Cobra sports cars are ‘Serpents in the Garden’ at L.A. Arboretum

The Cobras on display at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden this weekend don’t hiss or spit or bite. They will be sitting pretty on the grass when the 127-acre Arcadia grounds host Shelby Cobra sports cars for the exhibit “Serpents in the Garden.”

Thirty Shelby Cobras -- five of them originals built between 1962 and 1967 -- will be tucked into the landscape, all accompanied by their owners. Few car shows are lucky to have such an idyllic backdrop.

“When you look at images of the good life in California from the mid-20th century, it was about beautiful gardens, outdoor living and cars,” said Richard Schulhof, chief executive of the arboretum. “The architecture here and the garden design -- much of it is of that period, so to bring in cars of that period seemed like an interesting fit.”

The idea for the first car show at the arboretum “in recent memory,” Schulhof said, came from a member, who offered up his own classic car for an event that is presented as a scavenger hunt. Visitors are encouraged to walk the grounds seeking answers to questions about the Shelby Cobra and the arboretum.

The first 250 kids to complete the scavenger hunt on each day of the weekend-long exhibit will be rewarded with a Hot Wheels toy car.

THE SHOW

What: “Serpents in the Garden”

Where: L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia

When: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Cost: $8 adults, $6 seniors and students, $3 children ages 5 to 12. Free for arboretum members and children 4 and younger.

Information: (626) 821-3222 or www.arboretum.org

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