If you are a member of one botanic garden, such as the California Botanic Garden (formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden), you may be eligible for free admission to other gardens.
Here are some California gardens that we've enjoyed visiting.
Within an hour or so from Claremont:
- California Botanic Garden (Claremont--formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden)
- Sam Maloof House and Gardens (Rancho Cucamonga)
- Chino Basin Water Conservation District (Montclair)
- Descanso Gardens (La Canada)
- Fullerton Arboretum (Fullerton)
- Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden (Los Angeles)
- Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (San Marino)
- LA Arboretum (Arcadia)
- Moorten Botanical Garden (Palm Springs)
- Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden (Palm Desert)
- Theodore Payne Foundation (Sun Valley)
Further South
- Isamu Noguchi Sculpture Garden (Costa Mesa)
- Hortense Miller Garden (Laguna Beach)
- Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona del Mar)
- Roger's Gardens (nursery, Corona del Mar)
- Water Conservation Garden (El Cajon)
- Rancho Los Alamitos (Long Beach)
Towards Santa Barbara:
- Seaside Gardens (nursery, Carpenteria)
- Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden (Santa Barbara)
- Firescape Garden (Santa Barbara)
Closer to the Bay area
- Municipal Rose Garden (San Jose)
- Hakone Estate and Gardens (Saratoga)
- Annie's Annuals and Perennials (Richmond, nursery)
- Ruth Bancroft Garden (Walnut)
- Cornerstones/Sunset Demonstration Gardens (Sonoma)
- UC Santa Cruz arboretum (Santa Cruz)
Out of state:
- Springs Preserve (Las Vegas)
- Owen Memorial Rose Garden (Eugene, OR)
- Darlingtonia Preserve (Near Florence, OR)