A Visit to the Gamble House in Pasadena
To me, there’s nothing better than exploring an unfamiliar part of town and appreciating the architecture. That’s why I decided to spend the day in Pasadena, a city in Los Angeles that I tend to ignore.
Pasadena is very out of the way from where I live and traffic in LA is hell. However, each time that I have visited, I’ve fully enjoyed my time there and wish I could stay a little longer. They have good food, plenty of shopping centers, parks galore, and old architecture (all of which are my fav!).
My friend Jenny and I made our way into this underappreciated part of town to take a tour of The Gamble House (pictured below), a large Craftsman home.
The Gamble House, in Pasadena, California
Before I delve into the tour, let me share with you some quick facts about the home:
It was commissioned in 1908 by David and Mary Gamble
David’s family owned Proctor & Gamble; needless to say, they were wealthy af
The family was from Cincinnati, Ohio and their Pasadena home was their winter residence
The Gamble home is featured in Back to the Future
First and foremost, I was taken aback by how green and expansive the home and the grounds are. In Southern California, and especially in Los Angeles, having yard space is a luxury. The Gamble house has a front yard, back yard, and more.
Gift shop at The Gamble House
Before starting the tour, we had to visit the gift shop to check in There, we were given a wrist band and instructed to wait on the porch for our docent. Our vaccination cards were also checked.
Jenny and I arrived a few minutes early and gladly walked around the well-curated store. It had several books on architecture, California, and more. They also had various cottagecore inspired gifts (as seen above).
As we still had time before our tour, Jenny and I explored the gardens. I have to say that they were beyond gorgeous and peaceful. I can only dream to have a backyard like this one day.
After waiting for 25 minutes, it was then time for our tour to begin. We were first given some ground rules. This included no touching anything inside of the house, making sure to step carefully on the vintage rugs, and no flash photography.
The Gamble’s dining room
The tour was about an hour and leads you around various parts of the home. Our docent explained the history (including the quick facts I wrote above) as well as the architectural inspiration. The house was designed by famed architects Greene & Greene, a brother duo that is known for infusing Craftsman homes with Japanese elements.
This bedroom belonged to aunt Julia from the Gamble family.
Besides the dining room, we were also shown the kitchen, a few bathrooms, bedrooms, the attic, and a balcony. The bedroom pictured above is my favorite and belonged to aunt Julia. She was known to be very short and iconic in her own way. The docent also noted that there have been Julia ghost sightings around the home 👻.
After our tour ended, Jenny and I took a walk in the surrounding neighborhood. All of the houses were large and had even larger yards. Overall, I was mesmerized by the beauty and had a great time in Pasadena. We headed back home after this; exploring can sometimes be exhausting work.
How to visit The Gamble House:
The Gamble House is located at 4 Westmoreland Pl, Pasadena, CA 91103
Various tours are offered throughout the week at different times; Jenny and I went with the one-hour docent-guided tour at 2:15 pm (the last tour of the day)
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here
As mentioned earlier, you must check in at the gift shop first and bring in proof of vaccination
Parking is free and plentiful
