Pasadena

Things to Do in Pasadena

Venture about a mile top the south and you’ll find the Tournament House, which serves as headquarters for the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game (more on those below). Visitors can take a free tour and learn about the history of the house—the former Wrigley Mansion, built by the family behind the chewing-gum empire and the Chicago ball field—as well as about the traditions of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. After exploring the house, relax in the Wrigley Gardens while taking in the sights and scents of 1,500 varieties of flowers.

For a hands-on art fix families with little ones will love, head to the lively Kidspace Children’s Museum, across from the Rose Bowl. Explore its 3.5-acre campus, with more than 40 creative indoor and outdoor exhibits, including plenty of arts and crafts supplies and other fun techniques to help kids learn. And good luck trying to pry your pint-size scramblers away from two soaring climbing towers.

Cross into the adjacent community of San Marino to see impressive collections at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, then relax in the Huntington’s lovely Chinese-style Garden of Flowing Fragrance, with ornate bridges and a shimmering lake. About six miles north of the city is Descanso Gardens, home to 35,000 tulips as well as delicate cherry blossoms, lilacs, roses, and more. To see what’s currently in bloom, visit the gardens’ Facebook, and Instagram pages—they are updated daily. 

A New Year Tradition: The Rose Parade & Rose Bowl

Every New Year’s Day (or January 2 if January 1 lands on a Sunday), Pasadena becomes supercharged with the Rose Parade, a 135-plus-year-old tradition that winds 5.5 miles through town. Spectators line Colorado Boulevard to marvel at magical floats covered entirely in flowers, cheered on by marching bands and equestrian units. Following the morning spectacle, the city hosts the storied Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium—America’s oldest postseason college football bowl, born in 1902 to help fund the parade.

Restaurants and Theatre in Old Pasadena

Now head to Old Pasadena, a 22-block national historic district filled with restored buildings housing hip boutiques, buzz-worthy restaurants, and a beloved cinema. Try Northern Italian dishes with California influences at the intimate Union restaurant (save room for delectable olive-oil cake for dessert). Or sample Southeast Asian cuisine at Bone Kettle, where Erwin Tjahyadi, who apprenticed under Wolfgang Puck and Trey Foshee, serves up an array of intriguing Indonesian-inspired small plates and such main dishes as Singapore-style chili-fried lobster. Fans of live theater visiting Old Pasadena should know that they are within strolling distance of the official state theater of California. The Pasadena Playhouse has been staging productions almost continuously since 1917.

Mount Wilson Observatory

A few dozen miles northeast of Pasadena is the Mount Wilson Observatory, which was home to the world’s largest telescopes for most of the first half of the 20th century. Today, with its CHARA (Center for High Angular Resolutions Astronomy) facility, it’s still at the cutting edge of astrophysics, and offers a variety of tours, a full schedule of events, and a place to recharge with the Cosmic Café.

Finish your visit back in Pasadena with afternoon tea—served on signature Wedgwood tea sets—at one of California’s grand-dame hotels, The Langham Huntington Hotel. This historic resort, one of the first in the state, boasts a heated saltwater pool, the 11,000-square-foot Chuan Spa, and excellent dining options, all located on 23 acres at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Useful info: Before you go, check out a calendar of events for all the goings-on in Pasadena.