Pasadena Marks 139th Birthday with Celebration at Historic Museum

Pasadena Museum of History Executive Director Jeannette O’Malley and Pasadena Museum of History President of the Executive Committee Joan Branin during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Teruka Ohkagawa, Vicki Laidig, Sandi Mejia, Julie Gutierrez at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Party goers at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

A party goer at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Felicia Williams and Emina Darakjy at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Conrad Henning and Jane Smith during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Attendees enjoy the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Erika Guzman, Itzehl Mihara, Kirk Mihara at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Partygoers during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Hadiyah Carter and Jeremiah Cathcart at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Vibiana Aparacio-Chamberlin and Sandi Mejia during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Jocelyn and Guillermo Sainz with Odi at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Attendees during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Part goer at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Henry Catellanos, Lupita Castellanos, Julia Castellanos, Nicholas Castellanos at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

The Jazz Expedition at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

The Jazz Expedition during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Attendees at the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Kendall Klein, Ivonne Quintanilla, Monica Malton during the Happy Birthday Pasadena celebration on June 29, 2025. [Paul Takizawa / Pasadena Now]

Pasadena celebrated its 139th birthday Sunday with a vibrant event at the Pasadena Museum of History, honoring more than a century of civic evolution and community pride.

“It’s important to mark our milestones as a community, as residents, and as a municipality,” said Mayor Victor Gordo, who moved to Pasadena from Zacatecas, Mexico, as a young boy.

Gordo recalled how his early exposure to civic life began as a high school paperboy. “Every day I read the newspaper. That’s how I got interested in history and civic involvement,” he said.

Museum representatives, including Daniel Nevarez, provided historical insights about the city. As Nevarez explained, Pasadena was officially incorporated in 1886, with roots dating back to the 1870s when the Indiana Colony settled the area.

“The Tongva, or Gabrielino, were here long before that,” Nevarez noted, referencing the original Indigenous inhabitants of the region. Pasadena gained popularity in the late 19th century as a winter resort, attracting affluent visitors who built homes along what became known as “Millionaires’ Row.”

The museum, founded as the Pasadena Historical Society in 1924, now resides in the Fényes Estate, a historic mansion that was once a four-acre property. “We’re on two acres of what was a much larger estate,” Nevarez said, highlighting the legacy of four generations connected to the museum.

This year’s celebration coincided with a major exhibition, “100 Years, 100 Images,” produced with the Pasadena Society of Artists. The exhibit features historical and contemporary artworks, showcasing the region’s artistic heritage.

“The Plein Air painters and California Impressionists were drawn here for the light,” Nevarez explained. “It’s all about the light. The way the sun shines on these landscapes really produces rich color.”

Sunday’s birthday celebration captured both the city’s layered history and its vibrant present, from civic leaders’ reflections to local artists’ brushstrokes.