Events

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Hollywood Magic in Pasadena highlights Pasadena’s intrinsic role in the multidimensional world of filmmaking. The Pasadena Museum of History is proud to present this exhibition curated by Julia Long, PMH’s Curator of History and Exhibitions, on view from June 8, 2024, through February 28, 2025. Focusing on the people who helped shape the industry – both on screen and behind the scenes – and locations that provide settings for their artistic pursuits. The galleries feature a wide range of objects relating to movies, television, music videos, and more, celebrating the creative process from initial concept to finished productions. 

The exhibition also explores the history of filming on the Fényes Estate. Given their wide-ranging artistic vision, it is hardly surprising that Eva and Adalbert Fényes would embrace the fledgling motion picture industry. In 1912, legendary director D. W. Griffith featured their beautiful estate in the silent film, The Queen’s Necklace. Star power seems to have impressed even a sophisticated society matron, as evidenced by a charming collection of Eva’s photographs and sketches from the various productions filmed on her property, including handwritten diary entries with captions such as, “Douglas Fairbanks on our lawn.”

Curated by Julia Long, PMH’s Curator of History and Exhibitions, LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! is made possible, in part, by the Paloheimo Foundation.

Curator’s Tour: Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood Magic in Pasadena
Friday, June 21, Saturday, July 27, & Friday, August 16 | 11:00 am
General Admission: $15 | PMH Members: $10
Explore Lights, Camera, Action! with curator Julia Long on these special one-hour tours. Learn more about the research that went into the remarkable exhibition and the wide range of objects on display. Hear more stories about Pasadena’s role both on screen and behind the scenes from the curator. Space is limited; advance reservations are required.

Lecture: Behind the Scenes of Lights, Camera, Action!
Thursday, August 8, 2024  | 7:00 pm
General Admission: $15 | PMH Members: $10
Join PMH’s Curator of History and Exhibitions, Julia Long, for this special presentation about the Museum’s current exhibition Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood Magic in Pasadena. Space is limited; advance reservations are required.

Diners can get a taste of Los Angeles' broad and dynamic dining scene with Dine LA Restaurant Week. The Summer edition runs from Friday, July 12, through Friday, Jully 26, 2024, when nearly 400 LA area restaurants offer special menus and prices.

Dine LA Restaurant Week takes place twice a year and showcases Los Angeles as a premier dining destination while highlighting the diversity of culinary experiences LA has to offer. Global kitchens can be found in culinary neighborhoods across Los Angeles including Old Pasadena. 

Old Pasadena is home to more than 100 restaurants offering a variety of dining experiences. Scroll down for the confirmed Old Pasadena restaurants participating in the Summer edition of Dine LA!  Check them out, review the menu, and make a reservation or a plan to dine.

Participating restaurants offer a special menu for dine-in for lunch and/or dinner.

• Lunch: $15, $25, $35, $45, $55, $65+
• Dinner: $15, $25, $35, $45, $55, $65+

Prices and meal periods vary by restaurant and exclude beverages, tax, and gratuity. There are no tickets or passes required for Dine LA Restaurant Week. Simply dine out at a participating restaurant, ask for the Dine LA Restaurant Week menu, and try a new dish or enjoy an old favorite. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

We are so proud to announce that 18 restaurants of all cuisines and experiences are joining in this edition to represent Old Pasadena.  Three of these are Michelin-rated venues noted with an M.  Participating Old Pasadena restaurants: 

Experience Old Pasadena in a different way on this Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour. Colorful alleys and secret thru-ways spice up your walk as you seek out spectacular ethnic eateries and sweet-stuff havens on Melting Pot Tours' Old Pasadena Tour. Enjoy all the fascinating stories behind the foods when you explore this historic district, once just a sunny haven of bountiful orange groves.

Whenever possible, you’ll be met and hosted by the special merchants who proudly share their incredible offerings. The tour concludes back at the original starting point. The food samples along the way are filling enough so that for most people lunch afterward is not necessary.

Here's what you can expect on the Old Pasadena Food Tour:

• Ethnic Eateries
• Specialty Olive Oil Shop
• Artisan Chocolates
• Specialty Bakery

This walking tour covers 1.25 miles (approx. 5,400 steps) visiting 10 stops, and is about 3.5 hours long.

Join One Colorado for an unforgettable night of entertainment under the stars this summer! Head to The Courtyard on select Saturdays this June and July to enjoy complimentary film screenings of some of everyone's favorite musicals and blockbuster movies!

Showings

• SAT JUN 01 - Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13)
• SAT JUN 15 - Mamma Mia! (PG-13)
• SAT JUN 29 - Barbie (PG-13)
• SAT JUL 13 - Pitch Perfect (PG-13)
• SAT JUL 27 - Legally Blonde (PG-13)

VIP check-in begins at 7:45pm | Films begin at 8:30pm

In partnership with IPIC Theaters, guests can enjoy VIP premier seating when they show a receipt for a minimum purchase of $50 (per person) from One Colorado restaurants and shops (click here for the directory). Each VIP guest will receive an IPIC promotion, popcorn, and a soft drink. Premier seating is available first-come, first-served.

Free public seating is also available on a first-come, first-served basis. Get comfy! Don’t forget to bring your favorite blankets, chairs, and snacks to make the most out of this experience. They’ll provide the big screen and the sound system to make sure you have an amazing time.

Get ready to sing, dance, and have a blast at “Movies under the Stars” this summer. Don’t forget to let them know you’re coming!

On Saturday, July 27, My Valley Pass returns with their popular Pasadena Walking Film Tour.  On this offshoot of the popular Pasadena (bus) Film Tour, join My Valley Pass co-founder Jared Cowan for a jaunt through Old Pasadena and the Pasadena Civic Center, and learn about a number of the popular movies and TV shows that have used this visually dynamic and historic area as a filming location. You'll even visit a few locations where a tour bus can't go, including - by way of the gracious support of Visit Pasadena - the grand interior of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Space is limited, so get your tickets today!  

About Your Tour Guide:

Jared Cowan is a photographer and film journalist who has written extensively on the subject of filming locations for various publications including Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. TACO, and LA Weekly. He leads the My Valley Pass film tours of the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, and the Langham Huntington Hotel. On his podcast, On Location with Jared Cowan, he interviews filmmakers on-site at the locations of their movies.

Experience Old Pasadena in a different way on this Old Pasadena Food Tasting Walking Tour. Colorful alleys and secret thru-ways spice up your walk as you seek out spectacular ethnic eateries and sweet-stuff havens on Melting Pot Tours' Old Pasadena Tour. Enjoy all the fascinating stories behind the foods when you explore this historic district, once just a sunny haven of bountiful orange groves.

Whenever possible, you’ll be met and hosted by the special merchants who proudly share their incredible offerings. The tour concludes back at the original starting point. The food samples along the way are filling enough so that for most people lunch afterward is not necessary.

Here's what you can expect on the Old Pasadena Food Tour:

• Ethnic Eateries
• Specialty Olive Oil Shop
• Artisan Chocolates
• Specialty Bakery

This walking tour covers 1.25 miles (approx. 5,400 steps) visiting 10 stops, and is about 3.5 hours long.