Secret Forest LA in Burbank is part immersive art gallery, part whimsical fairy garden, and part community gathering space. With handmade displays, soft lighting, and a focus on creative expression and calm, it offers Angelenos a rare kind of refuge – a third space where you can simply exist, explore, and connect without the pressure to spend.
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On the western edge of Magnolia Boulevard where North Hollywood becomes Burbank, the bustling main drag is redolent with the remainders of an older version of LA for the young creatives who came to fulfill their dreams. You’re welcomed by beloved local chain Porto’s before turning the corner to thrift stores for miles, coffee shops, cafes for screenwriters on a budget, and specialty shops selling overstock from studio wardrobes and backlots for the productions that are actually still shot in LA.
Nestled in a cocoon of vintage shops and coffee bars is a truly unique space, Secret Forest LA.
A Rare Third Space That Isn’t a Park or Library
Billed as an immersive art gallery and event venue, Secret Forest LA also strives to be something that millions of Angelenos are sorely missing: a genuine third space where you can come to relax, build community, and have no obligation to make a purchase.
The definition of “third space” generally refers to a place that isn’t home or work where you can spend time in public and not necessarily need to spend money to be there. To fit the true definition, a third space would be a park, library, community center, or some other publicly-funded or nonprofit space. But for most people, this encompasses bars, clubs, restaurants, gyms, and other places that require payment and tend to discourage lingering to increase turnover and revenue.
Many people lament the loss of third spaces, particularly as inflation, long-term unemployment, and rampant underemployment tighten their grip on millions of Angelenos’ wallets and psyches. This is especially true for those working in entertainment, media, and the satellite and cottage industries that serve major studios and the countless professionals who freely roam between them. The devastating fires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in early 2025 only heightened this immense feeling of loss.
Secret Forest LA strives to provide their neighbors with a sweet escape from the pain that they are experiencing, whether it is stress from slim pickings in the film industry or the fracas of the daily grind. “We had a man come in recently who said, ‘You mean I can just buy a cup of coffee down the street and it’s okay if I come back here?’ and he was so surprised when we said ‘Of course!’ Now he’s a regular,” co-founder Ed Bowlby relayed to me as he showed me around the intricately-crafted space he created with his wife and co-founder Karina Konupek.
Karina, the chief artist behind the ornate displays and interactive exhibits, zeroes in on the capitalist reality of running their immersive space. “We put the business out in front,” referring to the displays next to the front door containing stickers, keychains, jewelry, and crafts for sale in addition to advertisements for her other business, Artistic LA, and KB5, Ed’s landscape design service. “Merchandise and work for our other businesses helps keep our doors open and we want people to see that early before they can engage with the space more mindfully.”
True to their word, there are no more price tags in Secret Forest LA past the front cash register. The signage past the front encourages play, exploration, and losing yourself in the experience. You are not bombarded with ads in a world that constantly does so both on your phone and simply going outside.
“The forest provides a NOURISHING third space experience! A place to not just meet new friends but to fully enrich your spirit,” Karina emphasizes. “A space where your mind, senses, and spirit are wrapped and wonder and transported to another realm. Engaging in creative expression through art and light cosplay, being swaddled in an energetically enhanced space for the nervous system and mind; a moment to ‘leave Los Angeles’ and replenish and finally a space where acceptance is as natural as the environment.”
Ed and Karina aim to keep Secret Forest LA adaptable as a third space open to the neighborhood when there aren’t any private events taking place. Their signature large trees with unique fairy gardens inside them are on hidden casters, so the venue can be easily adapted for indoor garden parties, weddings, birthday parties, gallery showings, and other gatherings. This versatility also allows them to change the decor with the times while staying true to the vision of fairies, gnomes, and nature.
Bringing Nature Indoors
Ed and Karina are lifelong nature enthusiasts, having spent a great deal of time in California’s breathtaking state and national parks. They instilled the same appreciation for nature into their children and wanted to bring their artistic and landscaping skills to a truly unique space of their own.
Karina initially beta-tested the idea of a fairy-themed forest venue while she was a caregiver for her mother who spent her final days battling dementia, feeling the need for a mindful escape. While the beta test was a success, Ed’s father faced similar complications with Alzheimer’s around the same time. After grieving the losses of both of their parents, Ed and Karina felt a calling to honor their memory and work through their grief by building on the successful test run with a more expansive and nature-centric space full of life-literally and figuratively.
The trees within are made from coco bark, a natural material commonly used in both gardening and the reptile hobby, and each one features unique fairy gardens made from miniatures, moss, beads, and unique decorations. Visitors are encouraged to touch the displays, and examine each highly-detailed fairy garden.
The nature aesthetic goes beyond the fairy vibe, though. Interactivity is highly encouraged at Secret Forest LA, with several displays having elements that visitors are intended to experiment or play with. Elaborate headdresses are available for both children and adults to get in a fae mood, and escape the outside world for a spell.
Ed shows visitors that plants can do so much more than just sit there: he created an app and a sensor for a plant between the front and back lounges, where visitors can talk and the plant will talk back via music. It especially picks up on laughter, surprise, and being touched.
The blend of soft lighting, UV-reactive art, and plentiful plants offer visitors a softer and less over-stimulating world to lose themselves in, while also allowing you to explore at your own pace. If you’ve always loved the aesthetics of fairy gardens but prefer the comforts of climate control, indoor plumbing, and zounds of cute coffee shops nearby, Secret Forest LA is your dream third space and event venue.
Connecting with LA’s Artist Community
The intersection of art and nature is the heart of Secret Forest LA, with a plethora of Karina’s artistry comprising the decor and feel. She also wants Secret Forest LA to be a top contender for local artists looking to build their followings and communities, hosting exhibits and shows if they find the traditional gallery route to be inaccessible or unappealing.
“You’ll need to promote your events, but we love to work with local artists.”
The back of Secret Forest LA offers space appealing to both artistic types and locals who just need a quick break from the hectic LA life. A small lounge with sofas and inviting decor offers respite to visitors, and you can bring your own tabletop games or play with the ones already there. Crafting Meetups looking for a soothing environment that fosters community and collaboration just may find a new home when libraries close too early and coffee shops shoo you out after one drink.
Secret Forest LA is located on 3412 W Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, and is open to the public for relaxing third space purposes on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6PM, and you can contact them for event booking.
