So much to see and do!

So the family’s in for the holidays? Everyone knows Pasadena is the place to be on New Year’s Day, but there’s way more to this town than the Rose Parade and stuffing yourself with great food. From art to history to the great outdoors, here are a few top destinations to get you and yours off the couch and out on the town.

Colorado Street Bridge
This distinctive Pasadena landmark was built in 1913 to allow horses and wagons to cross the steep plunge of the Arroyo Seco. Engineer John Drake Mercereau created the curving design with its graceful beaux-arts arches to accommodate the instability of the Arroyo bed, but the result is an aesthetic success as well. It stands 150 feet high and reopened following major restoration work in 1994.

More Info: pasadenacal.com/pk9.htm
Visit: Colorado Boulevard, west of Orange Grove Boulevard

The Gamble House
Built a century ago for David Gamble of the Procter and Gamble Co., the Gamble House is commonly described as the masterpiece of the American Arts and Crafts movement and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architects/brothers Charles and Henry Greene and their famous creation are currently featured in a special exhibit at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino (Call 626-405-2100 or visit Huntington.org).

More info: (626) 793-3334; gamblehouse.org
Visit: 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena. / Tours are noon to 3 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays (10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 31) and cost $7 to $10

Pasadena City Hall
Opened on Dec. 27, 1927, this beautiful California Mediterranean style building is also on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a Cultural Heritage Landmark. City Hall also boasts a six-story circular tower and a charming Spanish colonial courtyard.

More info: (626) 744-4000; cityofpasadena.net/cityhall/history.asp
Visit: 100 N. Garfield Ave.

Tournament House
(Wrigley Mansion)
This impressive Renaissance-style mansion was built between 1906 and 1914 by chewing-gum pioneer William Wrigley Jr., who donated it for the Tournament of Roses Association’s executive offices. Tours, though not available this time of year, feature richly adorned rooms, plus the formal portrait of the reigning Rose Queen and Rose Bowl-related trophies and memorabilia.

More info: (626) 449-4100
Visit: 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. / Tours are from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays, February through August

Vista Del Arroyo
(9th Circuit Court of Appeals)
One of the most visible landmarks in Pasadena (especially if you’re driving by on the 134 freeway), the old Arroyo Vista Hotel, which now houses the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, was designed by the architectural firm Marston and Van Pelt in the 1920s. It overlooks the treasured Arroyo Seco.

More info: (626) 229-7250
Visit: 125 S. Grand Ave.  / Tours by appointment only

Brookside Golf Course
This 36-hole course, designed in a peaceful portion of the Arroyo Seco by famed golf architect William P. Bell, has hosted the Los Angeles Open and the National Public Links Championship. The course features a driving range, pro shop and clubhouse with restaurant and bar.

More info: brookside.americangolf.com
Visit: 1133 Rosemont Ave.

Caltech
The California Institute of Technology is world-renowned for its programs in science and engineering, but the school also hosts cultural events throughout the year and the campus is worth a visit just to admire the interesting architecture. Be sure to visit Edward Durell Stone’s circular white Beckman Auditorium, the Mediterranean Athenaeum and peaceful Olive Walk.

More Info: See Caltech.edu for details and printable self-guided tours
Visit: Tours depart from the Athenaeum, at 551 S. Hill Ave.

Eaton Canyon Nature Center
Beautiful Eaton Canyon offers several hiking trails. Reopened in 1998 after a previous fire, the Nature Center (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) offers 7,600 square feet of displays, live animals and an auditorium, as well as a gift shop. Guided and self-guided tours are available. Call or check the Web site for details.

More Info: (626) 398-5420; ecna.org
Visit: 1750 N. Altadena Drive

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Started by Caltech in the 1930s, JPL created America’s first satellite, Explorer 1, which was launched in 1958. Today, the institution belongs to NASA but is still run by Caltech and remains at the very forefront of science, with 18 spacecraft and eight instruments on active missions. Public tours (make reservations) include a multi-media presentation called “Spirit of Exploration,” an overview of the lab’s activities, as well as access to the Karman Visitor Center, the Space Flight Operations Facility and the In-Situ Instruments Laboratory.

More Info: (818) 354-9314; jpl.nasa.gov/pso/pt.cfm
Visit: 4800 Oak Grove Drive / Government-issued ID required for all visitors over 18. See Web site or call for details and special events listings.

Mount Lowe
Named for Thaddeus Lowe, who conquered it on horseback in September 1892, this was the site of the Mount Lowe Railway, which carried passengers from Altadena to the Mount Lowe Hotel and Resort. Now the site has become Mount Lowe Campground. Hikers can still see the ruins of the railway and the hotel’s foundations. The Sierra Club Web site describes two options for hikes in the area — one easy and the other more strenuous.

More Info: angeles.sierraclub.org/hps/
guides/12e.htm
Visit: Off the Angeles Crest Highway
(See Web site for directions)

Mount Wilson Observatory
The astronomical research facility is located at an altitude of 5715 feet on the summit of Mount Wilson, and offers spectacular views day or night. The Astronomical Museum and 100-inch Hooker telescope, visible from the Visitors’ Gallery, are closed from the end of November through March, but this is still an amazing place to see the city.

More Info: mtwilson.edu/vis/index.php
Visit: The museum (see Web site for directions) is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April to November, with self-guided tours available. Check the weather before you go, as fire danger and snow are both significant travel factors.

Armory Center for the Arts
The Armory is a community arts center offering exhibitions, performances, classes and special events. Current exhibitions include “Artful Solutions,” featuring works from a series of workshops conducted in partnership with the Pasadena Police Department’s Homeless Outreach/Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, the Armory and Union Station Foundation. Also see contemporary works in “at the Brewery Project, 1993-2007: the Finale.”

More info: (626) 792-5101; armoryarts.org
Visit: 145 N. Raymond Ave.

Kidspace Children’s Museum
Originally launched at Caltech in 1979, Kidspace provides participatory exhibits designed to engage and educate children. Check the Web site for seasonal hours and numerous special events throughout the holidays.

More info: (626) 449-9144; kidspacemuseum.org
Visit: 480 N. Arroyo Blvd.

Norton Simon Museum
This beloved Pasadena museum contains a truly remarkable, world-renowned collection of Western and Asian art, with the added bonus of rotating exhibitions. Don’t miss the 20th-century room, which features Picasso, Giacommetti and other big names in modern art. Current exhibitions include Ruth Weisberg’s “Guido Cagnacci and the Resonant Image” and “The Art of War: American Posters from World War I and World War II.”  Also see Vermeer's “A Lady Writing,” on loan through February from the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

More info: (626) 449-6840; nortonsimon.org
Visit: 411 W. Colorado Blvd.

Pacific Asia Museum
Originally built in 1924 by architects Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury to house the Asian and Western art collections and living quarters of collector Grace Nicholson, the museum is one of only four institutions in the country devoted to arts and cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Current exhibitions include “Mingei East and West” with folk art from Japan, “Confucius: Shaping Values Through Art,” and “The Offering Table: Women Artists/Activists from Korea.”

More info: (626) 449-2742;
pacificasiamuseum.org
Visit: 46 N. Los Robles Ave.

Pasadena Museum of California Art
PMCA is dedicated to California art, architecture and design from 1850 to the present. Currently on view through Jan. 4 are “Romance of the Bells: California Missions in Art,” “William Stranger: Second Growth,” and the fascinating “Seeing Greene & Greene: Architecture in Photographs,” featuring images created by the 20th century’s leading photographers of the work of these architecture pioneers.

More Info: (626) 568-3665; pmcaonline.org
Visit: 490 E. Union St.

Pasadena Museum of History
(Feynes Mansion)
Founded in 1924, this museum showcases the history, art and culture of Pasadena and neighboring communities. On view through Jan. 4 are “The Art and Craft of Textile Design: 1860-1920” and “Living Beautifully: Greene and Greene in Pasadena.” Special tours, teas and other events are offered. See the Web for events information and reservations.

More info: (626) 577-1660; pasadenahistory.org
Visit: 470 W. Walnut St.

Pasadena Playhouse
Open since 1917, the Pasadena Playhouse offers an impressive array of performances throughout the year (the stage is dark, though, through Jan. 20) under the guidance of Artistic Director Sheldon Epps. “Stormy Weather,” a musical about the life of singer Lena Horne, opens Jan. 21.

More info: (626) 792-8672;
pasadenaplayhouse.org
Visit: 39 S. El Molino Ave.