The Asian-style building dates back to the 1920's and features a meditative central courtyard…read more There is adequate parking on the corner adjacent to the building, but I imagine it can get full on a busy weekend. We were here for the exhibit, "Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry." Entrance fee is $15, we got a discount as seniors. There is a discount for children. USC ID cardholders, active US military and one other category get in free. It's a medium-sized museum, and as one gets closer to the end there are more sitting opportunities. Nice. We were blown away by the quality of the exhibit, and the variety of displays. There were a few interactive displays, but the exhibit urged the viewer to think and explore one's own transitions. The philosophical musings and references of "Uncle" were challenging in a good way. Highly recommend.

Nice smaller museum with an eclectic mix of modern and older pieces. I loved how they highlighted…read morecontemporary Asian American artists. Lovely courtyard/garden between buildings and a super nice staff. Entry price is a little high at $20, but the museum is unique and a nice way to spend an hour in Old Town Pasadena.

Howard Whalen (now deceased) was a local Sierra Madre artist and sulptor. His work exhibited…read moreinternationally, and is iconic of the age he created in - the 1950s, 60s, & 70s. His sculpture garden is on the premises of his Craftsman home, adjacent to his large work-studio. He would often make breakfasts in the garden for large groups of other local artists, including his good friends Ed Harris (actor), Susan Brown (actress), Marie Peckinpah (actress & producer), Rolf Forsberg (filmmaker), Igor Dekansky (painter), and Howard Miller (television writer). Howard Whalen's medium was high fire clay. Visits to his garden and studio are mostly by appointment - as the garden is staffed only by volunteers - and their onsite presence is not tightly scheduled. However - if you love hidden art treasures - then your trip to Sierra Madre should include both the Howard Whalen Sculpture Garden, and the painting Studio of Igor Dekansky.

I expected a Bridgerton wistaria bloom but instead the flower petals had fallen from the vines and…read morewere all on the ground! There was one bush with wistaria that had not fallen. Disappointed is to say the least of what our group was. There was no point in going there. Staff said the 101° heat the week before caused the flowers to fall. Heavy rain might make the flowers fall too. Also, this festival is in a person's backyard. Admission is not free. We paid $5 a person. I don't trust LA's flower gardens. The only pro of this experience was learning the home's wistaria history.

Until this weekend I had never heard of the Wisteria Festival before. The rescue that I foster with…read more(PupCulture Rescue) was having a tent at the festival and so I drove up to Sierra Madre for the event. I learned that the Wisteria Festival happens once a year and it is centered around the largest Wisteria plant in the world, and if I'm correct this Wisteria is also in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the largest blooming plant in the world, unfortunately they can't predict so far ahead of time when the plant will bloom, so each year they apparently try to schedule the festival when they think it will bloom, but this year due to the weather being so hot the plant prematurely bloomed last month. The festival is massive, with a couple of blocks or more that are blocked off and so many tents to stop by and visit. PupCulture Rescue had one tent towards the middle which was great with allot of foot traffic. I sat with the rescue and my foster Drew (check my photos, he's a very sweet Bone Face Shar Pei and still looking for his forever home) for a few hours and then I left him there with the group so that I could explore with my friends for a bit. There were so many tents with beautiful pottery, or food/coffee/drinks, and other goodies to look at. My friends and I found the bus that would take us to the famous Wisteria Plant, it's $15 / person to ride the bus up the hill to the house. Once at the house a guide gives a brief history of the plant, and it's amazing that back when it was first planted it was only 75 cents. Now it's really this massive giant. Too bad the blooms were already gone, but despite this you will still be in awe of its massive size. I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be when it's in bloom. I think one thing they should do at the bottom of the hill before you buy tickets is let you know if it's not in bloom so you can decide at that time if you still want to go. I saw many people express severe disappointment when they realized there were no blooms, however I had heard randomly from someone before going that the blooms were gone so I came with that knowledge already and wasn't disappointed since I already knew. You can either take the bus back down the hill or for a short walk downhill you can stop by the two churches that are on the way back to the festival. Both churches are rich in architecture and beautiful landscape. Until next year!

*Hours: Saturdays only, 10am-4pm. *Free admission…read more *Large parking lot available. *You'll spend thirty minutes to an hour here, depending on how quickly you read. Before you go here, understand what this is. If you're looking for a big museum with a focus on all things Western, go to the Autry Museum of the American West (Griffith Park). This is a historic building owned by the Autry, which still retains some of the Native American artifacts originally exhibited and stored here (others have already been relocated to either the Griffith Park museum or their research building in Burbank). There are only two rooms (one with Pueblo pottery and the other chronicling the museum's history and showcasing a few examples of Mayan and Incan art). Supposedly, the Southwest Museum is LA's oldest museum. It was opened as the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in 1907 (downtown location) by archaeologist and journalist Charles Lummis, to preserve and document the indigenous cultures of the Southwest. Lummis ran the Southwest Society (the western branch of the Archaeological Institute of America). The museum moved to its current building in 1914 (constructed for this purpose). In 2003, financial challenges pushed the museum to merge with the Autry. There is quite a bit of controversy involving the merger and the subsequent decisions made by the Autry. The facility has remained as a conservation site, with visiting hours only on Saturdays. You can read more criticism at savesouthwestmuseum.com, run by Friends of the Southwest Museum. According to the group, the merger would ideally have revitalized the museum instead of limiting visitation and transferring parts of the collection to other locations. Currently, the building is for sale. Naturally, this will invite more criticism as the collection will be completely separated from the historic building. I don't want to blame the Autry as I don't understand the financial issues at play here. I don't know why the museum wasn't revitalized after the merger (it's unfortunate that it wasn't). I also don't doubt that it costs a lot to keep this building running (and they have two other facilities in Los Angeles). Of course, keeping the collection at the building is ideal. But if it's draining the Autry's resources and they have two other buildings to house the artifacts? I'm sure people will chide this cowboy-oriented institution for completely subsuming an institution that focuses on indigenous culture. However, it seems like they saved this building from closure in the first place and invested a lot of money to keep it running. It also seems like the Autry has committed to furthering indigenous voices in their programming (thus not only focusing on cowboy history). It's not ideal to let go of the historic building but if they can wholeheartedly commit to preserving indigenous art and make room in their facilities for these stories? It might be the best case scenario. Letting go of a building that's draining resources makes sense, from an administrative and financial perspective (especially after Covid). Hypothetically, if there were a donor or buyer that offered to finance the retention of the building with the artifacts and the Autry declined? That'd be a different story. In the end, I hope they can find ways to honor this site's legacy and adequately incorporate the indigenous art and history.

This small museum gathers even smaller exhibitions of Native American art - perfect for a Saturday…read moreafternoon stroll after a tea break. The convenient parking lot is situated in the back, but it's best to start your trip by parking on the Museum Drive. Then take a quick photo in front of the museum entrance before walking thru the long tunnel access. The whole place is small and easily navigatable in about 30 minutes. The FIRST FLOOR hosts some displays covering the history of the Southwest Museum institution as founded by archeologist Charles Lummis. Few modern art draperies hang in the inside for comfort viewing as you walk through the museum. The SECOND FLOOR is currently displaying a ceramic art exhibition showcasing Pueblo art and other crafted items from South West Native Americans. There were plenty of Navajo pottery and other figurines on display dated over a span of a few centuries. The free admission on Saturday makes this a great destination to pair with the nearby Heritage Square Museum, or even perfect to go right before heading to the Autry main campus. The walking distance from the Gold Line Station makes this museum an easy and convenient stop! Don't forget to bring some snacks and enjoy the fantastic view of Mount Washington at the top of the museum grounds!

Great little museum right next to Plaza Olvera. Free entry, choice to donate. Lady working there…read morenamed Olivia was very informative and friendly.

Neat little quick stop on the way out of the train station. Lots of history in this station, I'm…read moresure. There wasn't a tour going on while we were there, so I'm not sure of the details. It is very well kept up and it was cool that it is maintained by the NPS.

The Bunny Museum is one of the most fascinating things to do around LA. It's so unique and such a…read morefun place to explore. It's actually out in Altadena, very close to Pasadena so just outside the city proper. Ganja fueled was my ideal and stepping into this rabbit wonderland was like following Alice down the rabbit hole... And it starts before you even step inside! Let me start by saying, parking is limited so if you can park in a nearby parking lot, that's ideal. I, however, got VIP parking right in the main driveway! I wasn't sure I was in the right place, but the proprietor came out to greet me and welcome me in. They have bunny topiary and objects outside, so you definitely won't doubt being in the right place. Admission is $12, collected at the entrance by one of the owners and a cute crabby cat. It's so hard not to touch anything, but don't do it! Everything here stays in great condition, and my date & I were surprised at how clean, organized and non-dusty and non-must-smelling it was. Items of various ages in various stages, but everything looks so great. My favorite section was the adult section! Horror movies, experimentation, furries and playboy bunnies, eek. It's a fun little room! Be sure to also check out the bathrooms, the outdoor adorably romantic space, just a maze of bunnies everywhere, even BTS' Jungkook (MY BIAS) was there. I even learned about local legend that as a transplant was a bit before my time, Huell Howser. A character! And we even got some funny stories about him from the owner. This museum is wild but my favorite part was talking to the owners. Cool and unique people with a true passion for this project! They Bunny Museum is even in the Guiness Book of World Records! Such an accomplishment that started with a sweet gift!

What's up, doc? The…read moreBunny Museum (est '98) is a small museum dedicated to rabbits located in a midsize building in Altadena, California. They're a non-profit institution that cares for a collection of bunny artifacts, objects and specimens. It currently holds more than 46,000 rabbit-related items in a 7,000 square foot space. Astonishing! This museum is perfect for family with kids or anyone who likes museum in general. Staff were informative not to mention the orange Cat that guard the galleries. Moreover, visitors must abide to the museum's protocol that is "Look But Never Touch" except in the gift shop. Trust me, I was very close in touching a stuff toy bunny. I explored every gallery/room including the bathroom and patio. Lol. Visitors can easily spent over an hour in this small museum. Museum admission ticket ($12) seems economically fair. Atmosphere was chill. Parking is nonexistent albeit plenty of street parking available. Overall, I was ebullient that I get to visit this museum.

It is always a struggle to write beyond a cliche. Case in point, I want to express that the…read moreArlington Garden in Pasadena is a green oasis amidst urban noise and pace but that would say little since people consider their backyard and their local parks to be a green space of peace. And they would be right- who am I to judge the green that someone holds precious whether it be jade from feudal China or a patch of blades that are bed for the soul to rest. So I am left with one task: to express the serene beauty of this place that is also engaging in a quiet way, with almost ethereal words to truly defend and display that this, in all its glory, is a green oasis that wins by a short shot. The grounds are not huge, it is small but comes close to being medium. But what I loved is that its green branches and brown barks and twigs were immersive. I had entered a green swirl that moved all around me in stillness of movement but blurs of garden spirits. The place was like an outside museum that honors mother earth and her mantra of tender care that explains how flowers grow best. One of the most engaging experiences was their wishing tree. It was about two to four big trees with hanging wishes written by everyday folk. As I walked the steps to the trees, as I passed between them my skin could feel the words of hope hanging from branches. It was like the cards spoke in lovely whispers that reminded me that days of beauty are created when people do not forget to see that joyous petals that are in the wind and all around in the everyday. And as one note reminded us, joy is not ready made, to find it takes action. Reading the notes was a way in which I elected joy, as an act of resistance toward anger and disapointment. There was also this gazebo with a statue of a greek goddess. These are guesses of mine, I did not find some type of placards to confirm my notions. She was framed in the gazebo by a quasi-window. I entered the small gazebo and sat in the only green bench maybe big enough for two.I did not understand why she was giving me her back, I wanted to face her. But then I realized that Demeter or Gaia (maybe?) was not facing me because she was looking at her creation, like any person would when they have a garden to admire. From that seat I saw a man doing Tai-Chi and being filmed by his partner in all red. I sat and viewed him quietly and ask that whatever he was calling forth with his movements also entered my own person. From this seat, I also saw a pregnant woman taking pictures. She was wearing a white dress with a tasteful floral pops around. At times, she laughed with a wide smile, at times she held the bundle with her hands. It was seeing a place of growth, welcome a being with life about to begin. Her partner joined and they were directed into stances that made sense--- like the one where they look longingly at each other while he held her, and she held the coming boy. I could see their happiness, I could see their true connection, and I knew that the baby was being born into comfort and love. It was great reminder that sometimes life blooms with ease into joy. I also saw a lizard run and move its neck, both in a funny way. I saw a sole butterfly flutter. I saw folks sitting, relaxing, eating, all in with a calm demeanor. So I would like to think that this place is a green oasis or at least a place where rest is each to come by.

The Arlington Garden is a nice, public garden in Pasadena. Admission is free and street parking is…read moreplentiful. It's not a big garden, yet it does a great job at displaying native species, sustainable land scaping, and climate appropriate plants. I came during the hot days of summer, so there's not a lot that's in bloom. I did spot plenty of California poppies, milkweed, and yarrow. The trees, like the holly leaf cherry and eastern redbud, were beautiful on its own. I also had the rare privilege of seeing a flowering agave plant. The citrus area is a standout. They have some dwarf species and trees that were rehoused after being part of an art installation. They use the fruit to make marmalade. What's unused gets donated.

Chinese American Museum is a small free museum located in Downtown Los Angeles. It is dedicated to…read morethe history and experience of Chinese Americans in the state of California, the first such museum in Southern California. It has two floors with different exhibits and artifacts. We were able to see the entire gallery floors in less than 30 minutes. Staff was nice. Overall, it's a decent museum.

The Chinese American museum is located in Downtown Los Angeles as a part of the El Pueblo de Los…read moreAngeles Historic Monument. A little bit after Olvera St. It is dedicated to the history and experience of Chinese Americans in the state of California. I was pleasantly surprised how much information was given here with three levels for you to explore and learn some history. Fun fact: this is the original Los Angeles Chinatown location before it was moved to Chinatown area it is today. I will forever be proud of my family and especially my parents for having the courage to move to the United States from Macau. Leaving somewhere that was so familiar to them for a better life for themselves and their future kids. Admission is free but donations are recommended, not required. Their hours are 10a-3p Tuesday-Sunday, closed Mondays. The museum took about an hour for us to see all three levels.