Pasadena Museum of History

Pasadena Museum of History is the only museum and research library dedicated solely to preserving and sharing the history, art, and culture of Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley.  The Library and Archives collection includes almost one million historic photographs, manuscripts, books, maps, architectural artifacts, and ephemera.  The Museum’s extensive artifact collection includes textiles, ceramics, furnishings, and other three-dimensional materials, while its top-notch art collection includes paintings from well-known plein air painters such as Benjamin Chambers Brown, Richard E. Miller, and Carl Oscar Borg.  Spanning the years 1834 to the present, this is the largest and most comprehensive collection relating to the history of the west San Gabriel Valley.

Changing exhibits in the History Center Galleries cover a wide range of topics related to the history and experiences of Southern California’s west San Gabriel Valley. Fenyes Mansion tours offer visitors the opportunity to tour the home of a prominent Pasadena family, as it was lived in 100 years ago.

The Museum’s public programming reaches out to adults and children alike.  In addition to exhibits and tours, lectures, seminars, and workshops are offered on various aspects of local architecture, fine art, literature, science, social issues, personal histories, and achievements.  School tours, including the award-winning Junior Docent and My Masterpiece programs, are offered to over 3,000 students from PUSD and other local schools.