Tournament House
8 Aug 2013
A few weeks ago, my friend Mike told me he would take me to a Pasadena landmark for an inside look. It would need to be on a Thursday afternoon. All this mystery had me very intrigued. Would it be the Castle Green? City Hall? Some clandestine spaces inside the Rose Bowl? All of my guesses were wrong! He took me to the gorgeous Wrigley House on Orange Grove Boulevard, also known as the Tournament House, since the Tournament of Roses conducts their business here. The house is sometimes called “the house that gum built,” given the nature of the Wrigley fortune. Mike has written a great post on the history of the house, so I will send you over to his blog for some background info. Eric and I have driven by so many times and never known that we could go inside. So, if you’re local, get on over there on Thursdays between February and August, and you can get a free guided tour.
The house, completed in 1914, is the one of the only ones left standing from what was once Millionaire’s Row, a tight cluster of mansions built by easterners who came to Pasadena for its mild weather. This is the restored living room. None of the furniture is original except for that little bamboo table by the window on the left. This is where Mrs. Wrigley set her coffee while watching the Rose Parade process down the street.
I loved this carved fireplace. It arrived from Italy in eight pieces with no directions. I think they did a good job of putting it together, nonetheless.
The upstairs rooms have been converted into meeting spaces and exhibit rooms. I was a fan of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
I took this picture of the Cal helmet just for Eric. I am nothing if not loyal.
This is the room where the queen and her ladies hold court.
I think this impostor is definitely a pretender to the throne…
The grounds are just as lovely, with rose gardens as far as the eye can see.
I fell in love with this gorgeous fig tree, which Mrs. Wrigley had planted when it was just a sapling. It’s just incredible.
The amazing thing is that the land surrounding the house actually belongs to the city of Pasadena and is open to the public. This would be such a lovely place to come with a Sunday picnic. Definitely putting it on our summer must-do list.
Aug 08, 2013 @ 05:39:06
The professor needs to visit! (I really don’t think she’s an imposter…)
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:33:34
Ha! Well, I am definitely too old! The queen and her court are 16-21, I believe. Ah well, I could be the retired queen!
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:33:54
No wait, the queen emeritus! I like the sound of that better. 😉
Aug 08, 2013 @ 07:24:07
I learned a ton about the Wrigleys when we visited Catalina Island over 4th of July weekend, because they pretty much owned Avalon–so fascinating! We got a tour of their “casino” in Avalon, which has a fancy theatre and ballroom, but no gambling, because it was named after the Italian word for a gathering place.
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:35:59
Oh, how cool! We heard about their Catalina connections at the Tournament House too. We have never been, but we should definitely go sometime. I think the Wrigleys’ home there is now a B&B, but it is supposed to close at the end of this year because the curator is retiring, and there is no one to replace her. These are the kind of things that set my trip-planning mind a-spinning:)
Aug 08, 2013 @ 19:52:06
Wow this is so cool.
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:36:08
Yeah, pretty neat!
Aug 09, 2013 @ 06:08:38
I can’t decide which I like better, you as a queen for the day, or the fig tree. Both are great 🙂
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:36:42
Thank you! There is another fig tree like that one in front of our parish. It is so gorgeous.
Aug 09, 2013 @ 11:51:57
I’m glad you liked the tour, Krug the Queen. This post & my post you linked to here are just introductions to the HQ of the Tournament of Roses. I plan, when I’m not busy or lazy, to write additional installments on this historic house.
Aug 11, 2013 @ 21:40:10
I am looking forward to that! I love your history posts. And I hope you will include the story of the presidential bathroom;)