When you drive the 110, you are, wisely, acutely aware of the road, and those vintage tunnels, and the storied neighborhoods you're passing through.
A stirring sense of history can also fill that particular drive, thanks to the Victorian homes of Heritage Square off to one side of the freeway, and the tower of The Autry's Historic Southwest Museum, Mt. Washington Campus, and all of the Craftsman homes that suggest you're near the region's most celebrated example, The Gamble House in Pasadena.
Merely toodling along the 110, in short, is a peek into the past. But the peekhole grows wider each year, over the course of a few busy hours, when Museums of the Arroyo Day returns.
As the name spells out, the day, which'll take place on Sunday, May 21, is very much about spotlighting some of the cultural and historical treasures of the Arroyo Seco, from the three places just mentioned The Gamble House, Heritage Square, and the Southwest Museum — to the Lummis Home, the LA Police Museum, and the Pasadena Museum of History.
All will be free to visit on May 21, and all will host an assortment of special, get-to-know-us activities during the noon-to-5-o'clock event.
A few important tidbits to keep tucked in your pocket? Be at the final museum you'd like to visit by 4 p.m., as that's the last entry time for the day.
Also? Walking between some of the museums isn't possible, at least with the time allotted, if you intend to try and do them all, but there is a shuttle. Though do note: Heritage Square is not on the shuttle route.
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A solid plan: Pick one or two places you want to connect with, and build your history-rich, costume-lovely afternoon around that pairing.