Henry Huntington, a railroad and real estate magnate who built his fortune on the growth of Southern California, made the Huntington one of the greatest research libraries and botanical gardens in the world. Henry Huntington inherited control of the Southern Pacific Railroad from his uncle Collis, then made a second fortune developing real estate along the streetcar lines of the Pacific Electric Railway — the Red Cars — that he owned and that shaped the sprawling development pattern of Los Angeles. He bought the San Marino Ranch in 1903 and spent the rest of his life assembling one of the great private collections in American history: manuscripts and rare books ranging from a Gutenberg Bible to a draft of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, British and American paintings including Gainsborough's Blue Boy and Lawrence's Pinkie, and a botanical garden that now contains 14,000 plant varieties across 120 acres.
The Japanese Garden, the Desert Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Chinese Garden are each worth hours. Admission is required; reserve in advance. The library's reading rooms are available to researchers with credentials.
The Blue Boy hangs in the Huntington Art Museum, smaller than most visitors expect.