169 - Los Angeles Aera Hidden Gems: UCLA Gardens & Old Corriganville Movie Ranch Entrance?

Today’s episode takes us to a place I’ve driven past literally a hundred times without ever realizing it was there — the Matthias Botanical Garden at UCLA. It’s one of those Los Angeles surprises that hides in plain sight, and somehow I never noticed it until now. The garden is completely free, easy to walk, and full of palms, cycads, ferns, and a long water feature that runs from a stream‑like section all the way down to a koi pond. It’s the perfect spot for anyone who loves tropical plants or just wants a quiet place to stroll in the middle of the city. After exploring the garden, we headed over to Corriganville Park, where my wife got her steps in while I checked out some of the old foundations and filming locations. There was a lot of activity at the nearby studio — trailers, grip trucks, and what looked like prep for a western scene. I even found an old stone‑pillar gate that might have been the original entrance to Corriganville. Still need to research that one. It turned into a full day of unexpected finds, history, and a little bit of movie‑set mystery. Thanks for coming along — see you tomorrow. 00:00 – Starting the day at UCLA 00:10 – Discovering the Matthias Botanical Garden 00:34 – Filming for the garden channel 00:48 – Palms, cycads, ferns & water features 01:11 – A perfect LA day 01:26 – Free parking tips near UCLA 02:13 – A hidden gem I never noticed 02:23 – Graduation traffic but still found parking 02:47 – Walking the garden from bottom to top 03:03 – Why this spot is worth visiting 03:12 – Crossing the “mean street” 03:51 – Heading to Corriganville Park 04:10 – Filming noise from the studio 04:26 – Exploring old foundations 05:10 – Vintage photos & matching the landscape 06:03 – Watching for rattlesnakes 06:47 – The old underwater filming room 07:14 – What’s left of Corriganville 07:23 – The mysterious old gate 08:24 – Could this be the original entrance? 08:37 – Studio activity & trailers 09:07 – City set walls & filming prep 09:37 – Light rigging & wagon repairs 10:06 – Grip trucks & western vibes 10:41 – Wrapping up the day