Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse opened in 1925. It has five stages, with over 300 performances annually. After a 17- year-vacant period, it re-emerged in 1986. In 1925 a fire curtain was installed to shield audiences, and it is still there. The first photo is dated 1930 and the third was taken during the curtain’s installation.
Mount Lowe Railroad
The Mount Lowe Railroad operated from 1893 to 1938. It had a total elevation gain of 3,100 ft. over 5.7 miles with 127 curves and 18 bridges. Passengers would switch to a 3 ft.-narrow-gauge, incline railway for the last 1/2 mile to the summit and a visit to Echo Mountain Resort. Another engineering marvel was the Circular Bridge, which allowed the train to loop the trail using 6,000 ft. of cable for the round trip. The first photo shows the incline construction in 1892, the second as completed in 1893, and the third on the Circular Bridge on opening day July 4, 1893.
Echo Mountain Resort
The 70-room Echo Mountain Resort opened in 1894, but was destroyed by fire six years later. There are now popular hiking trails that reach the 3,200 ft. summit. Hikers can view abandoned equipment and read interpretive signs along the six-mile-round-trip route. The first photo is dated 1899.
