Pasadena, CA Area Guide

Pasadena, California is famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and the Tournament of Roses Parade. The city of Pasadena is located in Los Angeles County, 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, and is the 6th largest city in Los Angeles County. Pasadena is home to numerous prestigious scientific and cultural institutions such as the California Institute of Technology, Norton Simon Museum of Art & the Art Center College of Design. The name Pasadena comes from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian language and means “valley”, but it has been interpreted to mean “Crown of the Valley” and “Key of the Valley”. Due to these interpretations, Pasadena has adopted both the crown and the key in the city’s official seal. As of the 2007 U.S. census, the estimated population was 146,518, making Pasadena the 160th largest city in the U.S.

History

The land now famous for the Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and California Institute of Technology, was once occupied by the Hahamogna Tribe of Native Americans. Subsisting on local game and vegetation, the Hahamognas lived in villages scattered along the Arroyo Seco and the canyons from the mountains down to the South Pasadena area. With the arrival of the Spaniards and the establishment of the San Gabriel Mission on September 8, 1771, most of the Native Americans were converted and provided labor for the mission.

Pasadena is home to numerous attractions that draw visitors from all over annually. Come and experience a quality of life that is second to none with natural scenic beauty, a vibrant cultural and academic environment, and a lively nightlife.

Tournament of Roses Parade

The Rose Bowl

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens\

The Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Boston Court Performing Arts Center

Brookside Golf Course

La Canada Flintridge Country Club

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Norton Simon Museum

Kidspace Children’s Museum