Pasadena makes a practical day trip, with museums, Old Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Stadium among the places you can combine. The stadium is about a 9-minute drive from Rose Bowl, a Los Angeles motel, and gives the day a distinctive local landmark.
- Start with a museum: the Norton Simon Museum of Art or USC Pacific Asia Museum.
- Continue to Old Pasadena for a downtown walk.
- Add the Rose Bowl Stadium if your schedule allows.
How should you plan a Pasadena day trip?
A simple plan is to choose one museum first, walk through Old Pasadena, then decide whether to add the Rose Bowl Stadium. This keeps the itinerary focused on Pasadena rather than trying to fit in several distant stops.
For a museum-led morning, choose between the Norton Simon Museum of Art and USC Pacific Asia Museum. Their names provide a clear starting point for the day; check each museum’s official site for current visiting details before you set your schedule.
If you are planning a visit around its collections, the guide to what to know about visiting the Norton Simon Museum covers that venue separately.
Which museum should you visit in the morning?
The Norton Simon Museum of Art and USC Pacific Asia Museum are the two museum options named for this Pasadena itinerary. Pick one as your main morning stop, then leave time for Old Pasadena rather than building the day around both without checking their current schedules.
You can use the guide to planning a USC Pacific Asia Museum visit for details focused on the other museum; confirm current hours and ticket information with the museum before you go.
Keep the museum portion flexible: current hours, admission arrangements and visit duration are not set out here. Once you have confirmed those details, use the remaining time for a downtown walk and, if it fits, the stadium area.
Where can you walk and take a break downtown?
After the museum, make Old Pasadena the downtown portion of the day. Its streets offer a change of pace from a museum visit, and the area gives you a natural place to pause before continuing to another stop.
Pasadena is accessible via Metro A Line, and Memorial Park Station is near Old Pasadena. If you plan to use transit, check current service and schedules before setting out; event shuttles may be available, but their operation depends on the event.
For a compact itinerary, keep the order simple: museum first, Old Pasadena next, and the Rose Bowl area last. That sequence leaves the stadium as an optional addition rather than a fixed commitment.
What can you add at the Rose Bowl Stadium?
Rose Bowl Stadium is a historic sports venue in Pasadena, at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena, CA 91103. Built in 1922, it is a National Historic Landmark and has been home to UCLA Bruins football since 1982.
The stadium hosts the Tournament of Roses Football Game, UCLA Bruins football, concerts, religious services, filmings and the Rose Bowl Flea Market. Public guided tours are offered once a month, but tour dates, times and routes can change, and blackout dates may apply. Check the Rose Bowl Stadium official site before you go.
If you book a tour, arrive 15 minutes before it starts and allow up to two hours. Part of the tour is outdoors, so comfortable walking shoes are advised. Tour locations can change because of stadium events and construction projects.
For event details and visitor basics, see what to know about Rose Bowl Stadium.
How can you get around and check access?
Metro A Line serves Pasadena, and Pasadena Transit publishes schedules for routes 10, 20, 31/32, 33, 40, 51/52, 53 and 60. Its official website also offers a system map, live system map, real-time applications and a trip planner.
For select special events, Metro advises taking the A Line to Memorial Park Station and connecting to the Foothill Transit Rose Bowl shuttle. Confirm shuttle service with the event organizer before relying on it. Event-day parking procedures, entrances and road closures can vary, so check the instructions for the specific event.
The stadium is identified as wheelchair accessible. Access conditions and event arrangements can vary, so confirm the details that apply to your visit with the venue.
FAQs
Is Pasadena a day trip?
Yes. You can organize a day around a museum, a walk through Old Pasadena and an optional stop at Rose Bowl Stadium.
How often are Rose Bowl Stadium tours offered?
Public guided tours are offered once a month. Dates, times and routes may change, and blackout dates may apply.
What should you know before taking a stadium tour?
Arrive 15 minutes before the start and allow up to two hours. Part of the tour is outdoors, so comfortable walking shoes are advised.