Discover a stretch of California culture and history with a trip down the Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway. Connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena, the byway extends through Arroyo Seco's Arts and Crafts landscape. Take a drive on the byway and enjoy the area's natural and man-made environment as it forms a seamless cultural landscape, which continues to inspire new generations of artists, musicians, writers, architects, and craftsmen. Conceived in the parkway tradition, with its gentle curves, lush landscaping and scenic vistas, the byway incorporates the modern elements that laid the groundwork for the California freeway system.
The first section of the byway will take you through Chinatown and Elysian Park, the oldest public park in Los Angeles and home to Dodger Stadium. You will then enter its most historic and scenic stretch. The Lummis House, Heritage Square and the Southwest Museum are visible from a high hill overlooking the byway. Take a few moments to tour the Lummis House, an architectural masterpiece built around the turn of the 20th century on the west bank of the Arroyo Seco. If you have a few hours to spare, stop at the Audubon Nature Center at Debs Park, famed for its birding and hiking opportunities.
You will continue to wind through a chain of small parks dotting the Highland Park neighborhood. Craftsman-era bungalows are seen alongside the Parkway in this stretch. The byway opens to the north with spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Traveling eastward, you will climb out of the Arroyo via "the Cut." A landscape sign announcing "South Pasadena" dates from the road's opening in 1940 and marks the gateway into this icon of small- town America. The Fair Oaks off-ramp leads directly into downtown South Pasadena with its quaint shops and restaurants. Stroll down Mission Street and Meridian Avenue, which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and bask in the rich heritage preserved in the city's business district or entire neighborhoods built in the Craftsman, Revival, or Art Deco styles. Stop in Glendale at the Glendale Galleria, a shopping mall with three levels of shops and restaurants.
Figueroa Tunnels and Los Angeles Skyline on the Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway (CA) [4]
The byway swings around Raymond Hill, and from this point north it becomes Arroyo Boulevard, a local street. Arroyo Boulevard and the byway end on Colorado Boulevard in the heart of historic Old Town Pasadena, famed for its restaurants, boutiques and swinging street scene. Often dubbed "the real downtown," Old Pasadena still bears the classic look and atmosphere that it fostered over seventy years ago.
An unusual byway of both urban activity and quiet parks, cultural significance and modern convenience, the Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway continues to inspire travelers and residents alike.
Gardens Galore on the Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway
Arroyo Seco Parkway Scenic Byway Overview
Arroyo Seco Hikes: Escaping the Urban Landscape
All Natural: The Arts and Crafts Movement