Grass-roots education

The Huntington Library unveils its new Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science, an interactive center that complements the existing botanical research facilities. The educational center aims to foster interest in the sciences among middle-school children and their families, giving them a hands-on experience using real plants and tools. The 16,000-square-foot steel-and-glass building features more than 50 exhibitions, interactive labs and distinct environments created for different botanical exhibits that house exotic plants and trees, including Venus flytraps, sealing wax palms and giant Amazon waterlilies.

Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science, the Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. $6-$15; 4 and younger, free. (626) 405-2100.

* Hours: noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.