Pasadena | Los Angeles Conservancy
South Raymond Avenue, Adrian Scott Fine/L.A. Conservancy

Pasadena has many protections in place for its historic resources. The city became a Certified Local Government in 1986, indicating its strong commitment to a professionalized preservation program.

Pasadena has a strong historic preservation ordinance and has designated over 100 local landmarks and several historic districts.

The city does not require owner consent to designate landmarks. In addition to designated landmarks, the city extends preservation protections and review to local resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Incentives include the popular Mills Acts property tax abatement program, as well as parking requirement waivers and variances for historic resources aimed at facilitating their adaptive reuse.

Pasadena has created several context statements and related surveys for various areas and building types throughout the city.

The scoring details for this community appear below. To see scores for all communities, compare specific communities and categories, and learn more about the Report Card, visit our Report Card microsite.

Category (points available)
Score
Total Score (out of a possible 245, plus Extra Credit): 
240
Historic Preservation Ordinance (150) / Honorary Ordinance (10): 
150
Dedicated Historic Preservation Commission (5): 
5
Dedicated Preservation Staff (15): 
15
Ability to Designate Historic Districts (15): 
15
Owner Consent Not Required for Designation (10): 
10
Active Landmark Designation (at least annually) (5): 
5
Survey of Historic Resources: Citywide (15) / Partial (10): 
10
Survey Updated Within Past 5 Years (5): 
5
Mills Act Incentive Program (10): 
10
Additional Incentives (5): 
5
Certified Local Government (5): 
5
Historic Preservation Element or Plan (5): 
5
Extra Credit (1-25): 
0

If you'd like to get involved in preservation in Pasadena, we suggest the following resources:

City Representative

Leon White
Principal Planner
lwhite@cityofpasadena.net
(626) 744-7346

Local Group

Pasadena Heritage

Visit their website to learn more about their work and find direct contact information.

If any of this information is out of date, or to suggest additional ways to get involved, please contact us at info@laconservancy.org or (213) 623-2489.

Most of the following resources are specific to Pasadena. For general resources related to local preservation and our Preservation Report Card, please visit our Report Card microsite.

Historic Preservation Ordinance

Landmark Designation Process

Mills Act Application Process

Historic Resources Surveys

Design Guidelines

Guide to CEQA (Conservancy website)

If any of these links are broken or incorrect, or if you would like to suggest other resources for preservation in Pasadena, please let us know by emailing info@laconservancy.org.

Featured Location(s)

Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

Airform "Bubble House"

Met with mixed reviews upon its construction but since lauded by scholars and critics alike, this dome-shaped dwelling was considered by architect Wallace Neff to be the perfect solution to the mid-twentieth century global housing crisis.
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

Ambassador College

A wide array of diverse architectural styles dating from 1905 to the 1970s, all the buildings make sense together thanks to a cohesive master plan and strong landscape design.
Photo courtesy Architectural Resources Group

ArtCenter College of Design

Often described as designer Craig Ellwood's swansong, the ArtCenter bridge, an economical solution to the school's hilly canyon site, was one of the final commissions for his firm.
Photo by Nevin on Flickr

Beckman Auditorium, Caltech

A stunning juxtaposition of historic forms and modern materials come together to provide Caltech students with a modern interpretation of a Roman temple.
Photo by Linda Dishman/L.A. Conservancy

The Stuart Building

With elegant screening, reflecting pools and fountains, and other details, this building demonstrated that industrial architecture could be attractive and appealing, as well as cost-effective.
Photo by Michael Locke

Pasadena Police Department

For the Police Department, located directly across from City Hall, Stern was told to create something that expressed the formidable quality of law while also inviting people into the building.
Photo by Michael Locke

Pasadena Presbyterian Church

Best viewed from the back, where Pasadena's first church features a tall, vertical stained-glass window and soaring half-arch shooting skyward.
Pasadena Public Library, Lamanda Park Branch
Photo by Tom Davies

Pasadena Public Library, Lamanda Park Branch

Set well back from the street, this rare Brutalist building is nestled among green lawns and mature trees, softening its severe lines and gracefully integrating it into the neighborhood.
Photo by Michael Locke

Norton Simon Museum

Inspired by Pasadena's Craftsman residences, its Beaux Arts City Hall, and Streamline Moderne and Late Moderne commercial buildings, the museum was designed to blend into and reference its urban surroundings.
Photo by Ross Berteig on Flickr

Pasadena City Hall

This Beaux Arts civic building is designed around a central courtyard with a cast-stone Baroque-style fountain.