Sweet: “Museums of the Arroyo Day” is marking 35 years in 2025.
What to Know
- “Museums of the Arroyo Day”
- Sunday, May 4 from noon to 4 p.m.
- Free admission
- The Pasadena Museum of History, Heritage Square Museum, and four other regional favorites will waive admission
- Hop a free shuttle and enjoy the ride to each location
- Special events and pop-ups are on the schedule
- Choosing three museums to focus on is the recommendation
If you’ve toodled along the iconic Arroyo Parkway, you’ve passed some enticing and mysterious buildings, the sorts of structures that speak of history, culture, and another era.
The Victorian homes of Heritage Square Museum are among these colorful and curious landmarks, and the stone wonder that is the Lummis Home.
But come early May, you have the opportunity to get to know these gorgeous spots in an in-depth way, and a few other landmarks that happen to be near the Arroyo Seco, thanks to a decades-old tradition.
It’s “Museums of the Arroyo Day,” a free-to-all event that spotlights six august and eye-catching locations that are just steps from the iconic arroyo.
The happening, which will flower May 4, includes the following scenic spots: Heritage Square Museum, Lummis Home, Los Angeles Police Museum, the South Pasadena Historical Museum, the Gamble House, and the Pasadena Museum of History.
Some spots, like the South Pasadena Historical Museum, always offer complimentary entry, while others usually require admission.
Good to know? Organizers recommend focusing on three places to visit in order to maximize your enjoyment.
Also a tradition at this charming to-do? Free shuttles will be standing by to whisk you up and down the arroyo, as walking between most of the museums is not possible (the Gamble House and the Pasadena Museum of History are across-the-street neighbors, or nearly).
Craft pop-ups, musical moments, and other details that delight have long played a role at MOTA Day, which is the catchy shorthand for the popular happening.
Are you ready to MOTA-it-up for the first time or the 35th this May 4?
Here’s more on what you need to know to savor the four-hour festivity, a celebration of art, culture, community, and the ever-awesome Arroyo Seco.
