CLASSES & EVENTS
Robinson Gardens plays host to various fabulous events all year round. Most famous for our annual Garden Tour, the Friends of Robinson Gardens hosts lectures, art classes, book clubs, and many diverse events guaranteed to pique your interest. In addition, the Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation Department offers courses that invite you to explore the garden and discover the beauty within this magical 6.2-acre estate. Please check back as we update our schedule regularly.
We look forward to seeing you in the garden!
Docent Led Tours
Explore the sights and sounds of The Virginia Robinson Gardens guided by one of our master storytellers, a.k.a. docents! We offer several different tours: Historical Tours, Behind The Scenes Tours, and Garden Tours. All tours are offered by registration only.
For more information please see our 'Visit' page.
Visit
Sound Bowl Healing Meditation
Devon Cunningham invites you to embark on a meditative journey with her that consists of pure relaxation through a sound bowl healing meditation. The sound bowls activate and energize chakras within your body and work with your individual needs and intentions to align and create a deeper connection internally. Sound bowl healing meditation benefits include relieving stress, anxiety, insomnia, and will also enhance your state.
$35 per Person
Saturday, October 12 - 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Friday, October 18 - 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Register
Yoga in The Gardens
Join Nora Harris for outdoor yoga classes in one of the most beautiful places in Los Angeles County. We’ll connect for a rejuvenating hour at The Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills.
Bring a yoga mat and some water and sprawl out beneath the swishing fronds of the palm forest. Listen to the tranquil sound of a nearby waterfall as you delight in the beauty and life surrounding you. Connect to your breath and body to feel sparkly and glowing from the inside out.
$35 per Person
Saturday, October 12 - 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Register
An Evening with The Robinsons
Step into history at The Virginia Robinson Gardens at an evening event featuring esteemed architectural historian Steven Keylon as he unveils the captivating love story and lives of the luxury department store heirs Harry & Virginia Robinson. Begin the evening with a stroll on the great lawn and then sit and listen to the stories and inspirations behind the development of the great estate and gardens on Elden Way. Taking place on Thursday, October 17th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., tickets are available by clicking the link below.
Architectural historian Steven Keylon is the past president of the California Garden & Landscape History Society (CGLHS) and has been editor of their journal Eden since 2017. He is also on the board of DocomomoUS/SoCal and is vice president of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (PSPF). He is the author of several books and wrote the history section of the recent Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS) document for Virginia Robinson Gardens.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
$60 per Ticket
Thursday, October 17
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Register
Halloween Tour
Join us for a Spooktacular day of fun and activities. Dress to impress for our costume contest and win prizes! Other activities for Children: Potato Sack Race, Costume contest @ 12pm (For Children), Carnival games and prizes. Candy, Candy Apples and Popcorn!!! (WHILE SUPPILES LAST) Halloween Garden Tour: Take a tour of the beautiful Virginia Robinson Gardens. This 6.2 acre garden was once the home of Harry and Virginia Robinson and is considered by many as the first estate of Beverly Hills. Learn about the creation and history of their estate, and the beautiful gardens. This tour is a docent-led walk through the gardens. Please note the tour does not include the house museum. Notes: Wear comfortable shoes. The tour is predominantly outside with several steps to navigate. Our gardens are not conducive to walkers, canes or strollers so they are not permitted on tours for safety reasons. Wheelchairs are not allowed in the garden spaces. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. We are not stroller friendly, if bringing smaller children, they must be held or walked. No pets are allowed.
$15 Per Person
Saturday, October 19 - 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Register
Max Hooper Schneider - The Unknown Masterpiece
Del Vaz Projects, Francois Ghebaly Gallery, and Marc Selwyn Fine Art are pleased to present Max Hooper Schneider - The Unknown Masterpiece at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. This exhibition marks the first presentation of its kind by an artist at the historic Beverly Hills estate and botanical gardens of Virginia and Harry Robinson, as well as Hooper Schneider’s first major public intervention in the City of Los Angeles in over a decade.
Inspired by the diverse plant life and microclimates that miraculously thrive in such close proximity to each other at the Virginia Robinson Gardens, Los Angeles-based artist
Max Hooper Schneider has responded to the site with a series of sculptural and environmental interventions throughout the gardens and estate structures. For Hooper Schneider, the Robinson Gardens mimics the unique ecological, cultural, and urban landscape of Los Angeles in which human and nonhuman forces, both natural and artificial, constantly collide, coalesce, hybridize, repel, and evolve.
$25 Per Person
October 19, 24, 25, 26, 28
10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Register
Halloween Family Day
Join us for a Spooktacular day of fun and activities.
Dress to impress for our costume contest and win prizes!
Other activities will include a potato sack race and carnival games with prizes!
This program is intended for children ages 5-10 years. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult – this is not a drop-off program.
Free - Children under 10 yrs | $15 - Adults
Saturday, October 19 - 10:00am - 2:00 pm
Timed entry at 10am and 11am. Everyone welcome to stay until 2pm.
Register
Beginner Watercolor Class
Join artist Jennifer Cunningham and explore beginner-level illustration and watercolor painting at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. Learn step-by-step instructions on basic drawing and various watercolor techniques to create your painting. Whether you have never picked up a paintbrush or are a seasoned watercolorist, we invite you to take part in this class in our beautiful gardens! We will provide all materials.
$35 Members | $40 Non-Members
Saturday, October 12 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm - Sold Out
Tuesday, October 29 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm - Sold Out
Saturday, November 9 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Friday, November 15 - 10:00 am -12:30 pm
Waitlist available, please email [email protected].
Register 11/9 Register 11/15
Intermediate Watercolor Class
Join Rachel Berkowitz as she explores intermediate watercolor painting. This class will focus less on basic techniques and more on nurturing your personal painting style. As you paint your botanical specimen, focus on composition, color, and creative expression. Basic paint skills are required.
All materials are provided.
$35 Members | $40 Non-Members
Friday, October 22 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Tuesday, November 12 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Register 10/22 Register 11/12
Happiness Class
Join us for an interactive wellness program that will include activities in the garden. This mental health workshop explores the idea of “Happiness” using the teachings of Harvard Professor Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar. Class leader Karen Sisman, a practitioner certified in the psychological and philosophical principles of Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar’s “Happiness” study, will speak about mental well-being as we learn to deal with the stresses of daily life. Our level of happiness strengthens our mental state of mind, ultimately allowing us to live better, work better and learn better.
$35 Per Person
Tuesday, October 29 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Register
Smartphone Photo Class
Join renowned photographer artist Ian Brooks, (his work has been featured in American Harper’s Bazaar, covers of Elle magazine and L’UOMO Vogue to name a few) for a Smartphone Photo class at The Virginia Robinson Gardens. Learn composition, the impact of light on your lens when capturing flora and fauna, as well as the nuances of color vs. black & white photos.
Sign up now!
$25 Members | $30 Non-Members
Friday, November 1 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Register
Lessons from The Pool Pavilion at The Virginia Robinson Gardens
The Pool Pavilion is the crowning structure in the Virginia Robinson Gardens. This small structure defines a pivotal moment in the history of Beverly Hills. Landmarked in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and the City of Beverly Hills, the exterior of the building and significant interior space is entirely intact, providing lessons in site planning, architectural precedent, and the building arts for students of all ages.
Tim founded Tim Barber Architects in 1994 and has designed over 250 renovated and new homes across the United States. His work includes the restoration of the indoor natatorium at the DTLA Jonathan Club, a LEED Gold certified residence in Studio City and the award-winning conversion of the Richter Seismic Laboratory in Pasadena to a single-family residence. He is Co-Founder and former President of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) – Southern California Chapter. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1978 and a master’s degree in Historical & Sustainable Architecture from New York University London in 2023.
Includes lecture and light brunch
$40 Members | $45 Non-Members
Thursday, November 7 - 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Register
Mindfulness Walk
Join us for a mindful walk through the gardens. We will begin by setting our intentions, learning about the importance of mindfulness, and doing a short breathing meditation. Then we will do a walking meditation, mindfully engage four of our five senses, learn about reactive and non-reactive approaches to life through flower observation, and finish with a relational mindfulness practice. This workshop will be taught by Karen Sisman, who is a graduate of the Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher Training from the School of Positive Transformation and a graduate of Dr. Tal ben Shahar's Happiness Studies Academy.
$35 per Person
Tuesday, November 12 - 10:00 - 11:30 am
Register
Calligraphy with Markers
Enjoy writing simple calligraphy scripts with calligraphy markers. These script styles can be used for everyday items such as envelopes, cards, tags, etc… With the holidays quickly approaching, dazzle friends and family with holiday sentiments using your new calligraphy skills!
Come join us for an afternoon at the garden.
$35 Members | $40 Non-Members
Saturday, November 16 - 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Register
Gratitude Class
Gratitude is a powerful tool for cultivating happiness. Join Karen Sisman on a journey of appreciation and gratitude. This workshop will include a deep understanding of the connection between gratitude and happiness, practical techniques for cultivating gratitude in everyday life, a gratitude walk through the garden, and a mindfulness practice. Karen is a graduate of the Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher Training Program of the School of Positive Transformation and of Dr. Tal ben Shahar’s Happiness Studies Academy.
$35 per Person
Thursday, November 21 - 10:00 - 11:30 am
Register
Tea, Scones & Gardens Book Club
Please join us as we delve into William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles. William Mulholland presided over the creation of a water system that forever changed the course of southern California's history. Mulholland, a self-taught engineer, was the chief architect of the Owens Valley Aqueduct―a project ranking in magnitude and daring with the Panama Canal―that brought water to semi-arid Los Angeles from the lush Owens Valley. The story of Los Angeles's quest for water is both famous and notorious:
Catherine Mulholland, the engineer's granddaughter, provides insights into this story that family familiarity affords. She scrutinizes Mulholland's life―from his childhood in Ireland to his triumphant completion of the Owens Valley Aqueduct to the tragedy that ended his career. This vivid portrait of a rich chapter in the history of Los Angeles is enhanced with a generous selection of previously unpublished photographs.