virginia robinson gardens

We totally enjoyed our visit to this pristine property. The house is not awesome but the surroundings and garden are meticulous and impressive.Well worth the time.

Visited this garden on a weekday and there was a small tour group. Our Docent was very well versed regarding the history of the residence and grounds. I was expecting a exceptional garden and spectacular residence. The residence is well preserved, but considering this was the home of the Robinson Family (owners of a well respected Los Angeles area Department Store) I was expecting a less sedate home. The grounds are well tended and include a number of stairs. I would recommend taking a tour as a glimpse into the early years of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. If, however, you are looking for a garden of singular beauty then visit the Huntington Gardens or the grounds of the Getty Villa.

Yesterday I was traveling with someone who had a 3-4 hour appointment in Beverly Hills. I had already done the Rodeo Drive viewing and walking up through the Roxbury Drive last year. So when I googled something to do in B.H. this came up. I called to see if I could get in the 10:00 tour and left a message. Apparently, it is recommended that you e-mail for tour reservations. It was 9:00 and I was on Wilshire and Doheny. As I enjoy walking, I thought maybe I can make it by 10:00 and see if I can get on that tour. I meandered thru Roxbury Dr, stopped at one of the 3 or 4 foodtrucks I saw parked to get iced cold water and finally turned up Elden Dr. I thought if nothing else maybe I could see something from the front of the estate if I couldn't get on the tour.It was 10:30 and I buzzed the front gate. I was informed that the 10:00 tour had already begun. I asked if I could join them and they said "we usually don't allow this but you'll have to pay the full price - $11. I was glad to do this as the tour is 90 minutes and I was here already. It was well worth the price of admission.I missed the initial history so when I got home,I did some research. But otherwise the tour was fantastic! I'm sorry since I was late so I don't know the docent's name but she has blond hair and she really made the tour come alive. She knew and described some of the plant history and uses and regaled us with some stories and about Mrs Robinson and also about the parties she had with old Hollywood, Anyone who has enjoyed hearing about old Hollywood star stories from visiting Hearst Castle, would also enjoy this.The house was built in 1911 and is 6000sf. The house itself isn't really that glamorous or large in comparision to homes built after it. The tour includes the main entry way with the ability to stand at the openings of a living room, library, "mother's bedroom" and dining room. The openings are cordoned off but have all the original furnshings and decoratons. The dining table is set even down to the silver bell Mrs Robinson rec'd from Tiffany's on her 40th birthday. It gives us a peek into life lived in that time and financial status.Ahhhh...but the gardens!! When I walked up Elden Dr to the estate I saw all these palm trees to the right side of the estate. I'm not a big palm fan but it did look beautiful. I wasn't sure if this was part of the estate or not. When I joined the tour, they were in the Italian garden-beautiful. Apparently at one time before Century City was built you could see the ocean from the upper garden. When I asked if the palm area was part of the garden I was told yes and that we would tour it. The palm forest was planted after a Mediterrean garden did poorly there. It was reported that it is 10-15 degrees cooler in that garden. It is very lush with the palms creating shade for greenery that grows underneath them, there is even a Banyan tree in the palm forest. There were several landings with balustrade. The tour continues thru a small area that was left of the the Mediterrean garden.I think the spectacular thing is this estate not only shares Mrs Robinson's beautiful garden with the public but also gives you a glimpse of the life of wealthy people and old Hollywood. I wonder if anyone in this day in age would go to the extent she did in planting these gardens and staying at their estate a lifetime to nurture them into maturity. It seems that this tour is not well known, Again if you love gardens and old Hollywood it is well worth the admission. It is in a neighborhood with parking issues. If you like to walk, I recommend parking in downtown B.H. and then you could google the fastest walking route there or google the address of stars that lived on Roxbury Dr and see what their houses looked like when they lived there and what they look like now. It was fun for me to do that and it made me appreciate this home even more because it is frozen in time for us to see a glimpse of B.H. in it's glamour heyday.

A well-preserved historical treasure. We had a great docent. Gardens are amazing. I went for a private party so not sure how to access normally. I live nearby and never even knew this place existed. Really worth going if you are interested in BH/ LA history. A bit difficult to exit. Neighborhood is strict about parking so they have to park your car inside.

This is the mansion and gardens located in Beverly Hills just a bit North of Sunset Blvd. It was once owned by J.W. Robinson, the department store tycoon. The house design is right out of the early 1930's. The gardens are expansive and elaborate. The escorted tour is about 1-1/2 hours and is well worth the time.

Ugly well preserved mansion with beautiful gardens and pool in the heart of Beverly Hills. Gives you an idea of what a successful merchant built in the BH golden years before figuring out by traveling Europe on really what to do when he built later on the stunning Pool House.

What a lovely sight to see when in the Los Angeles area. Located in a beautiful Beverly Hills neighborhood, the grounds are exquisite and the home tour very enjoyable. I got a lot of landscaping ideas from the tour. Be sure to call a couple of weeks ahead of time for a reservation though, you can't just show up.

I have been to this estate and gardens twice before when multiple areas were abloom but wanted to go earlier in the year this time to see more Spring blooms, and wasn't dissappointed. The estate is only available weekdays by rsvp on docent-led tour and you are only allowed to take pictures outside the buildings, but the estate has one-of-a-kind antiques and pretty furniture, sconces and rugs all collected from this wealthy couple's travels in the early 1920's as owners of the Robinson store chain. The pool pavilian has a lovely paneled and beamed ceiling "billiard parlor/smoking room" with intricately carved grandfather clocks and antique chairs. You can go out onto the balcony behind it to see the frescos painted on arched plaster above the doors, and to view neighboring mansions. After viewing the house you proceed past camelias and other flowering bushes into the tiered gardens (with azaleas, hydrangeas, other bulbs and flowers) which include the "musical" steps where water flows from a small fountain through a spanish tile trough down brick steps to the citrus terrace where lemon, lime, and orange trees were budded and antique pottery funerary urns in the shape of lions look out over the lower tiers of trees and flowering shrubs on the hill and an enormous Corral tree sits on the Western edge of the property. You advance past the "kitchen" and servant's quarters to the motorcourt and then decend into an incredible Austrailan palm forest with a huge banyon tree and a "carpet" of bright orange & "yellow" clevea blooms. After looping through another fountain & water lilly courtyard, you cross past the parrot cage and into the tennis court with a giant red bougenvilla, which is flanked by a pillared rose garden. It's about 90 minutes and is serene and refreshing, a gardener's inspiration!

True Beverly hills grace and refinement amidst rolling grounds, with breezes and a pool I wish was mine await guests.

Finally had a chance to visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens after all these years. It is located about a mile behind the Beverly Hills hotel. January is a dormant month for gardens however, the camelias were in full bloom and the property and home are definitely worth exploring. The palm tree canyon is a fantastic tropical jungle. Please note parking is extremely limited and not allowed outside the home.

This is the place to visit on your second trip to Beverly Hills. The Gardens and House give you a glimpse of a golden time in the history of Beverly Hills. Docent tours are available. There is a nice mix of formal (the great lawn) and natural gardens (the king palm grove). There is a discount on the entrance fee for students and seniors. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Even though the walks through the gardens are well maintained, there are a number of stairs.

Robinson Gardens is a wonderful estate just north of the Beverly Hills Hotel. I love gardens and there are two fabulous gardens on either side of the main house. The tropical palm garden featured an abundance of exotic palm trees, orchids and clavias. The italianate terraced garden is just lovely: water cascading down the steps, beautiful fountains and statuary everywhere, espalier apple trees, lots of camelias and azeleas. The pool pavilion is gorgeous, especially the wood paneled billiard room. I didn't expect to be able to step into one of these great estates in Beverly Hills and it was a truly memorable experience.