Pasadena walking tour & town guide

Old Pasadena and Colorado Boulevard

Old Pasadena is the city's historic commercial center, about twenty blocks of brick and stone buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries along Colorado Boulevard. Once run down, it was carefully restored and is now full of shops, cafés and restaurants, with small alleys and courtyards hidden between the main streets.

Colorado Boulevard is also part of old Route 66 and the route of the Rose Parade, held every New Year's Day with flower-covered floats. In the weeks before Christmas, Old Pasadena's trees and buildings are strung with lights.

City Hall and the Civic Center

Pasadena City Hall, completed in 1927, is one of the most beautiful public buildings in California, with a tall domed tower, arcades and a central courtyard garden with a fountain. It stands at the heart of a grand civic center planned in the 1920s, a short walk from Old Pasadena and the shops of the Playhouse District.

Historic homes and the Rose Bowl

Pasadena's residential streets are some of the loveliest in the Los Angeles area, lined with Victorian houses, Spanish-style villas and Arts and Crafts bungalows under tall trees. The Gamble House, built in 1908, is a celebrated example of the Craftsman style and is open for tours.

In the Arroyo Seco, a wide wooded canyon on the west side of the city, the Rose Bowl stadium hosts college football's famous New Year's game and a large monthly flea market. A loop path around it is a favorite for walkers and runners.

A classic walk: Old Pasadena to City Hall

Start at Memorial Park on Raymond Avenue and walk east along Colorado Boulevard through the heart of Old Pasadena, stepping into the side alleys along the way. Turn north on Garfield Avenue to the courtyard of City Hall, then continue east toward the Playhouse District. The route is about two and a half kilometers, and the Metro A Line connects Pasadena with Downtown Los Angeles.