Visitors in search of cultural treasures should not miss the splendid collections of the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens. Established in the early 1900s by railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington and his wife, who were avid collectors of rare books and manuscripts, 18th-century British art, and botanical specimens, the institution is now one of the most impressive cultural complexes in the world.
In the Library visitors will find more than 600,000 rare books, including a 1410 manuscript of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a 1455 Gutenberg Bible, early editions of Shakespeare, and George Washington's genealogy written in his own hand. No less impressive is the art collection, which includes masterpieces by Edward Hopper, Rogier van der Weyden, and Thomas Gainsborough.
Outside, visitors will find the stunning Botanical Gardens. Highlights include the twelve-acre Desert Garden, the arched bridges and peaceful ponds of the Japanese Garden, and the Shakespeare Garden. Visitors should take a moment to enjoy an English tea, which the Library offers in the Rose Garden Tea Room.
