Exploring Pasadena

PMH launched Exploring Pasadena on June 19, 2021 in commemoration of the City’s 135th anniversary. This wide-ranging, multi-year initiative encourages residents and visitors alike to discover the region’s history, culture, and natural beauty through varied in-person and virtual offerings throughout the year.

Exploring Our Community

Pasadena is filled with scenic vistas, natural beauty, iconic structures, historic sites, and diverse neighborhoods. In honor of the City’s 135th anniversary on June 19th, 2021 (Pasadena was incorporated on that date in 1886), PMH announced a wide-ranging, multi-year initiative to encourage residents and visitors alike to explore the region through multiple offerings and discover the stories behind the people, places, and things that have been instrumental in creating this unique community.

Exploring Pasadena includes visual and aural presentations, guided tours, participatory games, unique lectures, hands-on workshops, and more. All offerings will be featured on this page as well as in the media and on social media platforms.

Space is limited; advance reservations required.

Remember! You can also explore Pasadena's fascinating past at your convenience through the Blogs and Videos on our website.

Upcoming Events

Image: Fenyes Mansion. Photo by Lizzie Steidel

Exclusive Fenyes Mansion Tours
Sundays, March 26, April 23, and May 7, 2023
11:00 to 12:30 pm

Admission: General $25; PMH Members $20. Advance reservations required.

Tour the historic 1906 Beaux Arts Fenyes Mansion! Join this 90-minute guided tour and travel back in time to 1910 to discover what life was like when museum benefactors, Eva Scott Fenyes and her husband Dr. Adalbert Fenyes lived in Pasadena.

The elegant home was designed by architect Robert Farquhar with a later (1911) addition by Sylvanus Marston. It is largely unchanged from when the family was in residence, featuring the family’s original décor, antique furnishings, and art collection, as well as the later transformation of one room as the Consul General’s office when the Mansion doubled as the Finnish Consulate (1948-1964). Your tour guide will discuss early 20th century Pasadena history, specifics on the art, architecture, and items throughout the home, and share the fascinating lives and legacy of the Fenyes family.

 

Image: Charles F. Lummis, circa 1897. Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, (LC-DIG-ppmsca-194610)
Image: Photo of Charles F. Lummis, circa 1897. Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, (LC-DIG-ppmsca-194610)

Charles F. Lummis and Boosterism in Pasadena
Thursday, April 27 | 7:00 pm

Admission: General $15; PMH Members $10

Charles F. Lummis (1859-1928) was a writer, journalist, photographer, civic booster, and culturally prominent figure at the turn-of-the-century in Southern California, as well as throughout the Southwestern United States. Join Christian Rodriguez, curator of El Alisal - The Charles F. Lummis Home and Garden, to learn about Lummis’ significant but complicated contributions to preservation, his impact on the historiography of the Southwest, and the friends and benefactors in Pasadena, including Eva Scott Fenyes, he harnessed in creating a network of support for his vision of Southern California and the Southwest.

Please check back for information on upcoming programs or sign up for our e-newsletter.

 

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