Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
186
PASADENA & ENVIRONS
See “L.A.'s Top Architectural Tours” box (p. 180) and “S ightseeing Tours” (p. 192) for
more information on touring the many w ell-preserved historic neighborhoods in P asa-
dena. For a quick but pr ofound ar chitectural fix, str oll past P asadena's grandiose and
baroque City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., 2 blocks north of Colorado Boulevard; closer
inspection will reveal its classical colonnaded courtyard, formal gardens, and spectacular
tiled dome.
The Gamble House The huge two-stor y Gamble House, built in 1908 as a
California vacation home for the wealthy family of Procter & Gamble fame, is a sublime
example of Arts and Crafts architecture. The interior, designed by the famous Pasadena-
based Greene & Greene architectural team, abounds with handcraftsmanship, including
intricately car ved teak cornices, custom-designed furnishings, elaborate carpets, and a
fantastic Tiffany glass door. No detail was overlooked. Every oak wedge, downspout, air
vent, and switch plate contributes to the unified design. A dmission is by 1-hour guided
tour only, which departs every 15 minutes. Tickets go on sale on tour days in the book-
store at 10am Thursday through Saturday, and at 11:30am on S unday. No reservations
are necessary, but tours ar e often sold out, especially on w eekends, by 2pm. And don 't
wear high heels or they'll make you put on slippers.
If you can't fit the tour into your schedule but have an affection for Craftsman design,
visit the well-stocked bookstore and museum shop located in the former garage (you can
also see the exterior and gr ounds of the house this way). The bookstore is open Tuesday
through Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 11:30am to 5pm.
Additional elegant Greene & Greene creations (still privately owned) abound 2 blocks
away along Arroyo Terrace, including nos. 368, 370, 400, 408, 424, and 440. The
Gamble House bookstore can giv e you a walking-tour map and also conducts guided
neighborhood tours by appointment.
4 Westmoreland Place (in the 300 block of N. Orange Gr ove Blvd.), Pasadena. & 626/793-3334. www.
gamblehouse.org. Tours $10 adults, $7 students and seniors 65 and o ver, free for children 11 and under.
Tours Thurs-Sun noon-3pm. Closed holidays.
Mission San Fernando In the late 18th century, Franciscan missionaries established
21 missions along the California coast from San Diego to Sonoma. Each uniquely beau-
tiful mission was built 1 day's trek from the next, along a path known as El Camino Real
(“the Royal Road”), remnants of which still exist. The missions' construction marked the
beginning of E uropean settlement of California and the displacement of the N ative
American population. The two L.A.-ar ea missions ar e located in the v alleys that took
their names: the S an Fernando Valley and the S an Gabriel Valley (see belo w). A thir d
mission, San Juan Capistrano, is located in O range County (see chapter 11).
Established in 1797, M ission San Fernando once contr olled more than 1 1 / 2 million
acres, employed 1,500 Native Americans, and boasted mor e than 22,000 head of cattle
and extensive orchards. The fragile adobe mission complex was destr oyed several times
7
Fun Facts House Hygiene
The restoration of the Gamble House was so meticulous that workers used dental
picks to scrape gunk from the home's 262 rafters.
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