A 1907 estate that has never been open to the public will host its first visitors tonight at 6:30 p.m. as the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts launches its 61st season with a sold-out “Empty House” kickoff party.
The Baldwin Oaks Estate in Arcadia was once the home of Clara Baldwin Stocker, the eldest daughter of Arcadia founder Elias “Lucky” Baldwin. Known as “The Diamond Princess” for her love of jewels and extravagant spending, Stocker made the shingle-style home famous for lavish parties that drew celebrities, athletes, and society figures—some lasting several days, according to organization materials. Tonight’s Empty House Party, themed as a tribute to Stocker, offers a fitting historical echo.
After designers transform its 30 interior and landscape spaces over the coming months, the estate opens for public tours April 19 through May 17. More than 30,000 guests are expected, with proceeds supporting music programs that have contributed more than $27 million to San Gabriel Valley arts education, according to the organization.
For those who missed tonight’s sold-out event, timed entry tickets go on sale in early February.
The property, built during the American Arts and Crafts movement, features cedar shingles, a roofline with multiple intersecting gables, a wraparound porch, and local stonework. The organization says it marks the fourth time the Showcase House has been held in Arcadia. The last Arcadia showing, in 2020, was not opened to the public due to COVID-19.
“We received such a gracious response from the city as well as our neighbors,” said Dotty Ewing, president of Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. “We are looking forward to a banner year.”
Tonight’s event features food from Fish King, Porto’s Bakery, and other vendors, along with signature cocktails named for Clara and Lucky Baldwin, curated wines from Riboli Family Wines, and live music from the Tyler Cash Trio. Dunn-Edwards Paints is the legacy sponsor.
A raffle for a six-day, five-night luxury vacation in Iceland is also part of the evening, with 200 tickets available at $100 each.
The all-volunteer organization, founded in 1948 as the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee, has supported music education through programs including Music Mobile, which introduces approximately 2,000 third-graders annually in the San Gabriel Valley to symphonic instruments, and the Youth Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall, which has hosted nearly 260,000 fourth-graders since 1953.
Clara Baldwin Stocker lived from 1847 to 1929, inheriting half her father’s fortune when Lucky Baldwin died in 1909. Her father, a pioneer businessman who made his wealth in Nevada’s Comstock Lode silver mines, purchased what became the foundation for Arcadia in 1875 and is credited with the city’s development.
“To date we have been able to contribute more than $27 million to our community for these programs,” Ewing said. “We are all very excited about continuing our community outreach.”
Lucky Baldwin once told a reporter he didn’t like his nickname—he’d worked hard for everything he earned. His daughter earned a nickname, too, and a reputation for hospitality that outlasted her by nearly a century. Tonight, guests will walk the same halls. You can, too, when the resplendent, fully-recedorated home opens for viewing,
For tickets and more information, call 626-578-8500 or visit pasadenashowcase.org.
