Pasadena Tutors

About Pasadena

Famous for parades and football games, Pasadena, California, located just west of the San Gabriel Mountains, is one of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County. Originally part of the Mexican land grant Rancho del Rincon de San Pascual, much of the land which would become Pasadena was purchased by Benjamin Wilson, formally known as Don Benito to the Native Americans of the area. Wilson came to California in the 1840’s and originally settled on Rancho Jurupa in what is now Riverside County. In the 1850’s he partnered with John S. Griffin to buy Rancho San Pascual and promptly diverted water from the Arroyo Seco via an aqueduct given the name “Wilson’s Ditch” to his ranch and vineyards. Wilson served as the second mayor of Los Angeles and three terms in the California State Senate. Today, nearby Mt. Wilson, home of the famous observatory, bears his name. He is also remembered as the grandfather of U.S. Army General George S. Patton who made his name as a tank commander in Europe during World War II. In the late 1800’s Pasadena became a stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bringing vacationing easterners west to winter in the warm Southern California climate. Inevitably, a real estate boom led to the rapid growth of Pasadena and the building of several iconic structures in the American Craftsman style such as Gamble House and Hotel Green. After World War II Pasadena became a center for America’s high tech boom with the presence of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology.

It’s certain that a Pasadena tutor will keep you ahead of the academic curve so you can take time away from the books to enjoy the exciting things to do in the local area. Residents and visitors alike look forward to New Year’s Day and Pasadena’s annual Tournament of Roses Parade. Begun in 1890 to show off California’s paradise like weather, the parade features local luminaries, marching bands and colorful floats. Each float requires, on average, about 100,000 flowers to complete. The parade travels down Colorado Boulevard and is viewed by approximately one million people who line the streets with millions more across the nation watching on television. The parade is followed in the afternoon by college football’s Rose Bowl game pitting a west coast team against a Midwestern or Eastern school.

Pasadena is home to some of the best art galleries in the United States. Founded as the Pasadena Art Institute in 1922, the Norton Simon Museum is home to one of the world’s most renowned collections of art from all over the world with an emphasis on European painting and Asian sculpture. The museum boasts over 12,000 objects including paintings by Rembrandt, Renoir, Raphael and Picasso as well as sculptures by Rodin and Henry Moore.

For the younger set, the Kidspace Children’s Museum offers interactive arts and science displays including the Arroyo Adventure with exhibits such as the Hawk’s Nest and the Pepper Tree Music Jam. The museum also features a Greenhouse, Imagination Workshop and the Galvin Physics Forest which is highlighted by 12 hands-on activities encouraging children to explore scientific principles. The museum website claims its mission is “to nurture the potential of all children through kid-driven experiences, inspiring them to become joyful, active learners.”