13 secret gardens in L.A. for a serene escape

You can’t miss Frank Gehry’s twisted metallic Walt Disney Concert Hall when you’re walking along Grand Avenue, but you absolutely might unknowingly pass by the shaded garden behind it. The easiest-to-find entrance is on Grand Avenue near 2nd Street (where there’s also elevator access), but you can also enter on 1st Street near the corner of Hope Street. Either way, you’ll find quiet, leafy seating areas at the top.

Hidden behind a wall of brush between the Hollywood Reservoir and the Hollywood Sign, this mosaic-filled grove of folk art isn’t exactly public: The locked gate, posted request to keep things photo-free and general lack of information clearly imply that this garden is meant to be hush-hush. But as a Designated Historic-Cultural Monument (#996), its existence isn’t really a secret either. Though not a sure thing, your best chance to find the gate unlocked is on Thursdays from 10am to noon; otherwise, you’ll have to glance into this peaceful terrace of tilework and potted succulents from a respectful distance.

One of L.A.’s most wonderfully odd destinations, this historic West Adams theater is mostly known for its outside-the-box programming and old-timey 360-degree panorama paintings. But behind it, you’ll find an absolutely enchanting garden, with an ornate gazebo, carnivorous plants and Eastern-inspired pavilions.

Reservations required.

Tucked into a residential block of Pasadena, this backyard garden and traditional teahouse opens its doors to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. First constructed in the late 1930s, the Japanese garden features two ponds, four bridges and a cascading waterfall, all centered around a teahouse (a 1980s restoration of the original Japanese imported structure).

Right across from Storrier Stearns, this public garden adds just a bit of whimsy to the neighborhood. Weave through the sycamores and succulents in this Italian-inspired sanctuary and you’ll eventually come across a labyrinth made of stones. The narrow dirt paths can get a little tight on busy weekends, but swing by during the week, if you can, for some serious secret garden vibes.

In 1971, hiker Amir Dialameh singlehandedly nurtured a scorched hillside in Griffith Park into a shaded retreat. Half a century later, this five-acre, volunteer-run garden remains a favorite rest stop for hikers and equestrians alike. Getting here is the difficult part: It’s about a half-mile walk uphill from the trailhead at Mineral Wells Road and Griffith Park Drive. But the payoff is sweet once you’ve found a seat on the hilltop picnic benches, among a patchwork of flower beds.

Find your favorite flower on the rolling hills of UCLA’s Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens, a free and public tangle of flora on the southeast corner of campus. It’s a surprisingly low-key spot considering its location, though the same can’t be said of the parking situation (at least on weekdays); try public transit instead, or paid spots in UCLA Parking Structure 2 just up Charles E. Young Drive.

Reservations required.

This small, tranquil garden is one of Little Tokyo’s best-kept secrets as the urban oasis isn’t accessible from the street. The lush Japanese American Cultural & Community Center oasis typically functions as an event space, but you can also book a time slot to walk around and enjoy the garden’s foliage, babbling stream and cascading waterfall.

About a block away, this finely manicured Japanese garden isn’t quite as charming, but it’s still perfect for an afternoon stroll. You’ll find it hidden atop the DoubleTree’s parking garage, accessible either from the hotel or across an outdoor bridge connected to the adjacent Weller Court shopping center.

Reservations required.

Yes, spending an afternoon meditating in a serene garden might be stereotypically L.A., but it’s also completely relaxing. The totally chilled out volunteers who run this spiritual center, historic villa and gardens won’t judge you anyway. Take a free tour of the grounds before walking the labyrinth or finding a quiet place to meditate or take a nap. Don’t be surprised if the guy manning the door comments on your aura on the way out.

The mansion itself is gorgeous, too: a glamorous villa built by an Italian wine impresario in the early 20th century and soon after owned by director Busby Berkeley.

Reservations required. Temporarily closed through Feb 8, 2022.

Take a stroll around the serene central pond, across wooden bridges and by a teahouse at this 1.3-acre garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus. You’ll have to venture inside of the campus to the garden, situated roughly in the center of Earl Warren Drive (you’ll find a paid parking lot across the street).

Reservations required. Tour calendar posted monthly.

Department store magnates Virginia and Harry Robinson built this Beverly Hills estate in 1911, and upon their passing it entered into the county’s hands as a public park. Because of the six-and-a-half-acre estate’s quiet residential location, it’s only accessible via tours, which you’ll need to reserve well in advance. Once inside, you’ll find finely manicured gardens and a just as impeccably assembled mansion.

Meditation gardens open Wednesday through Sunday with free reservations. Time slots open Saturdays at 10am for the week ahead.

Just inland from PCH (and easy to miss on a tight turn of Sunset Boulevard) this serene Pacific Palisades pond has been a movie studio, a quarry, an oil magnate’s mansion and now a lush spiritual center. At this “church of all religions,” a Dutch windmill-turned-chapel occupies the same space as an Eastern-inspired golden archway—all a perfect backdrop for a peaceful stroll alongside gliding swans.