What to Know
- New Year's in Pasadena Walking Tour, presented by Pasadena Walking Tours
- $28 adult; $18 child (ages 5 to 12); children 5 and under may join for free
- Dec. 30 and 31 at 10 a.m.; the two-hour on-foot tour covers 1.8 miles, including some of the Rose Parade route
While the fabled procession seen on New Year's Day is very much about the grand floats, bands, equestrians, and vintage cars seen on Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards, any viewer watching the Rose Parade from home will behold all sorts of only-in-Pasadena panoramas.
The trees, the flowers, the Colorado Street Bridge, the Wrigley Mansion, and the historic buildings of Old Pasadena: So many Crown City classics make memorable cameos during the Rose Parade broadcast.
It can make an at-home viewer want to know more about the city where the iconic event has regally rolled since the late 19th century, not to mention the trivia and tantalizing tidbits surrounding this eminent event.
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Enter Pasadena Walking Tours, a fun fact-filled go-to for all things concerning the storied city, from its architecture to its rumored ghosts to its Playhouse District and other notable neighborhoods.
But just ahead of a new year, it is, quite unsurprisingly, all about the Rose Parade. And on the mornings of Dec. 30 and 31, the New Year's in Pasadena walking tour will put the festive focus on the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.
The tour, which covers 1.8 miles, will saunter along the start of the parade route. You'll mill around Millionaire's Row, which is home to the stately Wrigley Mansion, the headquarters for the Tournament of Roses.
Picking up all sorts of share-it-with-your-pals tales? That's part of the rosy ruminations, as is getting some fresh air and exercise just a week after Christmas.
A ticket is $28 for an adult and $18 for kids ages 5 to 12 (tots younger than that can join for free). Do keep in mind these tours have sold out in the past so book your spot soon.
The starting point? Make for Singer Park, specifically the corner of California Boulevard and St. John Avenue, which is just a short stroll from the parade's starting point on Orange Grove Boulevard.
