Half of LA's best gardens sit on roofs, and the other half sit behind a door with no sign on it. Here is where to actually get in, and what it costs.
Compare all 15
| Garden | Neighborhood | How you get in | Cost |
|---|
| Blue Ribbon Garden at Disney Hall | Downtown | Elevator at Grand Ave near 2nd St, or the exterior stairs from 1st St | Free |
| The Rooftop Park at RH West Hollywood | West Hollywood | Walk in on Melrose, take the central stairs or elevator to the roof | Free |
| Yamashiro Hollywood | Hollywood | Book a table on Resy or OpenTable; the garden is part of the visit | Dinner reservation |
| Hauser & Wirth Garden | Arts District | Walk into the gallery courtyard. No booking, no ticket | Free |
| Kyoto Garden at the DoubleTree | Little Tokyo | Hotel guests take the elevator to level G. Everyone else is at the desk's discretion | Guests only |
| SuihoEn, The Japanese Garden | Van Nuys | Check in at the security gate, then again at the Admission Office | From $5 |
| Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden | Westwood | Walk in at the southeast corner of the UCLA campus | Free |
| Maguire Gardens at Central Library | Downtown | Ground level at the foot of the 1926 Goodhue building | Free |
| Garage Rooftop at ROW DTLA | Downtown | Park in the garage and take the deck. First two hours free | Free 2 hours |
| Openaire at The LINE Hotel | Koreatown | Restaurant reservation at The LINE. Metro D Line to Wilshire/Normandie | Restaurant |
| Museum of Jurassic Technology | Culver City | Museum admission. The tea room is upstairs, book ahead | $15 |
| Bloom Garden at the Skirball | Sepulveda Pass | General admission, and free to everyone on Thursdays | Free Thursdays |
| Lake Shrine, Pacific Palisades | Pacific Palisades | Reserve before you drive out. Gardens Wed to Sat, and Sunday afternoon | Reservation |
| The Arboretum's Far Corners | Arcadia | General admission, then walk past the entrance loop to the back acreage | From $18 |
| Rooftop Farm at the Jonathan Club | Downtown | You cannot. Watch the LA Conservancy calendar for a public tour | Members only |
01Blue Ribbon Garden at Disney Hall
111 S Grand Ave, Downtown
Open now
Daily 5am to 10pmFree
Nearly an acre of garden, 34 feet above Hope Street, tucked beneath Gehry's steel exterior and blooming year round. The centerpiece is "A Rose for Lilly," a fountain Gehry designed as a personal gift honoring Lillian Disney, shaped as a giant blooming rose and mosaicked from more than 200 repurposed Royal Delft porcelain vases smashed into thousands of pieces. Her grandchildren later gave it to the city.
There are two ways up, and this is where people give up. The main entrance on Grand Avenue near 2nd Street has an elevator, which is the accessible route. The secondary entrance is on 1st Street near Hope. From either, follow the exterior staircase that wraps the building.
Know before you goThe Music Center publishes no hours, and the real constraint is the blackout dates around the concert schedule. Making a special trip, call (213) 972-7300 first.
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- Not published. Commonly listed as 5am to 10pm.
- Access
- Elevator at the Grand Ave entrance near 2nd St is the accessible route. Exterior stairs from 1st St near Hope.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- Call (213) 972-7300 first. Blackout dates track the concert schedule.
02The Rooftop Park at RH West Hollywood
8564 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood
Open now
No reservationFree
Ten thousand square feet of formal rooftop park on top of a three-level, full-block gallery, composed in the spirit of the Jardin des Tuileries. Nearly century-old heritage olive trees stand in colossal steel planters with rosemary spilling over the edges, alongside fire pits, seating, and a replica of the Louvre's Winged Victory, which is a deliberate joke about the City of Angels.
Walk in on Melrose, take the central stairs or the elevator up through the gallery, and keep going to the roof. Nobody stops you.
The thing everyone gets wrongYou do not need a restaurant reservation. The rooftop park is open to the public any time the store is open. The reservation is only if you want to eat up there.
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- Store hours. Not published separately for the roof.
- Access
- Central stairs or elevator up through the gallery. Nobody stops you.
- Reservation
- None. Only if you want to eat up there.
- Best time
- Golden hour on Melrose.
03Yamashiro Hollywood
1999 N Sycamore Ave, Hollywood
Reservation required
1914 palaceDinner reservation
A 1914 replica of a Kyoto-province mountain palace, 250 feet above Hollywood Boulevard, with a garden courtyard, a koi pond where some fish are over 60 years old, and a 600-year-old pagoda imported from Japan that is the oldest structure of its kind in California. The closure rumors are wrong. It is open, on Resy and OpenTable, and has been actively reviewed through this summer.
The property does not open until 5pm, so there is no daytime walk-in window, and its own site publishes no policy for non-diners. Book a table or a drink and treat the garden as part of the visit.
Book this oneA 6:30 to 7:30pm reservation gets you the koi courtyard in daylight and the city lights on the way out. The 5pm slot is still hard sun on that hillside.
- Cost
- No separate garden admission published. Dinner pricing applies.
- Hours
- Opens 5pm. No daytime walk-in window.
- Access
- No non-diner policy published for the garden courtyard.
- Reservation
- Required. Resy or OpenTable.
- Best time
- A 6:30 to 7:30pm table gets the koi courtyard in daylight and city lights on the way out.
04Hauser & Wirth Garden
901 E 3rd St, Arts District
Open now
No bookingFree
The gallery's courtyard garden is a certified Wildlife Habitat with a chicken coop and herb and vegetable beds that supply the on-site restaurant, set against preserved neighborhood murals. It won the 2019 Los Angeles Architectural Awards in Landscape Architecture, and entry to the courtyard is always complimentary even if you never look at the art.
Why we love itThere are chickens in an art gallery in the Arts District. That is the whole pitch and it works.
- Cost
- Free, always, even if you never look at the art.
- Hours
- Gallery hours. Not published separately for the courtyard.
- Access
- Walk straight into the courtyard.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- Not published.
05Kyoto Garden at the DoubleTree
120 S Los Angeles St, Little Tokyo
Limited access
Access changedGuests only
Half an acre of Kyoto stacked on top of a Little Tokyo parking structure: two levels connected by about a dozen steps, waterfalls, koi ponds, manicured planting, and skyline views toward City Hall and the Financial District. Almost nobody downstairs knows it is up there.
This garden has been published as "free and open to the public" for a decade. It is now signed as hotel guests only. Multiple current visitor reviews say the same thing in almost the same words: the garden is solely for hotel guests as indicated by the signs, and there is no option to pay for entry. It is also booked for private events constantly.
The correction that mattersCall (213) 629-1200 before you go. Hotel guests get up there without friction, take the elevators to level "G." Everyone else is at the front desk's discretion. Go on a weekday, and do not take a group. It closes at 9pm.
- Cost
- Hotel guests only. There is no paid-entry option.
- Hours
- Closes 9pm.
- Access
- Guests take the elevators to level G. Non-guests are at the front desk's discretion.
- Reservation
- Call (213) 629-1200 before you go.
- Best time
- A weekday, and do not take a group. Booked for private events constantly.
06SuihoEn, The Japanese Garden
6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys
Open now
Closed Fri to SunFrom $5
Six and a half acres of formal Japanese garden built beside a water reclamation plant, for five dollars, closed exactly when everyone else is free. Which is why it is still empty on a Monday morning. Open Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 3:30pm with last entry at 3:15, plus the second Sunday of each month.
Two traps that will cost you the tripYou have to check in at the security gate before entering the parking lot, then check in again at the Admission Office. And the garden closes within 24 hours of rain, which in August is not your problem, but bookmark it for winter.
- Cost
- From $5
- Hours
- Mon to Thu 9:30am to 3:30pm, last entry 3:15. Plus the second Sunday of each month.
- Access
- Check in at the security gate before the parking lot, then again at the Admission Office.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- Monday morning. Closes within 24 hours of rain.
07Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden
707 Tiverton Drive, Westwood
Open now
Seven daysFree
Seven acres in a canyon on the southeast corner of the UCLA campus, and one of the most consistently overlooked green spaces in the city. Deep shade and a real elevation drop make it one of the few genuinely comfortable August walks on the Westside. Weekdays 8am to 5pm, weekends 9am to 5pm through October.
Good to knowThe garden is free, but campus parking is not. Budget for it.
- Cost
- Free. Campus parking is not.
- Hours
- Weekdays 8am to 5pm, weekends 9am to 5pm through October.
- Access
- Southeast corner of the UCLA campus. Real elevation drop through the canyon.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- August. Deep shade makes it one of the few comfortable Westside walks.
08Maguire Gardens at Central Library
630 W 5th St, Downtown
Open now
Library hoursFree
An acre and a half of terraced gardens, pools, and sculpture at the foot of the 1926 Goodhue building, wedged between the Bunker Hill towers. It is the most walked-past green space in downtown and almost nobody sits down in it.
Make a route of itMaguire Gardens, then the Bradbury Building four blocks east, then Grand Central Market. A great two-hour downtown morning that costs nothing.
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- Library hours.
- Access
- Ground level, no climb.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- Morning. Pair it with the Bradbury Building and Grand Central Market.
09Garage Rooftop at ROW DTLA
777 S Alameda St, Downtown
Open now
Golden hourFree 2 hours
A landscaped garden on the roof of a parking structure, with panoramic skyline views across the ROW's brick warehouse rooftops, suspended lights, and succulents lining the perimeter. The first two hours of parking are free, with or without validation, weekday or weekend. Hour three jumps to $10 without validation or $2.50 with it, up to a $12 daily max.
- Cost
- First two hours of parking free, validation or not. Hour three is $10 without validation, $2.50 with, $12 daily max.
- Hours
- Not published.
- Access
- Park in the structure and take the deck.
- Reservation
- None, but confirm it is not held for a private event before you drive over.
- Best time
- Golden hour. Sunday adds Smorgasburg downstairs.
10Openaire at The LINE Hotel
3515 Wilshire Blvd, Koreatown
Reservation required
Metro D LineRestaurant
A working greenhouse in the middle of Koreatown where a two-Michelin-star chef, Josiah Citrin, cooks under hanging plants, with herbs and vegetables growing on the terrace outside and going straight onto the plate. Rumors of its closure are wrong. Breakfast weekdays 7:30 to 11am, weekend brunch 10am to 2:30pm, dinner Wednesday to Sunday 5:30 to 10pm. Breakfast from about $17, dinner mains from about $37.
The catch is the heatIt is a glass greenhouse. Do not book 1pm in August. Take weekend brunch at the 10am open, or dinner at 5:30 for golden light through the glass.
- Cost
- Breakfast from about $17. Dinner mains from about $37.
- Hours
- Breakfast weekdays 7:30 to 11am. Weekend brunch 10am to 2:30pm. Dinner Wed to Sun 5:30 to 10pm.
- Access
- Through The LINE Hotel. Metro D Line to Wilshire/Normandie.
- Reservation
- Required
- Best time
- Weekend brunch at the 10am open, or dinner at 5:30. It is a glass greenhouse, so not 1pm in August.
11Museum of Jurassic Technology
9341 Venice Blvd, Culver City
Reservation required
Tea included$15
Upstairs in the strangest museum in America there is a tea room serving complimentary Georgian black tea and cookies, open to the public during museum hours, in a building that will not tell you which of its exhibits are true. The founder has been known to sit up there among the doves playing an accordion. Thursday and Friday 2 to 8pm, weekends 12 to 6pm.
Why we love itThe doves are real and still there. You sip tea while they move around your feet. Book ahead, capacity is limited, and Thursday at the 2pm open is the smallest crowd.
- Cost
- $15. Tea and cookies included.
- Hours
- Thu and Fri 2 to 8pm. Weekends 12 to 6pm.
- Access
- The tea room is upstairs, open to the public during museum hours.
- Reservation
- Book ahead. Capacity is limited.
- Best time
- Thursday at the 2pm open is the smallest crowd.
12Bloom Garden at the Skirball
2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Sepulveda Pass
Open now
Free parkingFree Thursdays
The Skirball's outdoor spaces sit inside the ticketed campus, so you need admission to walk them, which on a Thursday means you need nothing at all. The Taper Courtyard with its lily pond and mountain backdrop is the photograph. The newer Bloom Garden is included with general admission, which is now $20, up from $18.
The August moveGo on a Thursday. Free admission by day, free parking, and it is the cheapest good garden day in the county. Every other free-admission date this month is in our free museum days guide.
- Cost
- $20 general. $15 seniors, students and children 2 to 17. Free to everyone on Thursdays.
- Hours
- Not published.
- Access
- Inside the ticketed campus, ground level. Parking is free.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- Thursday. Free admission, free parking, the cheapest good garden day in the county.
13Lake Shrine, Pacific Palisades
17190 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades
Reservation required
ReopenedReservation
A spring-fed lake with swans, a windmill chapel, and terraced meditation gardens, ten minutes from PCH. It reopened after the January 2025 Palisades Fire, and Sunday group meditation and services have resumed. Gardens Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 4:30pm, Sunday 1 to 4:30pm.
The thing people get wrongThe gardens now require a reservation. Book before you drive out. The Lake Shrine Retreat itself remains temporarily closed for remediation.
- Cost
- Not published.
- Hours
- Gardens Wed to Sat 10am to 4:30pm. Sunday 1 to 4:30pm.
- Access
- Gardens only. The Lake Shrine Retreat remains closed for remediation.
- Reservation
- Required. Book before you drive out.
- Best time
- Not published.
14The Arboretum's Far Corners
301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
Open now
Free on EBTFrom $18
Not a secret, exactly. But the far acreage is. Most visitors do a loop near the entrance and leave, which means the back of the property, the peacocks, and the quiet corners are effectively private. Opens 9am, last entry 4:30pm. Service animals only, no pets and no emotional support animals.
Know before you goArrive at 9am sharp in August. By noon Arcadia is over 100 degrees. The Arboretum also runs
guided moonlit forest-bathing walks through late September, which is the smart way to do it in a heat wave.
- Cost
- From $18. Free on EBT.
- Hours
- Opens 9am, last entry 4:30pm.
- Access
- Walk past the entrance loop to the back acreage. Service animals only, no pets or emotional support animals.
- Reservation
- None
- Best time
- 9am sharp in August. By noon Arcadia is over 100 degrees. Guided moonlit forest-bathing walks run through late September.
15Rooftop Farm at the Jonathan Club
Downtown, members only
Special tours only
Watch the calendarMembers only
Four thousand square feet of working rooftop farm on top of a downtown members' club, converted from a paddle tennis court in 2011 and expanded in 2013 after the chef and members demanded more. Fifty-six stock-tank planters on drip irrigation, two dozen citrus trees, blueberries, a passionfruit-vine archway, and a greenhouse. Produce is harvested daily for the club restaurant.
You cannot get in. For roughly a century the only way through that door was membership or a member's invitation.
Why it is on this listIn January 2026, for the building's centennial, the LA Conservancy ran public tours, the first time the public was invited inside in 100 years. Watch the LA Conservancy calendar. That door has opened once, so it can open again.
- Cost
- Members only.
- Hours
- Not published.
- Access
- Membership or a member's invitation. For roughly a century that was the only way through the door.
- Reservation
- Not available to the public.
- Best time
- Watch the LA Conservancy calendar. The January 2026 centennial tours were the first public access in 100 years.
Where the gardens are
Fifteen gardens across 12 neighbourhoods, from Arcadia to the Palisades. Every entry above carries its own map link.
Downtown
- 01Blue Ribbon Garden
- 08Maguire Gardens
- 09ROW DTLA Rooftop
- 15Jonathan Club Rooftop Farm
Westwood
- 07Mathias Botanical Garden
Culver City
- 11Museum of Jurassic Technology
Sepulveda Pass
- 12Bloom Garden at the Skirball
Arcadia
- 14Arboretum's Far Corners
Closed, restricted, or skip for now
- Peace Awareness Labyrinth, West Adams. The lower meditation gardens are closed for construction. Tours cover the house and labyrinth only, Fridays and Sundays, $6 plus fees, reservation required. If the gardens are why you are going, wait.
- Park 888, Downtown. A spectacular 30,000-square-foot rooftop park that is a resident amenity, listed as such on the building's own site. You cannot visit. Any list telling you to go has not checked.
- Amir's Garden, Griffith Park. Still walkable, but LADWP is installing roughly 2,600 feet of steel pipeline between two water tanks and parts of the garden are an active worksite as of June 2026. It is a 0.9-mile climb from Mineral Wells with about 275 feet of gain. Go later in the year, or go early and expect equipment.
- Soho House and Petit Ermitage. Members and hotel guests only. Soho House West Hollywood and Soho House Holloway are two separate properties, at 9200 Sunset and 8465 Holloway, and only Holloway's 34 bedrooms are bookable without membership. Petit Ermitage's own terms mention small-party rooftop dining by reservation but never say whether non-guests qualify. Call and ask about rooftop dining. That one question gets a real answer.
Three garden itineraries
Do this as a route, not a checklist. The rooftops are the famous ones. The ground-level ones are the ones you will go back to.
A free downtown morning
Any weekday · about 2 hours
- Maguire Gardens at the Central Library
- Walk four blocks east to the Bradbury Building
- Up the Gehry stairs to the Blue Ribbon Garden
- East to Hauser & Wirth for the chickens
Four gardens · $0 plus parkingA Westside afternoon into golden hour
Shade first, then the roof
- Mathias Botanical Garden in the shaded canyon
- The RH rooftop on Melrose as the light drops
- Optional: Yamashiro at 6:30 for the koi courtyard in daylight
Free, unless you book the tableOne Thursday
The cheapest good garden day in the county
- The Skirball, free admission and free parking
- Taper Courtyard and the lily pond
- The newer Bloom Garden on the same ticket
$0 on Thursdays · $20 any other dayFrequently asked
Are there free rooftop gardens in Los Angeles?
Yes. The RH West Hollywood rooftop park is free and open any time the store is open, with no reservation or purchase. The Blue Ribbon Garden at Walt Disney Concert Hall is free and self-guided. The Garage Rooftop at ROW DTLA is free if you leave inside the two-hour parking window. Hauser & Wirth in the Arts District and Maguire Gardens at Central Library are both free at ground level.
Is the Kyoto Garden at the DoubleTree still free and open to the public?
No. As of 2026 it is signed for hotel guests only and recent visitors report being turned away, with no paid-entry option. It is also frequently booked for private events. Call (213) 629-1200 before making the trip.
Can I walk through Yamashiro's garden without eating there?
Realistically, no. Yamashiro does not open until 5pm and publishes no non-diner policy for the garden courtyard. Book a table or a drink and treat the garden as part of the visit.
What is the best hidden garden in LA to visit in August?
The Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA, because it sits in a shaded canyon and it is free. For a paid option, the Skirball on a Thursday is free admission with free parking. Avoid exposed rooftops between 11am and 4pm, and if you want the Arboretum, be there at the 9am open or do the guided moonlit walk instead.
How much is admission to the Skirball Cultural Center?
General admission is $20, with $15 for seniors, students, and children 2 to 17, and free for members and under-2s. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays, and on-site parking is free.
Which of these gardens are wheelchair accessible?
The Blue Ribbon Garden has an elevator at the Grand Avenue entrance near 2nd Street, which is the accessible route. RH West Hollywood has an elevator through the gallery. Maguire Gardens, Hauser & Wirth, and the Skirball are all ground level. SuihoEn, the Arboretum's far acreage, and Amir's Garden involve gravel, distance, or a climb.
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