Art and flowers have a long and complicated history, stretching back to when the first cave artist drew a portrait of a daisy only to have that daisy reject him in favor of marriage to a bee. Brush up on all things colorful and tragic with today's Groupon to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino: for $60, you get a one-year, sustaining-level membership (a $120 value), which must be activated within three months. Current members can use this deal to renew their current membership for another year. Benefits of membership include:
- Unlimited admission for up to two adults per household and your children and grandchildren younger than 18
- Invitations to members-only events and soirees, including the annual preview plant sale and summer evening events, featuring bring-your-own picnics, other dining options, and live music on the lush grounds
- Discounts at The Huntington's Bookstore & More, at San Gabriel Nursery and Florist, and on special classes and lectures
- Use of the long-lineless express entry
- A complimentary one-day guest pass
- Free admission to special exhibitions during public hours and Huntington festivals
- Subscriptions to the bimonthly newsletter, biannual magazine, and monthly email news
One of the most well-known private and nonprofit troves of art, literature, and pretty petals in the world, the Huntington Library claims some six million items, such as rare and fantastic manuscripts, including originals of the Canterbury Tales and the Gutenberg Bible, as well as numerous early editions of Shakespeare's works. The art galleries, meanwhile, hold extensive collections of French and British 18th- and 19th-century creations, as well as plenty of American art. The sprawling gardens model themselves on, among other traditions, Chinese and Japanese designs, including one of the largest camellia collections in the country.
Reviews
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens was rated by Frommer's as very highly recommended. It receives an average rating of 4.5 owl eyes from TripAdvisors and a five-star average from Citysearchers and Yahoo! Locals:
- …it's the vast botanical gardens featuring more than 14,000 different species of plants that draw most locals to the Huntington. – Frommer's
- The Huntington provides a perfect setting for the extensive art an [sic] historical collections. The botanical gardens are truly amazing, and are as beautiful as the art available to view. Great for families, and the staff was very gracious and accommodating. – UtahTravelsLite, TripAdvisor
- …whether you decide to stroll the gardens, check out the art in the library, or have some tea - you will not be disappointed! – MNS, Citysearch
Groupon Says
The Good Book
The Huntington Library houses an original Gutenberg Bible, which everyone knows was named after the first in a long line of successful Gutenbergs, or Guttenbergs, as they later came to be known. What are some little-known facts about the family's current representative, Steve Guttenberg?
- Got into a fistfight with, and later dated, Johnny 5
- Only admitted to Police Academy after gratuitous donation from his father
- Top-hat aficionado
- Played every part in Three Men and a Baby
- Still makes movies
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