Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Canada
Mexico
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Historic district · Pasadena, California
Old Pasadena
The original commercial center of Pasadena, around Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue, with late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, courtyards, alleys, shops, cafés and restaurants. It is a national historic district and lies along the Rose Parade route.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Old Pasadena
Old Pasadena is the core where the city began to grow in the late 19th century, when the first settlers of the colony that founded Pasadena opened shops and hotels there. In the early decades of the 20th century, the area hosted visitors who spent the winter in Southern California.
After decades of neglect, the old downtown was protected in the 1980s: the city created the historic district in 1980, the Pasadena Heritage association fought to preserve the buildings instead of demolishing them, and in 1983 the ensemble was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rehabilitation transformed brick facades and former warehouses into shops, restaurants, cinemas and offices.
The intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue is the zero point for the city’s street numbering. Around it, interior courtyards and alleys connect the blocks and make the neighborhood a pleasant place for leisure walking. Colorado Boulevard is the avenue that the Rose Parade follows on New Year’s Day.
The Pasadena Heritage association organizes guided walking tours of the neighborhood’s history on some Saturdays of the year, and Memorial Park station on Metro Line A is on the edge of the district.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 2–3 hours to walk, with a stop to eat.
Best time
Late afternoon and evening, when restaurants and cafés are lively; in the morning the streets are quieter for viewing the facades.
How to get there
By Metro Line A, Memorial Park station, or on foot from the Norton Simon Museum via Colorado Boulevard. There is public parking in the neighborhood.
Tip
Go into the courtyards and alleys that cut through the blocks: many of the most beautiful historic buildings face them rather than the avenue.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Old Pasadena
What is Old Pasadena?
It’s Pasadena’s historic and commercial downtown, with late-19th-century buildings, shops, restaurants and cafés, protected as a National Register historic district since 1983.
How do you get to Old Pasadena by metro?
By the Los Angeles Metro A Line, getting off at Memorial Park station on the neighborhood’s edge.
Does the Rose Parade go through Old Pasadena?
Yes. The parade runs along Colorado Boulevard, the neighborhood’s main avenue.