This summer, Descanso Gardens will transform its 150 acres into a season-long celebration of music, art, dining, and nature. From early June through September, the botanical garden will come alive with outdoor concerts, world-class art exhibitions,  summer dining, family adventures—and this year, dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs at Descanso Railroad

Summer kicks off with Dinosaurs Opening Weekend, featuring life-size dinosaurs and Cretaceous-era mammals crafted from natural materials by design studio Applied Imagination on display alongside the popular miniature railroad. Visitors can also ride the Gardens’ full-size electric train through the landscape. 

Friday, June 5

Members-Only Preview, 8–10 am (Family & Friends, Nature Lovers, Perennial Circle):

  • First access to the dinosaurs
  • Early opening of the ride-on train
  • Train station crew talks about miniature trains
  • Natural History Museum fossil activity area
  • Summer Passport with a special opening-weekend sticker
  • Swag, snacks, and drinks

Open to All Guests, 10 am–7 pm:

  • Natural History Museum puppets
  • Natural History Museum of the fossil activity area
  • Dinosaurs at Descanso Railroad and Ancient Forest
  • Little Explorers dinosaur-themed activities on the Main Lawn

Saturday & Sunday, June 6–7

  • Fossil table at Magnolia Court
  • Passport handout at the Bridge 
  • Dinosaurs at Descanso Railroad and Ancient Forest
  • Little Explorers dinosaur-themed activities on the Main Lawn
Descanso Gardens

Tyrannosaurus Rex (Courtesy of Descanso Gardens)

Summer Music & Dance: June 11, July 9, August 13

This series returns to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. This summer’s theme is  America as rhythm, migration, and reinvention—music and dance rooted in place, shaped by travel, and alive in connection. 

June 11: 

  • Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles: Amphitheater, 4:4-5:30 pm & 5:45-6:30 pm 
  • The Tony Guerrero Quintet, Rose Pavilion, 5-5:45 pm & 6-6:45 pm

July 9

  • Las Colibrí: Amphitheater, 4:45-5:30pm & 5:45-6:30pm 
  • The Wimberly Bluegrass Band: Rose Pavilion, 5-5:45 pm & 6-6:45 pm

August 13

  • Lernazang: Amphitheater, 4:45-5:30 pm & 5:45-6:30 pm 
  • Suara Southeast Asian Choir: Rose Pavilion, 5-5:45 pm & 6-6:45 pm
Descanso Gardens

Las Colibri (Courtesy of Descanso Gardens)

LA’s Garden, July 18–November 29, 2026

Curated by Rosten Woo, LA’s Garden uncovers the living history beneath Descanso’s 150 acres: who shaped the collections, why they look the way they do, and how they continue to change.

At Descanso, the history of the plants is the history of the people—from the stewardship of indigenous communities to the legacies of Japanese-American nurserymen and visionary volunteers. Archival maps, documents, and vintage photographs are paired with contemporary artistic perspectives. Open at the Boddy House, July 18–November 29, 2026, 10 am–4 pm daily; included with admission or membership.

Sound of Water Exhibition: June 20, 2026–January 3, 2027 

Sound of Water: Feminine Expressions of Fluidity, a group exhibition of contemporary Japanese women artists exploring water as both a source of serenity and a force of disruption. Opening June 20 at the Sturt Haaga Gallery, the exhibition is curated by Japanese art historian Meher McArthur and commemorates the 60th anniversary of Descanso’s Japanese Garden.

Japan’s identity as an island nation, its relationship with water abundant, life-sustaining, and at times destructive, runs throughout the work, where water appears as shifting weather, reflective surface, meditative sound, and an urgent presence in an era of climate change.

Six artists from Japan, the U.S., and the U.K.—Mineko Grimmer, Yumiko Glover, Miya Ando, Emiko Aida, Yuko Kimura, and Ayomi Yoshida—approach the subject through a quieter, more contemplative lens: subtle movement, material transformation, and emotional resonance over spectacle. Entry to the Sturt Haaga Gallery is included with admission or membership.

Descanso Gardens

Emiko Aida’s Reverie (Courtesy of Descanso Gardens)

Summer Menu at Farmhouse at Descanso

Summer continues at Farmhouse, where summer ingredients take center stage. Enjoy a refreshing drink at the bar and enjoy the tastes of the season. For reservations and menus, visit farmhousedg.org

 Musical Interludes: June 25-26, 7 pm-8:15 pm

Presented by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music (PCM), this after-hours concert moves through nocturnes, songs, and haunting tales—from moonlit calm to mystery and the otherworldly. Performed by PCM faculty, alumni, and guest artists. $40 members / $50 non-members / $10 children 3–12 / free under 3. 

Descanso After Dark: Nature’s Magic, July 24, 7 pm-10 pm

Descanso After Dark: Nature’s Magic is an evening of folklore, wonder, and whimsy inspired by the hidden magic of the natural world. Wander the grounds at your own pace as performances and activities unfold after dark. $30 members / $40 non-members / $10 children 3–12 / free under 3. Advance registration required; opens to members June 5, non-members June 10.

Founded as a public garden in 1953, Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011. Descanso Gardens is open daily from 9 am–7 pm. Admission is $18 for adults; $14 for seniors and students with a school I.D.; $8 for children 3 to 12, and free for children under 3. The Sturt Haaga Gallery is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. Descanso Gardens is a member-supported garden accredited by the American Alliance of Museums

Descanso Gardens

Courtesy of Descanso Gardens

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