Innovative School Programs have established Descanso Gardens as an invaluable community resource for teachers and children, attracting more than 20,000 visits annually. Whether the program is Discovering Trees for elementary school students, Sycamore Science Adventures for pre-school students or the Harvest Garden for students with special needs, Descanso has fine-tuned a method of teaching which highlights hands-on, inquiry-based learning.

School Visits to Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens offers a unique setting where children can experience the richness of a natural outdoor laboratory for the study of life science. Here, students can build their skills in observation and inquiry and develop an understanding that plants are alive: they grow, change and interact with the environment and other living things.

An important aspect of our mission at Descanso Gardens is to provide enriching and enjoyable educational opportunities for the school children of Los Angeles County.

School groups experience the rich natural resources of Descanso Gardens through a number of programs, including Discovering Trees for elementary school children, Sycamore Science Adventures for Head Start children, the Harvest Garden for students with special needs. In addition, docent-guided and self-guided walks are available to school groups with advance reservations.

For more information or to make reservations, please call the Descanso Gardens School Programs Office at (818) 949-0120.