Things To Do Near Pasadena in Los Angeles

Pasadena is an affluent neighborhood located to the South-East of downtown L.A. at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains; this municipality was incorporated in 1886 and is an older city in Southland terms.

The famous Tournament of Roses parade on January 1st was first held in 1890 (the Rose Bowl was built in 1923). Pasadena is home to great craftsmen architecture from these early days, like the 1908 Gamble House. Up through the 1930s, Pasadena was a grand tourist and wintering destination for the wealthy; the depression marked the end of this early golden era.

In 1940 the first freeway in west, the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Interstate 110), was completed. This linked Pasadena to Los Angeles and bode well for the area's future suburban explosion.

The boom of post World War II investment in defense and aerospace technology saw a real upswing of fortune for Pasadena, home to the auspicious California Institute of Technology and the affiliated Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Cold War defense spending was a huge economic boost for much of Southern California.)

The Pasadena area has a lot to offer the visitor today. The premiere destinations here are the large and eclectic Norton Simon Museum of Art and the beautiful Huntington Library and Gardens.

Pasadena is also a premiere shopping area. Paseo Colorado is a nice mall; the shopping options continue with many, many more shops in Old Town Pasadena on Colorado Boulevard and Green St. just west of there.

Being at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains makes Pasadena a great area for hikes and outdoor adventures. The hikes listed here are just a sampling of the excursions nearby. If you are looking for a landscaped environment, in addition to the previously mentioned Huntington Gardens and the Descanso Gardens are the lovely Wrigley Gardens.

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