Huntington Gardens + statue art + photo workshop + iPhone + Hipstamatic app = Moody black & white shots from Keith Skelton - Chiaroscuro Photo Workshops in our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. more ›

The famous rotten-smelling corpse flower began to bloom yesterday at the Huntington Library and Gardens, according to the Pasadena Star-News, and today might be your last chance to get a whiff of this real stinker. On display inside a conservatory at the historic site, the flower releases a scent likened to rotting flesh which is strongest for about the first 12 hours. While in bloom, botanists can propagate the plant in order to pass the seeds on to others to grow the tropical flower. The Huntington is open to the public today until 4:30. Members can stop by to smell the corpse flower from 5-7:30 this evening as well. more ›

LA is home to some of the world's biggest, best, most well-known, and most important museums, as well as some lesser-known gems. The role of museums in providing an informal educational experience for children and adults alike is clear, but it often costs money to go to these museums. And even though the money almost always goes directly back into the museums' operations, if you love museums as much as we do, then you could make a pretty sizable dent in your bank account. more ›

The Desert Garden at the Huntington is a century old, and boasts one of the oldest and biggest collection of cacti and succulents in the world. A stroll through this 10-acre section of the beautiful estate's gardens will quench your thirst for the colorful and intriguing sight of over 5,000 species of desert plants. You probably can't rush out to San Marino right now, so in the meantime, enjoy these images from the Desert Garden--one of 14 themed gardens on the property--shot by LAist Featured Photos pool contributor delara-photos. more ›

Southwest Chamber Music The season opening concert will feature Southwest Chamber Music’s percussionist Lynn Vartan, the Grammy-nominated Tambuco Percussion Ensemble (an LAist pick of the week earlier this summer) and the soloists of Southwest Chamber Music in a colossal program of the "Encounters, part 1" by one of Los Angeles’ most important composers and percussionists William Kraft, who was an LA Phil member (percussion, timpani), composer-in-residence, and conductor for three seasons. Monday, October 15 @... more ›

Grand Performances Downtown, Free, Outdoors, Take the Red Line Thursday - Musicology 102, Music Theory: Melody/Harmony with Alan Chapman Friday - Paulist Choristers of California and Sinfonia Orchestra Saturday - Alan Chapman and Karen Benjamin Celebrate the American Songbook www.GrandPerformances.org Hollywood Bowl Outdoors, Drink Wine, Fireworks Monday thru Wednesday - July 4th Fireworks Spectacular Saturday - The Decemberists with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Sunday - Mozart's Magic Flute www.HollywoodBowl.com LA Opera in Beverly HIlls Outdoors,... more ›