“Meet the phantoms who haunt its alleys, underground tunnels, corridors, and back rooms. Unexplained mysteries and dirty dealings pepper Pasadena’s past, but we’ll expose them on nighttime wander through the Playhouse Village and Old Pasadena,” says a Pasadena Walking Tours announcement.
Pasadena Walking Tours, a company founded by Pasadena-based historian and museum professional Julia Long in 2017 to provide walking tours around Pasadena for locals and visitors alike, are adding more in-person tours as well as new virtual tours this Halloween season, starting on Wednesday, October 28.
Their trademark Haunted Pasadena tour will have both in-person and virtual offerings starting Wednesday, and Explore Pasadena, which takes you through Pasadena’s historical landmarks, will be an in-person walking tour on Sunday, November 1.
The live Haunted Pasadena tour, on Wednesday and Friday, October 30, and will take you through castles and courtyards, mortuaries and theatres, darkened alleyways, and shuttered shopping malls, allowing you to “discover the sordid side of the City of Roses.”
Haunted Pasadena starts at 5:30 p.m. near the Performer Statue outside of the Stand at 36 S. El Molino Ave. The tour will take 1.5 miles and about 2 hours, and will end at Castle Green, at 99 S. Raymond Ave.
Tickets are $25 for ages 13 and up, and $10 for kids ages 5 to 12. Toddlers 4 and under are free. Parental guidance is advised during the tour due to the nature of the stories told.
To purchase tickets, go to www.pasadenawalkingtours.com/
On Sunday, the other live in-person tour, Explore Pasadena, starts at 10 a.m. outside the Pasadena City Hall at 100 Garfield Ave.
This guided tour will show you how Pasadena evolved from an agricultural citrus-growing community into one of the more famous cities in California, the home of one of the best-known New Year’s Day celebrations, the Tournament of Roses.
Beyond the festivals, flowers, and tree-lined streets, there is much to learn about the Crown City at the base of the foothills, fascinating every day of the year. The tour will take you through Pasadena City Hall, the Robinson Memorial, Memorial Park, Old Pasadena, One Colorado, Central Park, Castle Green, and the Santa Fe Train Depot, and will end at 260 S. Raymond Ave., which is a 20-minute walk back to the starting point.
These live in-person tours are limited to nine people in a group setting. Everyone is expected to follow COVID-19 safety protocols during the tour.
To purchase tickets for Explore Pasadena, go to www.pasadenawalkingtours.com/
On Saturday, October 31, Haunted Pasadena goes virtual on Zoom, starting at 6:30 p.m. You can reserve your spot through www.pasadenawalkingtours.com/
Pasadena Walking Tours can also host live two-hour private tours at $50 per person, with discounts applicable for groups of 6 or more. Group gatherings are limited to nine people per recent countywide guidance.
A virtual private tour can also be hosted for up to 99 computer logins in a single session. The cost is $150, + 2.5% service fee, for the 90-minute virtual experience.
For more information, visit www.pasadenawalkingtours.com.
