Pasadena Area

Although seemingly absorbed into the general Los Angeles sprawl, Pasadena is a separate and distinct city. Noted for its Tournament of Roses, seen around the world each New Year's Day, the city brims with noteworthy spots, from its gorgeous Craftsman homes to its exceptional museums, particularly the Norton Simon and the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Between Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, the Pasadena Freeway follows the curves of the arroyo (creek bed). This was the main road north during the early days of Los Angeles, when horses and buggies made their way through the countryside to the small town of Pasadena. In 1939 the road became the Arroyo Seco Parkway, the first freeway in Los Angeles, later renamed the Pasadena Freeway. The freeway remains a pleasant drive in non-rush hour traffic, with old sycamores winding up the arroyo in a pleasant contrast to the more common 10-lane freeways of Los Angeles.

To reach Pasadena from Downtown Los Angeles, drive north on the Pasadena Freeway (I-110). From Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley use the Ventura Freeway (Highway 134, east), which cuts through Glendale, skirting the foothills, before arriving in Pasadena.