913 Meridian Avenue, South Pasadena
info@sppreservation.org
Take a step back in time when you visit this charming museum that tells the story of South Pasadena, the 6th city to be incorporated in Los Angeles County. Located in the heart of the Mission West National Register Historic District, the museum building was erected circa 1887 originally serving as a grocery store. During its 138-year life, it has also been home to a ticket office, telegraph station, bicycle shop, chapel, a Japanese language school and an ironworks.
The museum we know today began in the mid-1980s when the newly named South Pasadena Preservation Foundation met with the City Council to propose purchasing the building and dedicating it as a local history museum. The City loved the idea of creating a permanent central home for the various historical collections that were otherwise spread all over town and so this little gem of a museum was born. The Preservation Foundation has served the community continuously since then, curating and staffing it with knowledgeable volunteers, always willing to share little known facts about the small town’s fascinating people and places.
Visitors will see exhibits relating to the native Tongva people, the Indiana Colony, a vintage kitchen and general store, the Cawston Ostrich Farm, the Raymond Hotel (versions 1 and 2), and the fabled Route 66 which winds its way through town. Discover South Pasadena and discover the power of preservation!
2025 MOTA DAY ACTIVITIES:
- The first floor of the museum will be open to visitors and staffed by docents
- Books on South Pasadena history by local authors Glen Duncan, Rick Thomas and more will be on display
- Spread a picnic blanket on the grass of the pocket park adjacent to the museum and enjoy a lovely spring day outdoors
- Go on a scavenger hunt through the Mission West National Register Historic District
- Pretend you’re a Jazz Age DJ and try out our hand-cranked Edison record player
- And so much more!!!
More information on the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation and the South Pasadena Historical Museum