For full details and to obtain Free Day tickets see The Huntington website.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino 91108 [MAP]
626.405.2100
http://www.huntington.org/

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