Los Angeles’ garden spaces don’t go to sleep when the sun sets. They trade sunscreen glare for lantern glow and cool coastal breezes. From Rancho Palos Verdes bluffs to Arcadia foothills, horticultural hotspots are extending their schedules. With these twilight hours comes live music and, in most cases, rosé beneath the stars. Below are standout Los Angeles summer garden events you won’t want to miss!
South Coast Botanic Garden — “SOAR” Butterfly Pavilion & Sunset Series
Location and Dates: Rancho Palos Verdes • Fridays & Saturdays, May 30 – Aug 24, 6-9 p.m.
Sip a Hard Butterfly Palmer and roam 87 acres during the garden’s fourth-annual Sunset Series, which layers yard games, live bands, and kids’ zones onto its twilight schedule. Admission includes after-hours access to the glass-walled SOAR: Tropical Butterflies pavilion, where you can hand-feed swallowtails by lantern light. VIP tickets add Adirondack seating, first entry at 5 p.m., and unlimited pavilion visits.
Dinner idea: Detour five minutes south to Catalina Kitchen for Baja striped-bass tacos and an ocean-view nightcap.
Getty Center — “Off the 405” Sunset Concerts & Extended Garden Hours
Location and Dates: Brentwood • Select Saturdays, Jun 7 – Aug 23, concerts 6 p.m., grounds open till 9 p.m.
The hilltop museum’s Off the 405 series pairs rising indie and jazz artists with panoramic sunset backdrops. Galleries and Robert Irwin’s Central Garden stay open until 9 p.m.—the first summer the Getty has offered full late-night garden access. Tickets are free but required; reserve two weeks out and ride-share to avoid the $20 garage queue.
Dinner idea: Grab wood-fired pizzas at Eataly in nearby Century City before hopping the tram skyward.
Descanso Gardens — Jazz at Dusk & “Late-Blooms” Tours
Location and Dates: La Cañada Flintridge • Thursdays, Jul 10 – Aug 28, gates 4 p.m., music 6 p.m.
A 300-ticket cap means room to sprawl under giant oaks while West-Coast cool quartets, Brazilian drummers, and global dance troupes rotate weekly. Guides lead twilight walks through the night-blooming nicotiana patch and the Ancient Forest. Bring a low-back chair; chairs over six inches tall slide to the rear.
Dinner idea: Pre-order a Garden Graze box (Humboldt Fog, stone fruit, lavender honey) or snag truffle burgers from The Farmhouse, Decanso’s on-site restaurant.
Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens — Twilight Garden Strolls & Projection Art Walk
Location and Dates: San Marino • Select Fridays, Jun 6 – Sept 12, 6-8:30 p.m.
Formerly member-only, Twilight Garden Strolls now welcome the public on nine summer Fridays. New this year: a Projection-Art Walk mapping watercolor textures onto camellia trunks along the Japanese Garden path. Sake slushies flow at the teahouse; timed tickets ($45, $35 members) sell out fast.
Dinner idea: Reserve a 7:45 p.m. patio table at San Marino’s Julienne for salmon Niçoise under string lights.
L.A. County Arboretum — Summer Nights & “Forest Bathing” Moon Hikes
Location and Dates: Arcadia • Fridays, Aug 1 – Sept 26, 5-8 p.m.
Rebranded Arboretum Summer Nights return with Latin-rock bands, botanical craft bars, and SO-cal-famous goat-yoga pop-ups. Select Saturday dates feature 8 p.m. Forest Bathing hikes through bamboo groves under full-moon glow.
Dinner idea: Finish with Thai crispy rice salad at Monrovia’s Sawaddee—open until 10 p.m.
UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden — “Third Thursdays: Twilight in the Garden”
Location and Dates: Westwood • Jul 17, Aug 21, Sep 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Meet friends at the pop-up wine bar, then lounge to live jazz beside a stream of giant gunnera leaves. Tickets are $10 and include access to 3,000 plant species; recent sets have featured neo-soul quartets and samba trios.
Dinner idea: Cap the night at LULU Restaurant LA. The tranquil setting offers both indoor and outdoor seating, where you’ll enjoy seasonal local produce, alongside a daily changing three-course market menu.