Last chance for tours of Tournament House

PASADENA - Free tours of Tournament House, part of the operating headquarters of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, which oversees the annual Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, will conclude for the year at the end of this month.The last tours of 2013 will be offered, at no cost, on Aug. 22 and 29, at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Reservations are not required except for groups of 15 or more. Located at 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd., the house was once the home of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. and his wife, Ada. After Ada's death in 1958, the Wrigley family gifted the property to the city of Pasadena, with the request that it become the base of operations for the Tournament of Roses Association. The Wrigley family had long enjoyed the Rose Parade as it unfolded just beyond their front yard. Guided tours allow visitors to see the 21-room Italian Renaissance-style mansion designed and built by architect G. Lawrence Stimson and his father, George W. Stimon. Tournament volunteers from its Heritage Committee, well-versed in the organization's history as well as in the details of the house itself, conduct the tours. The interior of the house features richly paneled rooms, inlaid marble floor and an ornate molded plaster ceiling - a design element that Stimson would later become famous for. Displays related to Rose Bowl games, Rose Queens and Royal Courts, grand marshals and Tournament presidents are part of the decor. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the house, which was completed and sold to Wrigley in 1914, as well as the upcoming 100th Rose Bowl game and 125th Rose Parade, some unique historic artifacts are spotlighted. After the final house tour of 2013, the items will move to the Pasadena Convention Center, where they will be on view in the lobby of the Conference Building beginning Sept. 6. Groups of 15 of more may call (626) 449-4100 for reservations.

********** Published: Aug. 15, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 18