Is Pasadena Worth A Visit On A Trip To California? (Interesting Things To See In Pasadena)

Planning A Trip To Southern California And Wondering If The Eastern Town Of Pasadena Is Worth A Little Visit?

As the child of a Southern California native and someone who’s visited this state endless times, I’ve had the chance to explore Pasadena and I really enjoyed my time here because it brought to life one of my most favorite TV shows, but there are a few other reasons why you might also find this city worth a visit on your next trip to California.

🌹 Is Pasadena, California Worth A Visit?

Depending on your plans and your interests, this smaller city just east of LA might be worth checking out.

Pasadena isn’t usually at the top of peoples to do list when visiting Southern California since places like Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Orange County get most of the attention, but it might be a city worth taking the time to visit depending on your interests and plans.

✅ Reasons To Visit Pasadena, California

If you love science and TV/movies there are definitely a few things for you to see in Pasadena, plus it might be a good place for you to stay depending on your plans and whether or not you have a car.

The Big Bang Theory (TV series)

The main reason to visit Pasadena for me is because of the tv show the Big Bang Theory.

My entire reason for taking a day to go over and visit Pasadena was because of the tv show, The Big Bang Theory. Although the show is set in Pasadena, I knew none of the show was actually shot here, but a number of locations are mentioned or used as photographs on the show.

I have a full list of Big Bang Theory sites to visit in California here (also with more details on everything listed), but below are a few BBT Pasadena spots:

Big Bang Theory Way (an alleyway dedicated to the show right in the middle of Pasadena)

Caltech (where the guys work)

Richard Feynman’s Grave (the guys fictionally visit his grave)

Pasadena City Hall (the view out of Sheldon and Leonards apartment window)

JPL (where Howard “works”)

Brookmore Apartments (although the Big Bang Theory apartment address isn’t a real place in Pasadena, the Brookmore apartments are thought to be the inspiration for the show)

Lucky Baldwins (mentioned a number of times on the show)

Science Sites

Pasadena is worth a visit for any fans of Science since it is the home of Caltech.

I didn’t like science much when I was in school, but lately I’ve been hyper focused on it and reading all about it, the history of it, and specific scientists (I think my love for the TV show The Big Bang Theory helped with that).

Caltech (California Institute of Technology) is located right here in Pasadena and it’s one of the world’s best science institutes, so it’s a must see for science nerds. Some of the most famous scientists to have taught here include Robert Oppenheimer, Richard Feynman, and Kip Thorne, also with visiting professors like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein.

JPL is an interesting site to see if you're able to get a tour.

NASA’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) is also located right here in Pasadena, although it’s a pretty locked down kind of place. I wanted to visit because of my BBT love (Howard “worked” here) but I just showed up hoping to get a glance (which the guards did allow me to do), not knowing that you can actually sign up for tours (which I’d love to do next time I visit).

Filming Locations

The Big Bang Theory isn't the only filming location here, the Father of the Bride house is also located here.

With its close proximity to Los Angeles and Hollywood, plus its slightly less chaotic streets and cute neighborhood feel, Pasadena has been used a number of times for TV and movie on location filming.

Most notable TV/movies filmed (or partially filmed) in Pasadena:

Father of the Bride (pictured above)
Mad Men
Back to the Future
Yes Man
La La Land
Parks & Recreation
The Big Bang Theory

Historic Site/Event

One of Pasadena’s biggest and most famous sites/events is the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade. As one of college footballs most famous bowl games that started in 1902, the Rose Bowl is a big draw for tourism on New Years Day (or the day after depending on the day of week the 1st falls on).

The Rose Parade is even older than the Rose Bowl, and had its first event well over a century ago in 1890. Of course going to the parade or a football game here would be best, it’s still an interesting site to stop by and see anytime.

A Few Other Reasons To Visit Pasadena

If you’re still trying to decide where to stay on you’re LA or Southern California trip and you have a car, you might want to consider staying in Pasadena because:

it can be a little cheaper than beachside, LA, Hollywood, or Orange County locations
it’s a little less hectic and more neighborhoody compared to LA
it can be easier to access certain sites like Universal Studios or the Warner Bros Studio (less traffic to go through since you’re above LA)

❌ Why You Might Not Want To Visit Pasadena

Traffic sucks no matter where you are in Southern California, so if you choose to do day trips, you might spend a lot of time in the car.

While Pasadena might be worth the visit for some, if you don’t have any interest in the science, film, or other sites this city has to offer, it won’t be worth wasting your time on, plus there are a few other reasons you might not want to visit or stay in this area anyway:

my number one reason for not staying in Pasadena is because it is one of the furthest cities/towns in the area from the beach (LA beaches and especially Orange County beaches)

if you don’t have a car while visiting Southern California, Pasadena won’t be the easiest or cheapest place to get to (especially using Uber)

there really aren’t any tours available in Pasadena (the only I could find was this ghost tour), which also means there aren’t tours to take you from Pasadena to other sites around Southern California

Pasadena isn’t conveniently located for typical LA/Hollywood sites (no walking from Pasadena to LA and public transportation isn’t the quickest or greatest)

despite being right next door to the coast, the weather in Pasadena can differ quite a bit from other Southern California locations (quite a bit hotter and drier, especially in the summer)

⏱ How Long Do You Need To Visit Pasadena, California?

Pasadena is worth a visit on its own, but it can also be a good place to stay for a trip to Los Angeles.

If you do choose to visit Pasadena, I think one day is plenty to go on a JPL tour, see the Rose Bowl, and check out some of the filming sites.

If you’re interested in staying in Pasadena for the entirety of your Southern California trip, I would really only recommend this option if you have your car or are renting one.

🔁 Sum Up: Is Pasadena, California Worth A Visit?

While I don’t recommend taking too much time out of your Southern California trip to visit Pasadena, this smaller city just east of Los Angeles might be worth it if you have certain interests (like the Rose Bowl, JPL, Caltech, the Big Bang Theory, etc.), if you want a little less hectic and maybe cheaper of a place compared to LA, or if you want easier access to certain sites (like Universal Studios, Warner Bros Studio, Griffith Park, etc.).