Pasadena, << pas uh DEE nuh, >> California (pop. 138,699), is an attractive residential city. It is nationally famous as the home of the Rose Bowl, where two top college football teams play during the first week of January. The game is part of the Tournament of Roses, which also includes a colorful parade. Pasadena is at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, overlooking the San Gabriel Valley. It is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.
The California Institute of Technology is in Pasadena. This college manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (see Jet Propulsion Laboratory ). The city’s manufactured products include biomedical instruments. Pasadena is the home of Fuller Theological Seminary and Pacific Oaks College. The city’s cultural facilities include the Norton Simon Museum of Art , the Pacific Asia Museum, and the Pasadena Playhouse. Mount Wilson Observatory is nearby.
The site of Pasadena was once part of the San Gabriel Mission, established by Spanish priests in 1771. In 1873, the land was purchased by the California Colony of Indiana, an organization founded by Thomas B. Elliott of Indianapolis. The original name, “Indiana Colony,” was changed in 1875 to Pasadena, an Indian word meaning valley between the hills. Pasadena was incorporated in 1886 and chartered as a city in 1901. It has a council-manager government.
