Pasadena Museum of History

10/08/2026

We have a busy weekend planned and we hope you'll join us for the festivities!

Friday evening (Oct. 9) is ArtNight Pasadena, when we will welcome visitors for a free night of music, art and entertainment along with many of the city's other cultural institutions from 6-10 pm. At PMH we'll be presenting free jazz by Vagabond Muse, entry to our two amazing exhibits, and the Salt N Pepper Food Truck will be in our lot to satisfy your hungries.

On Sunday (Oct 11), we are collaborating with our neighbor, The Gamble House, to present our "Crafting Memories" free day from 11 am to 3 pm. Visit our exhibition galleries, take mini tours of the Fenyes Mansion and Finnish Folk Art Museum, and participate in special activities, including a display of Model A Fords; a race car crafts workshop for kids; and a special event hosted by the USPS to introduce the new commemorative Route 66 stamps. Check out activities at The Gamble House, too. It's a perfect day for family fun.

10/06/2026

Just added to our free "Crafting Memories" Museum Free Day!

Daily Newsmagazine and City Guide to Pasadena, California featuring local news, breaking news, events, weather, sports news, schools news, shopping, restaurants and more from Pasadena Now

09/18/2026

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Pasadena Museum of History. Last week we gathered to acknowledge their important work at our annual “Volunteer Picnic” – sensibly moved indoors to escape the blistering heat. Photos:

Brava! Beth Brooks and Andrea Sossin-Bergman both completed more than 200 hours of volunteer service at PMH in 2025.

Our climate-controlled Archives are a great place to volunteer in all kinds of weather. It’s clear that this group enjoy working together as much as we appreciate their knowledge, skills, and dedication. Here, Susan Stevens (seated) shares insights on PMH’s collection management software with (L to R) Suzanne Ehrmann, Betty Tracy, Andrea Bergman, Elissa DeAngelo.

Our extraordinarily talented decorating crew annually transforms Fényes Mansion to welcome holiday visitors. Here (bottom to top) Clary Kooshian, Cathy Jin, and Sarah Emery Bunn attach ribbons and greenery to the staircase.

An indoor picnic with a picturesque view of the garden was the perfect solution for a fun evening of camaraderie and celebration.

09/09/2026

Pasadena Palette: Redmond Stevens Wright, “Windy Beach,” (1948) oil on canvas

It’s hot - so let’s escape into this refreshing painting!

“Windy beach” was purchased by Eva Fényes’ granddaughter, Leonora Francis Paloheimo, and is generally on view in the Fényes Mansion. It is currently featured in the Museum’s History Center gallery as part of the “Pasadena Palette” exhibition.

Chicago-born Redmond Stephens Wright (1903-1991) was a classically trained American painter whose career bridged Chicago, New York, and Southern California. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University, and in Paris. Upon returning to the U.S., he established himself in NYC before relocating to Pasadena in 1937. Here he became an instructor at the Pasadena Art Institute and taught courses at the San Gabriel Valley Art Center. An outspoken pacifist, Wright gradually withdrew from public prominence following World War II, devoting much of his later life to painting harbor and maritime scenes largely for personal fulfillment.

08/27/2026

Pasadena Palette: Benjamin Chambers Brown, “California Poppies” (circa 1920), oil on canvas

Today we feature one of the gems of the Fényes-Curtin-Paloheimo Collection in celebration of August’s traditional flower, the poppy. Brown’s exquisite “California Poppies” is displayed year ‘round in the Fényes Mansion. For our Pasadena Palette exhibition, we have brought this work into the gallery, offering visitors the opportunity for a closer look at a work that, along with Brown’s other landscapes, helped establish the region’s reputation as a center for plein-air painting.

Brown maintained a long friendship with Eva Fényes, a former student who later became an important art patron. The two painted together and her collection ultimately included over a dozen of his works.

Pasadena Palette is open 12 Noon to 5 PM Thursdays through Sundays. Please visit the museum's website for additional information.

08/25/2026

Read all about it - and then make your reservations today!

Waitresses and motel operators were the visible ones. Cheryl Eichar Jett went looking for the architects, designers, artists and public officials. Jett presents “Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66” at the Pasadena Museum of History on Thursday, August 27, at 7 p.m. The talk draws on her boo...

08/19/2026

August 19 is World Photography Day. This year’s theme is “home” — encouraging photographers to capture personal spaces, memories, cultural roots, and emotional connections.

This photo of Astro Hotel Pasadena signage is one of many familiar – and nostalgic - images on view in our current exhibition “Where History Meets the Road: Celebrating Route 66 & Colorado Boulevard.” Fortunately, this is still a familiar sight to those who live in and travel through Pasadena. The renovated hotel is still in operation and it's original Googie architecture was restored in 2016.

The Route 66/Colorado Boulevard exhibition is open Thursdays through Sundays from 12 Noon to 5 PM through January 24, 2027.

08/12/2026

Step into our Parlor - but hurry!

Only 3 more evening tours of the Fenyes Mansion will be offered this year. Enjoy the elegant mansion as Eva Fenyes' guests would have seen it as they arrived for one of her much sought-after soirees. The waning day's long shadows and softer illumination work their magic on the historic residence’s architectural details, antique furnishings, and important works of art.

The final Twilight Tours for 2026 will be offered at 7:00-8:30 pm this Thursday and Friday, August 13 & 14, and Friday, August 21. Advance tickets ($20 general; $10 members) are required. Please visit the Events Calendar on the Museum's website for ticketing.

08/05/2026

Pasadena Palette: Al Jackson, Portrait of Charles White, oil on canvas; Portrait of Richmond Barthé, oil on canvas; Portrait of Ruby McKnight Williams, oil on canvas

August is Appreciation Month and Black Business Month – a perfect time to spotlight our exhibition “Pasadena Palette: Selections from Pasadena Museum of History’s Collections” and especially the trio of portraits on view by artist Al Jackson.

Al Jackson was commissioned by several organizations to paint over 20 portraits of prominent African Americans from Altadena and Pasadena. They were first exhibited at PMH in 1988; three of these works are displayed in “Pasadena Palette.” Jackson’s works celebrate individuals who contributed significantly to their community through leadership, talent, and pioneering spirit.

Charles White (1918-1979) is recognized as one of the 20th century's most influential African American artists. His powerful drawings, paintings, and prints portray the dignity, struggles, and resilience of Black life in America. White studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and at the Art Students League of New York. He moved to Southern California in 1956, where he and his wife, Elizabeth Catlett, shared a home and studio in the Altadena foothills.

Richmond Barthé (1901-1989), one of the most important African American sculptors of the 20th century, focused on the expressive qualities of the human figure, exploring themes of spirituality, movement, and the cultural life of the African diaspora. He moved to Southern California in the late 1940s, becoming a prominent member of the vibrant community of Altadena artists, writers and intellectuals.

Ruby McKnight Williams (1895-1999) was a community leader and civil rights activist whose work profoundly shaped the social and civic life of Altadena and Pasadena during the 20th century. Denied a teaching job because of her skin color, she became a tireless advocate for civil rights, serving multiple terms as President of the Pasadena NAACP, which continues to honor her through the Ruby McKnight Award, which has been presented to individuals who demonstrate excellence in community service since 1958.

07/09/2026

Join PMH Curator Julia Long this Saturday, July 11, at 10:00 am for a walking tour of Colorado Boulevard in the Playhouse Village as we explore Route 66 and car culture In Pasadena.

Playhouse Village was developed as a commercial district in the 1920s when automobile ownership was rising rapidly across the country. Many of its buildings represent important milestones in car culture, including the first parking garage in the city and a luxury car dealership catering to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This tour will start at 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 (in front of Pasadena Presbyterian Church) and end on Colorado Blvd. & S. Lake Avenue. Spaces are limited and advance reservations are required; for ticketing information visit the Museum website's Event section.

Image: Don Lee Cadillac & La Salle Dealership, 655 E. Green Street, n.d.; Now Jacob Maarse Floral Designs; PMH T8-56.