Virginia Robinson Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Virginia Robinson Estate
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Virginia Robinson residence
and entry garden. |
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, California |
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| Area | 6.2 acres (2.5 ha) |
| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Nathaniel Dryden |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts, Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000679 |
| Added to NRHP | November 15, 1978 |
The Virginia Robinson Gardens is a special place in Beverly Hills, California. It's a beautiful historic estate with a grand mansion and amazing botanical gardens. This estate covers about 6 acres, which is like six football fields! It's a wonderful example of a historic home and garden.
History of the Estate
The Virginia Robinson Gardens is the oldest estate in Beverly Hills, California. It was once the home of Virginia Dryden Robinson and Harry Winchester Robinson. Harry was the heir to the famous J. W. Robinson's Dept. Store.
The main house was built in 1911. Virginia's father, Nathaniel Dryden, designed it. He used a style called Beaux Arts. This style is known for being grand and fancy. The house is filled with old and interesting items. These items were collected from all over the world.
A beautiful pool pavilion was added in 1924. It was built in a Renaissance Revival style. This means it looked like buildings from the Renaissance period. The pavilion has cool designs called sgraffito on its arches. It looks out over a long pool with pretty mosaic tiles.
Exploring the Gardens
The Virginia Robinson Gardens are truly amazing. They have many different styles and types of plants. You can find gardens that look like they belong in Italy. There are also tropical areas with plants from warmer places. The estate has five main gardens to explore:
- The Italian Renaissance Terrace Garden: This garden offers great views. You can see old, tall trees and Citrus trees. Many types of camellias, gardenias, and azaleas grow under large magnolia trees.
- The Formal Mall Garden: This garden has rows of beautiful flowers. It also features rare cycad 'palms'.
- The Rose Garden: Here you will find many old kinds of roses. They smell wonderful!
- The Kitchen Garden or Potager: This is where vegetables and herbs are grown. It's a practical and pretty garden.
- The Tropical Palm Garden: This area has a large group of king palms. It's said to be the biggest group in the United States. You can also see gingers, bananas, and plumerias here.
Visiting the Gardens
The County of Los Angeles manages the Robinson Gardens. You can visit them, but you need to book a tour in advance. These tours are led by special guides called docents. A group called "Friends of Virginia Robinson Gardens" helps support this important landmark.
The estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This means it's a very important historical site in the United States. It is also a California Point of Historical Interest. Plus, it's on the City of Beverly Hills' own list of historic properties.
See also
In Spanish: Jardines de Virginia Robinson para niños
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles County, California
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
External links
- Friends of Virginia Robinson Gardens – tours + information
