Best of Pasadena 2024: Top Spots to Play

Ice House Comedy Club

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This 60-plus-year-old comedy club has hosted plenty of laugh-out-loud acts, including legendary comics Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jim Carrey, Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal and Steve Martin. icehousecomedy.com

Rose Bowl Stadium

Nicknamed “America’s Stadium,” this National Historic Landmark is the site of the Rose Bowl Game and has been the home of UCLA football since 1982. Throughout the year, the stadium hosts public tours, food festivals, concerts, and a monthly flea market. rosebowlstadium.com

Pasadena Playhouse

The official State Theatre of California has welcomed thousands of original productions since its founding in 1917, including works by Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill and Suzan-Lori Parks. In 2023, the Playhouse received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater. pasadenaplayhouse.org

Boston Court

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Founded in 2003, this innovative, boundary-pushing theater produces more than 100 exciting performances each season, including an Emerging Artists Series and a New Play Reading Festival. bostoncourtpasadena.org

Lineage Performing Arts Center

This nonprofit hosts a variety of dance and theatrical productions, as well as performing arts-based classes for kids and adults. To promote accessibility, the center’s For Joy program offers a series of free acting, dance, and voice classes for people with neurological challenges such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's and dementia. lineagepac.org

Landmark Pasadena Playhouse

Thanks to a remodel in late 2022, this seven-screen movie theater is a prime date night spot or weekend hangout, with plush reclining seats, a well-stocked concession stand, and a lobby lounge with a full-service bar and signature cocktail menu. landmarktheatres.com

Pasadena Civic Auditorium

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The center of Pasadena’s cultural life since its opening in 1932, this performance hall has hosted several community events including the Rose Queen ceremonies, graduations, and television programs including American Idol , So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent . thepasadenacivic.com

Ambassador Auditorium

Called the “Carnegie Hall of the West” because of its top-tier acoustics, this auditorium is the resident home of the Pasadena Symphony and has hosted performances by the Colburn School, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra. afpasadena.org

Montrose Bowl

The retro bowling alley, founded in 1936, is one of oldest in the area and still offers a striking good time with eight lanes, several event and entertainment spaces, and an on-site vegan restaurant, Never Caged. montrosebowl.com