Date/Time
Date(s) - 05/31/2026
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location
See Event's description for location
Category(ies)
Gamble House is one of five Arroyo Seco Museums free on Sunday (Photo – MOTA)
Five museums along the famed Arroyo Seco open their doors on Sunday, May 31, from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm for the annual free day of art, architecture, history and community. Family Friendly activities. Self-guided tours. Plenty of photo opps!
Celebrating a diverse mix of art, architecture and history of the Arroyo Seco area, MOTA Day annually features five unique history-based museums that preserve and perpetuate early Los Angeles life. The public can visit the museums of their choice during the day at no charge.
MOTA museum participants for 2026 include The Gamble House, Heritage Square Museum, the Los Angeles Police Museum, Lummis Home and Pasadena Museum of History.
Each museum features a special treat for visitors on Sunday:
The Gamble House, built in 1908 by architects Greene & Greene as the Pasadena winter home of the Gamble family of Procter and Gamble, is now a National Historic Landmark and an exceptional example of Craftsman architecture. (@4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena.)
>Games for all ages will be available on the lawn, as well as a special pinwheel art installation by Jerolyn Crute Sackman. Celebrate Route 66’s 100th year all day.
Heritage Square (Highland Park) features nine historic homes and transports guests back in time to an era when electricity was a novelty, a trip to the beach was often a full-weekend activity, and manners were distinctly different from those of today. (@3510 Pasadena Ave, Los Angeles)
>Blacksmithing demonstrations will be ongoing all afternoon, along with arts and crafts for the whole family. Picnics encouraged on the lawns.
Los Angeles Police Museum (originally the Highland Park Police station), the building was salvaged and restored to its original Renaissance Revival style and is a registered National Historic landmark. (@6045 York Blvd., Los Angeles)
>Visitors can explore the Onion Field Murders, create a fun mug shot in the booking area, and enjoy craft tables for kids.
The Lummis Home, named El Alisal, was built from 1897 to 1910 by Charles F. Lummis as an architectural homage to the history of the Southwest. This home is completely hand-built, and all of the walls are made of river stone from the nearby Arroyo Seco, and its construction marked the beginning of the Arts & Crafts movement in southern California. (@200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles)
>Bring a picnic, and enjoy a scavenger hunt, guiding you to hidden gems and historical treasures around the home and grounds.
Pasadena Museum of History is on a two-acre estate, originally the home of Museum benefactors Eva Scott Fenyes and her husband, Dr. Adalbert Fenyes. Today, the campus includes the History Center, the Finnish Folk Art Museum, and the landmark 1906 Beaux Arts Fenyes Mansion. (@470 West Walnut St., Pasadena)
>Kids of all ages can join Art 2 Go’s craft workshop to create a wooden medallion with nature designs & all visitors can enjoy the full galleries on display, featuring 50 different art works previously hidden in the collection, now on display.
Take advantage of one or several of the free cultural institutions ready to welcome you this Sunday!
Note: there is no shuttle bus operating for MOTA day.
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