A One-Day Pasadena Itinerary

Plan the day around the museum’s opening pattern and your route through the city centre.

The museum’s usual hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is $15 general, $12 for seniors, $9 for students age 15 and older, and free for children 14 and under. It also offers free admission every second Sunday.

Hours and admission can change, so check the official site before you go. Free parking is available in the lot on the corner of Los Robles Avenue and Union Street, directly north of the museum.

Spend the morning walking through Old Pasadena, a 22-block National Register Historic District with restored late-19th- and early-20th-century architecture.

Give yourself time to take in the district’s streets and buildings before heading to the museum at 46 North Los Robles Avenue.

If you prefer public transit for part of the day, Pasadena Transit Route 10 runs through Old Pasadena, the Civic Center District, Playhouse Village, South Lake Avenue, Caltech, and Allen Station. Check routes and fares as part of your plans rather than assuming the same service details will always apply.

USC Pacific Asia Museum brings together art and objects from across Asia and the Pacific, making it a natural next stop after Old Pasadena. It is about a 12-minute drive from El Rancho Motel.

The collection spans more than 5,000 years and includes objects from East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and the Pacific Islands and their diasporas. Its permanent collection has grown through donations from collectors and donors in Southern California since 1971. For more about the visit, read this guide to USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena.

Non-flash photography for personal use is allowed in the permanent collection galleries; flash photography is not allowed in any galleries. Accessible parking is available in the adjacent lot, and a limited number of free wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served. The museum also has an accessible gender-neutral restroom with a changing table.

Memorial Park station is about a 0.3-mile walk from the museum. If you are combining the museum with a rail trip, account for that walk when planning your timing.

Use the afternoon for a park visit or another Pasadena landmark, depending on what you want to fit into the day.

Memorial Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It gives the itinerary an outdoor stop after the museum. If you would rather focus on local history, El Molino Viejo and Misión San Gabriel Archángel are landmarks to consider.

Pasadena Playhouse and the First Trust Building and Garage are other landmarks. For a park-focused outing, what to know about visiting Vincent Lugo Park can help you consider another outdoor stop. Pick one additional stop rather than trying to include every landmark in a single day.

Check museum hours and transit arrangements before settling on the order of your stops, especially if your visit falls on a Monday or Tuesday.

Pasadena Transit is a six-route local bus system designed to complement the Metro A Line and Foothill Transit. Route 20 connects South Lake Avenue and Old Pasadena and links to four of Pasadena’s six Metro A Line stations.

Route 51 serves Old Pasadena, the Rose Bowl, and the Arroyo Seco on Saturdays and Sundays. Foothill Transit Line 187 is an express route between Azusa and Pasadena that serves Old Pasadena, USC Pacific Asia Museum, Playhouse Village District, and Pasadena City College.

Pasadena Transit fares are 75 cents for adults, 50 cents for youth in grades K–12 with student ID, and 35 cents for seniors age 60 and older and riders with disabilities. Up to two children age 5 or younger ride free with a fare-paying adult.

The Pasadena Transit app provides official real-time arrival information, and route maps and schedules are available at the Pasadena Visitor Center, 300 E Green St. For a broader look at local routes, see how to get around Pasadena during your stay.

When is USC Pacific Asia Museum open?

Its usual hours are Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., and it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Check the museum’s official site before you go for current details.

Is there a free-admission day at the museum?

USC Pacific Asia Museum offers free admission every second Sunday.

Which Pasadena Transit routes serve Old Pasadena?

Route 10 and Route 20 serve Old Pasadena. Route 51 also serves the district on Saturdays and Sundays.