Sunnylands Center & Gardens is open to the public Thursday through Sunday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. There is no fee and reservations are not required. However, if you plan to visit the Center & Gardens with a group of 20 or more, we ask that you register in advance.

Visitors to the Center & Gardens enjoy sculpture from the Sunnylands Collection as well as a rotating exhibition. There is a film and other offerings about the history of Sunnylands and its founders, Walter and Leonore Annenberg. The Cafe offers light lunch items and unparalleled mountain and garden views.

Burnett’s signature designs are habitable and sensitive, with shade, quiet, and natural elements that appeal to the senses. Twin reflecting pools filled with river stones flank the rear windows of the Center and its patios. To the west, a labyrinth winds through trailing smokebush (dalea greggii), creating a contemplative and quiet space.

Santa Monica designer Michael Smith, who furnished the private living quarters of the White House for President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama, is the Center’s interior designer. Smith emulates the aesthetic of the historic house and the concepts of its original designers, William Haines and Ted Graber. Smith crafted a relaxing public space with the atmosphere of a grand living room. “It’s not imitating the house in any way,” Smith explains. “It’s just instilled with the feel of some of the elements. It frames your experience as a visitor.”