South Coast Botanic Garden

Hours & entry: Garden hours are 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (last entrance 4:30 PM). Timed tickets/reservations are required for non-members—buy online to guarantee entry. • Size & collections: The garden covers about 87 acres with over hundreds of thousands of plants across specialty gardens (Water-wise Garden, Herb Garden, English Rose Garden, Garden of the Senses, Children’s Discovery Garden and more). • History & landform: The site was reclaimed from a former open-pit mine and landfill in the 1960s — an early, large example of land recycling that shaped its soils and layout. • Parking & access: Free on-site parking is available; check the garden’s parking page for event-day instructions and overflow lots. • Tickets & cost: Current general admission for non-members is posted online (example: adults ~ $18; seniors/students discounted; children lower rates) — members enter free. Advance online purchase is encouraged. • On-site amenities & experiences: Expect paved paths, shaded picnic areas, a tram/loop for the main one-mile route (small extra fee reported for tram rides), restrooms, a visitor center, and seasonal exhibits or family programs. --- ⚠️ What to keep in mind • Timed entry & events: Popular events and seasonal exhibits (holiday lights, dinosaur displays, etc.) may need separate timed tickets—book ahead for those dates. • Terrain & walking time: The one-mile loop plus side trails make for moderate walking—wear comfortable shoes; allow 1–3 hours depending on how much you explore. • Conservation rules: It’s a managed botanic collection—follow posted rules (no off-trail picking, respect plantings) and carry out trash. • Check the official site before you go: Hours, ticket rules, closures for private events, or temporary garden restrictions can change—verify the garden’s Plan-Your-Visit pages on the day of travel

Personally I am honest to myself to say, really Alhambra Botanical garden is so much better and I had a great time there in the hottest day last summer. However, it is not bad to come here to visit if you are at Palo Verdes area. I was expecting to feed butterflies 🦋 , yet I booked the wrong date. So I will come back for sure. Hopefully feeding butterflies will be adding one more star on my review. 😉 Overall, peaceful day! And it is always so good to be close to nature. magic is in the nature! Something interesting is I smelled the banana leaves! It is very banana. 😱 Part II: finally waited until feeding butterfly. 🦋 It was amazing to see the big blue so closely for the first time. I have seen so many amazing things in life. However, nature’s magic still excited me. So good to go with family or kids. Not much to say, please look at the butterfly’s picture that I caught.

First time visitor! I experienced the Trolls and Butterflies! Both were definitely an experience I highly recommend! What a joyful day. The South Coast Botanic Gardens is organized well by the staff. It is easy to navigate, however, their wifi internet connection is horrible, thus the 4 stars. If you want more information, you can scan the QR code at each troll, but in our case, it only buffered for several minutes, so we gave up. We also learned for a fee, you can get more information on each troll, but we passed on paying more for that and enjoyed just seeing these wonderful wooden creations. We truly enjoyed the trolls and I am so grateful the trolls are here until October 2026. The butterfly experience was fun fun fun! It is a small enclosed area and I learned more butterflies are on their way. We arrived the second day of opening. The weather was chilly and many of the butterflies were resting, so it was hard to see them. It doesn't matter, we were very happy to be in this special enclosed space. The staff here answered our questions and we told them they were fortunate to volunteer there. Parking: plenty of free parking on site. Do arrive early. The temperature was nice in the morning to walk around and parking was easy. As we were leaving, it was getting more crowded. We saw a place that sold food, but we passed on this and drove to a restaurant to have lunch. TIP: arrive early, plenty of parking spaces, avoid the crowds

South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes is truly one of the most versatile and beautiful locations in Los Angeles for engagement photos, elopements, weddings, and couple sessions. As a Los Angeles wedding and engagement photographer, I always love shooting here because the variety of scenery allows couples to get a full gallery of diverse, meaningful images in one place. The Cactus Garden is perfect for modern, dramatic photos with strong shapes and textures, while the surrounding green paths offer soft, romantic settings filled with natural light. The light installations throughout the grounds add a unique artistic touch and can create magical, cinematic moments during golden hour. With its wide mix of nature, open fields, winding paths, lush gardens, and intimate corners, South Coast Botanic Garden works beautifully for any style of photography—whether it’s an engagement session, a proposal, an intimate elopement, or a full wedding portrait session. Every couple can find a space that reflects their personality, making each session feel unique and personal. If you're looking for a stunning location for engagement photos in Los Angeles or Southern California, I highly recommend this garden. It provides endless possibilities for creative and timeless photography. NZ WEDDING STUDIO

Great place for a quiet walk and a picnic! Total time walking through the gardens was roughly 3 hours (including stopping to eat lunch under a tree). We went during the troll exhibit, but will definitely be going back in May for the Butterflies! Highly recommend for a nice date day.

Grounds were pretty. A great place to get outside to walk around in. Butterfly exhibit was interesting, staff very knowledgeable and friendly. The trolls were fun to see. Lots of walking, can get hot in the sun. Bring water maybe a hat and layers.

So Happy I had on My Walking Shoes. I am grateful there were benches to stop and rest. This place is a place that you can spend ALL DAY And Feel Soo Fulfilled that you spent your time in Nature. Posted signs warns us that the Squirrels, and Coyotes live in there😳. I don't think I would have walked in Soo deep into their Woods had I known that before. I only noticed the sign on my way out😅. Really, Really Nice park. I Hear it's a different atmosphere at night in the Month starting March? Bring plenty of water to drink. You can eat there but beware there are Animals around so disposal of your trash properly will be appreciated. Overall I Absolutely Loved It Here. No bikes, no Kites, No Pets (only guide dogs), No Alcohol (I believe they sell wine?). There is a hall for Rent for party occasions,(Have A Wedding To Plan?)Consider this Beauty place to have any Ceremony . You can have picnics here. You can Have a small social gathering. There is a horse stable there as well- it was closed at the time I went (Sat). My first visit took 3 hours for me to walk around this park- and I still did Not Get to see 100:% of the park- And they are still adding to the park, hence why part of the Park was Under Construction. Great Place to Visit...... You Must Reserve you Ticket before arriving.

I've been coming here since I was kid with my grandma. My wife and I got married here years ago and It's been awesome to bring my own children here now. This place is special. The staff do an exceptional job of always improving, cleaning, adding things that make you want to come back. The annual memberships are reasonably priced. We are waiting impatiently for the new children's section to be finished.