I met up with twenty Thursday Club members and their friends at the Rose Bowl for a private tour of the historic stadium.
Rose Bowl Tour Sales and Operations Coordinator, Kayla Kilpatrick welcomed the group and escorted us to the entrance of one of the tunnels leading into the stadium. Flat screen televisions displayed a short film about the history of the Greek and Roman stadium designed by Myron Hunt.
Built on the Pasadena landfill, the stadium was horseshoe shaped, sat 57,000 football fans, and cost $272,000 to build.
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The first football game was played on Jan. 1, 1922. Every year after, the Rose Bowl game has been played on this field, except in 1942, after the Pearl Harbor attack. Officials thought it would be better to move the Rose Bowl game to Duke University that year.
We took an elevator up to the new and renovated $181 million dollar Pavilion. The 1961 Wooden press box were changed to three levels of premium seating, a posh loge lounge and new press boxes on either side.
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Each box holds 16 fans that are fed by Bristol Farms catering.
Sitting in the swivel chairs in a Premium box, we all admired the views of the field and stadium seats that hold up to 88,005 fans.
Excitedly, the ladies were led down onto the stadium field. We learned that the grass is cultivated in Palm Springs and is re-sod once a year, after the UCLA season and before the Rose Bowl game.
Some Thursday Club members were disappointed that they didn’t get to see the newer UCLA locker rooms. Since the Rose Bowl staff was getting the stadium ready for the UCLA vs. Washington game, the new locker room was off-limits.
We did get to see the original 1920s locker room. Old bottles and tiles are displayed that were found in the landfill during the construction of the stadium. We took photos of the old lockers, turnstile, and posters of various games displayed throughout the room.
Guided public tours are available Thursday – Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Each tour is about an hour and a half in length. Group tours are for 20 or more guests and must be booked one week in advance. To reserve a tour, call (626) 275-2714.
The La Canada Thursday Club is looking for new members. If you would like to join the Contemporary Interest members in various outings around town, call Patti Wickersham (818)790-6475.
