The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, colloquially known as the Huntington, opened its doors to the public in 1928, after the deaths of railroad magnate Henry Edwards Huntington and his wife, Arabella Duval Huntington. Their once-private art, botanical, and library collections formed the foundation for what is now a preeminent research and educational institution.
 
The Huntington hosts more than 1 annual million visitors who explore the institution's five central programmatic offerings: the library, art museum, botanical gardens, research program, and educational programs. The Huntington Library houses 11 million-plus objects from the 11th century to present day, covering everything from architecture to Hispanic history and culture to maps and atlases to Medieval manuscripts to Western American history. The Art Museum showcases 45,000-plus works of British, European, American, and Asian art spanning more than 500 years. The Botanical Gardens, stretching over 130 acres, feature 16 themed gardens with 83,000-plus living plants as well as a laboratory for conservation and research. In addition, the Huntington cultivates knowledge and facilitates learning through research centers, fellowships, conferences, household programs, and school partnerships.