Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades has carved out a beautifully peaceful chunk of space for itself in the Los Angeles area. Open to all cultures and all religions, the Lake Shrine is a nice refuge to all in our increasingly divided world. We really enjoyed our time visiting the Shrine.
Lake Shrine visiting info
Website
Address
- 17190 Sunset Blvd.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Phone number
- 310-454-4114
Hours
- Wed-Sunday 12-4 pm. (Must have reservations)
Arrival time is between 12-1:30 pm
Price/Cost
- Free, but donations are welcomed. Online reservations are open each Saturday at 10 am to book from Wed-Sun of that week. The reservation is per vehicle. Weekend reservations fill up within minutes. It took us a few weeks to get a ticket.
Parking
- Free parking on their lot.
Random Tips From Our Visit
What we observed:
- A spiritual place that welcomes all religions and walks of life.
- The staff is friendly and helpful.
- The grounds are well kept.
- A great place to relax and meditate.
- Lots of beautiful flowers, waterfalls, swans, duck, koi fish, and turtles.
- Cute little hidden nooks on the path. Our favorite is the Sunken Garden
- Part of Gandhi’s ashes is there.
- In the area of Gandhi’s ashes, we had to make sure to keep our girls quiet. Most of the guests in that area were on the benches meditating or praying. We just stayed for a couple of minutes and continued our walk.
- A staff member gave our girls each a small bag of food pellets to feed the animals. Please be careful because the swans can bite.
- No food is allowed on the circle path but you can bring in your water.
- They ask their guest to limit the number of photos taken on their grounds. We didn’t use our Sony camera and only took some shots with our iPhone.
- You do hear some traffic noise from the roads.
Activities:
- Kids can feed the swans, ducks, and turtles for free.
- A place to relax, pray or meditate.
- Read a book, journal, or draw on the benches.
- Lovely walk on the path around the lake to enjoy the gardens and landscape.
Time spent:
- 1 hour 30 mins
Stroller/Wagon friendly:
- Yes. The main circle path is made of small wood chips and we were able to push our umbrella stroller through it.
Restrooms:
- Yes, flushable toilets. They only allow one guest at a time.
What we brought:
- Stroller
- Sunglasses
- Mask
- Closed toe shoes
- Bug Spray
- Sunscreen
- Hand sanitizer
- Wipes
- First Aid Healing Spray
- Portable Toilet
- Water
Should you go?
Lake Shrine really is a peaceful place. We enjoyed our time in the center. The turtle/bird/fish food was a big hit with both of our girls, and they loved all the different colored flowers that were blooming during our visit.
What other sites are saying about Lake Shrine
- https://www.yelp.com/biz/self-realization-fellowship-lake-shrine-pacific-palisades-3
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32655-d4059685-Reviews-Self_Realization_Fellowship_Lake_Shrine_Temple-Los_Angeles_California.html
Places to visit around the area:
After the temple, we head headed down Pacific Coast Hwy for lunch, beach, and dessert. We parked at a 3-hour parking meter off Hill St and Main St.
- Sunny Blue – We grabbed 6 different omusubi and the girls enjoyed the miso beef and tuna mayo.
- Ocean Park at Beach – Walked over to the beach and spent an hour there.
- Sweet Rose Creamery – The ice cream here tastes homemade and rich. We enjoyed the brown butter flavor.
Similar places you might be interested in
- Arlington Garden – If you like Lake Shine, you might also be interested in Arlington Garden in Pasadena. It’s also free to explore and open to everyone. The community-run garden is a nice place to visit even bring your food to eat if you are in the area. https://www.califoreigners.com/arlington-garden-pasadena/
That being said, we travel all over California searching for fun places to take the kids. Be sure to check out some of the other places we’ve visited that are good for kids. Things to do with in California With Kids
If you have any suggestions on where we should go next please let us know in the comments below
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