What to Know
- The Gamble House, imagined by visionaries Charles and Henry Greene and constructed in 1908-09, is a Craftsman landmark located in Pasadena
- The much-studied house is open for daytime tours
- Visitors can enjoy it in the evening during ArtNight Pasadena on March 10 (free) or buy a ticket to a special sunrise event on March 25 ($125 per person)
Calling upon the famous Gamble House when the sun is directly overhead?
That's not an unusual hour for architecture buffs, garden fans, Pasadena boosters, and lovers of "Back to the Future" to admire the regal Craftsman landmark, for daytime tours are a popular feature at the destination, as is the charming bookstore, which sits to one side of the grand home.
But sauntering through the Gamble House when the moon is high is a rarer thing, and far rarer than that?
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Basking in the first sunbeams of the morning, particularly the light that shines through the iconic abode's east-facing entryway.
It's an ethereal sight that visitors usually don't get to see — the day's first rays setting the much-photographed stained glass aglow — but that will change on Saturday, March 25.
That's when A Sunrise Celebration at the Gamble House, a unique celebration of architecture as fine art," will shimmer.
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Green tea will be served and Japanese shakuhachi (flute) and koto music will provide the serene soundtrack, with "Japanese master musicians" helming the exquisite instruments.
The Gamble House is woven through with numerous Japanese influences and inspirations, and much of the morning event will be spent exploring those beautiful details.
The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, the co-presenter of the celebration, will collaborate on a traditional breakfast that is set to conclude the festivity; guests will dine while seated on the Gamble House's picturesque terrace, the one located at the back of the home.
It's an uplifting and educational way to spend the first Saturday of spring, but booking your $125 admission soon is advised, as "space is limited."
Connecting with the woodsy wonder after-hours happens a bit more often than a sunrise gathering, though that, too, is an infrequent pleasure.
But that particular pleasure is coming back around again, as it delightfully does, during ArtNight Pasadena.
The event, which finds several of the Crown City's cultural gems waiving admission and staying open later, will hold its festive spring outing from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 10.
"Back to the Future" buffs have been known to visit the home during ArtNight Pasadena events, all to enjoy a look at Doc Brown's house, a location seen by moonlight in the 1985 hit film. (Only the Gamble House's exterior may be seen in the movie, it should be noted.)
One further note: The Gamble House bookstore is "temporarily closed due to flooding and water damage," so check the site before you go, whenever you plan to go, if you'd like to do some shopping.
