Sherman Library & Gardens is halfway through the largest rebuild in its 60 years. Its holiday program is new this year, the on-site restaurant is closed and the main gate has moved. This November and December, the dated, ticketed events give a Corona del Mar resident a fuller visit than an ordinary afternoon on the grounds. By next year's holiday season, the renovated campus is expected to be open.
The construction is the reason. The ground has been opened up to build the new grounds, and in the meantime the staff has filled the calendar with classes, talks and evenings that make use of the parts still standing.
What "open during construction" means on the ground
Sherman broke ground on its $17 million Grow the Gardens project at its 60th-anniversary event on February 26, 2026. The Daily Pilot reported that Executive Director Scott LaFleur said the campaign had raised $16.5 million by that day. The Daily Pilot also covered the infrastructure and accessibility work in the plan. The American Public Gardens Association lists a new bell-tower entrance, refreshed garden spaces and a relocated restaurant. The Orange County Register's April report added the first Reflection Garden in Sherman's history, where some of the gardens' dragon trees will go.
By spring, LaFleur put the scale in plain terms for the Orange County Register:
"About 50% of the garden is getting a little bit of a remake and kind of updated for today's uses and guest experience."
That April report gave the most detailed picture so far of what visitors could still see. It listed a temporary orchid alley built while the Tropical Conservancy is under construction, part of the begonia collection, the succulent garden, Fern Alley, the Central Garden and a model train around the large pepper tree that is redressed each season. LaFleur called these "micro engagements" and said the staff was trying "to create little moments in the garden that will increase people's linger time."
That snapshot is now six months old. The gardens' Plan Your Visit page says the grounds are open, some areas are temporarily closed and construction noise is possible. It does not list which areas are affected. So a walk-in visit this fall is a partial one. The programming below was planned around that fact.
The calendar from November to the first week of December
Through the first days of December, the schedule mixes hands-on workshops with weeknight talks, and two events share November 10. Prices are listed as member rate, then non-member rate.
| Date | Event | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Harvest in Bloom Beginner Acrylic Painting on Canvas | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | $45 / $50 |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Evening Talk: Regenerative Farming in Our Backyard, with Jonathan Zaidman of The Ecology Center | 6 to 7 p.m. | $10 / $20 |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Holiday Scented Soapmaking Workshop | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | $65 / $75 |
| Tue., Nov. 17 | Fireside Sound Bath | 7 to 8 p.m. | $45 / $55 |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Food for Longevity, with UCI Health dietitian Sherry Schulman | 7 to 8 p.m. | $10 / $20 |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Gather & Give Thanks Floral Workshop | 11 a.m. | $130 / $150 |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Wreath the Halls | 10 to 11:30 a.m. | $130 / $170 |
The prices show who each event is for. The two evening talks cost $10 for members, and the floral and wreath workshops start at $130. The talks cost less than adult garden admission and make an easy weeknight outing. The workshops take a morning and send you home with a centerpiece or a wreath. The Gather & Give Thanks session falls the day before Thanksgiving. The gardens are closed on Thanksgiving Day, so that workshop is the last chance to make a table arrangement at Sherman before the holiday.
Families with young children have a free option. Little Seedlings Story Time is a drop-in program for preschoolers and their caregivers at 10 a.m. on Fridays. The calendar currently lists November 6, 13 and 27 and December 4.
Merry & Bright Nights replaces the old lights
Sherman's earlier holiday program was Nights of 1000 Lights. The page for that event still carries its 2024 dates and prices, so it is not a guide to this year. This year the gardens describe Merry & Bright Nights as "an all new magical evening," running over three nights:
- Dates: Thursday through Saturday, December 3, 4 and 5
- Hours: 5 to 9 p.m., with entry at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
- Admission: $45 for members, $65 for non-members, free for children 3 and under
- On the grounds: Santa, a Wishing Tree, holiday crafts, a model train set in a holiday scene, Mexican food, adult beverages and a holiday dance party
The $20 member discount on each ticket adds up for a family. The gardens say membership bundles are available with the event, and the visit page says membership "typically pays for itself in about 3 visits."
The timing matters too. The garden calendar lists nothing after December 5, so the three Merry & Bright evenings close out the 2026 public schedule.
Why the evenings carry the food this year
Without a kitchen on site, the ticketed events are now the main way to eat at Sherman. 608 Dahlia, chef Jessica Roy's restaurant, closed when her lease ended, and the Newport Beach Independent reported that her last lunch service was October 26, 2025. The gardens' visit page says regular dining is not currently available.
The next restaurant has a name and an operator. Hazeltine's will be run by Damian Orozco, owner of the Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano. The Orange County Register reported that it will be a new concept serving afternoon tea, brunch, lunch and dinner, with a full bar. It will move to Pacific Coast Highway with its own street entrance, and the old restaurant space will be used for community and educational programs. Sherman's Hazeltine's page gives a late summer 2027 opening. Its visit page says fall 2027.
You can try Hazeltine's before then. Orozco's team catered the gardens' second annual Botanical Ball on October 3, which Stu News Newport reported raised more than $450,000 for the Living Classroom program and the last push of the Grow the Gardens campaign. The gardens also say several Hazeltine's Afternoon Tea events are scheduled in 2026, with reservations through the restaurant's Tock page.
Before you drive to Dahlia Avenue
The entrance has moved, so the practical details have changed with it.
- Entrance: Dahlia Avenue, following the on-site signs, while the new bell-tower entrance is built on Pacific Coast Highway.
- Parking: Free, in Lot A at Dahlia Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway or Lot B at Dahlia Avenue and 3rd Avenue.
- Hours: Daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Admission: $12 for adults, $5 for ages 4 to 17, free for ages 3 and under, and free for members. The gardens call this "seasonal" pricing, introduced on May 15 alongside the summer Dog Days of Sherman exhibition, so check the ticket portal before you go.
- Library gallery: Open during garden hours but may close for classes or events. The visit page suggests calling ahead at (949) 673-2261, ext. 304.
On a day with a morning workshop, the gallery may be closed for that class. On those days, a short walk through whatever is open is a better plan than a long one.
The one season this happens
Stu News Newport reported that the gardens have set the third annual Botanical Ball for October 2027, when the grounds are expected to be fully reopened. Alex Anderson, Sherman's managing director of philanthropy, said, "We are looking forward to showing off our incredible new Sherman Library & Gardens campus." If that schedule holds, the next holiday season at Sherman will have the bell-tower entrance on Pacific Coast Highway, the new Reflection Garden and a full-service restaurant.
Corona del Mar's institutions shape how the neighborhood lives from season to season, and we keep track of them for our clients the same way we track the market. If you'd like to talk about how the changes along this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway fit into your plans for a home in Corona del Mar, Golding Realty would be glad to help. Schedule a private consultation with Mary Golding.
