The 2026 Pasadena showcase House of Design where history meets innovation is a phenomenal way to enjoy home history and design while supporting the Arts. Its commitment to support the community through local music programs, music therapy, concerts and continuing support of the LA Philharmonic is exceptional. Founded in 1948 it is in its 78th year of support for Pasadena. They welcome more than 30,000 visitors a year. The design elements are amazing with each room designed by different interior designers. They are a well organized tour with vendors and dining on site. This is a great way spend time with friends and support a fabulous cause. read more

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It's been quite a few years since I last visited Pasadena Showcase House of Design. This is an annual fundraiser for the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, a volunteer organization which supports various youth music programs. I believe the group was formerly called the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee. Each year, an estate in the Pasadena area is selected and various interior decorators and landscape architects redo all the various rooms/gardens. Usually the home's owner voluntarily relocates for about 6 months, or the estate goes up for sale afterwards. If the owner is staying, there are negotiations as to what design elements they will retain. This year's home was of interest because it was once the home of socialite Clara Baldwin Stocker, daughter of Elias "Lucky" Baldwin, one of the pioneers of California business whose sprawling ranch once encompassed land that became the towns of Arcadia, Monrovia and Sierra Madre. The home is called Baldwin Oaks Estate, formerly Twin Oaks, built in 1907 in a shingle-style Craftsman design. Tickets vary in price; entry times after 2:30pm are less. I'd say late morning is the busiest time, because the dining options open at 11:00am and a lot of people make their visit into a lunch date. I chose the earliest entry time, 9:30 am and did not dine there, although there was a coffee cart open. Other dining/drinking options were a Bistro run by Roe Fusion, a restaurant in Sierra Madre, a Speakeasy and a Hideaway, both serving drinks. There are also a variety of shops open, some in tents, others nestled under large trees. All the Showcase Houses have a designated parking area and a shuttle to the House. This year's parking lot was at the Santa Anita Racetrack, a 5-10 minute ride to the House. The House is staffed by the Showcase members, and often the interior designers are present as well. The House was deceptively large, with many grand rooms upstairs and down. Many rooms had fireplaces and bay windows with seating. However, even the smallest rooms are given the royal treatment, be it the "hidden" powder room by the entrance or an upstairs closet turned into an "Enchantment Nook". Although a colour palette is chosen, the decor of each room varies widely, which can be incongruous overall. I'd say there were less landscaped garden areas than at Houses in past years, although the pool area was lovely. The majority of the outdoor area was given to dining space and shops. There were plenty of upscale porta-potties, the kind with sinks and active ventilation in each stall. Always a pleasant and worthwhile experience. read more

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Interesting afternoon along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. We were invited to attend a showing of designer-inspired makeovers of every room inside and outside yard of a historical home. I understand this is a regular . . . not so regular thing for the group that executes this makeover transition. Then, I understand, the homeowners can buy or pass on most all of the soft furnishings, but the hard remain with the home. Interesting concept. Parking was off station (not at the home) in a large parking area and shuttle the guests in. Maybe a 5 minute drive. It didn't matter as we left since we also attended the whiskey and chocolate pairing. We were rather well lit. A good time and interesting aspects of home remodeling. I didn't pay, so I don't know how much we spent, but the drinks from the bar were not cheap. CritDicks read more

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Came to the showcase for the first time today and had a good time. Spent about 1 hour on site looking at all the rooms and the gardens. We got golden tickets at $60 per person. Can come any day and any time. Free shuttle from the Santa Anita race track area. Wonderful designers and amazing architecture and decor inside. Worth a visit at least once. We may come back again next year! read more

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This 8,000 square foot home from 1907 was once owned by Clara Baldwin Stocker. This was such a unique opportunity to not only tour a local home rich in history, but also view the beautiful modern designs this years designers brought to life in each room. read more

The Pasadena Showcase House For The Arts - Baldwin Oaks Estate is the 2026 Pasadena Showcase House of Design. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pasadena, California

I go to the Showcase House every few years. This year was pretty meh... No kids rooms, many of the rooms were pretty overdone and not that comfortable feeling. I was disappointed that there was no guest or pool house. The gardens were ok but would not call them fabulous. I may take a break again. read more

All in all it was a great experience but I'm really shocked to see the designers that they chose there was only one good bedroom and most of the diners just whatever they could find they just put in the rooms and I was very disappointed to see the actual results of the of the house read more

I've been to the Pasadena Showcase house for the last 7 years. A new house is chosen every year where this fundraising group hires artists (interior designers donating their time) to completely redo an entire mansion. Gorgeous scenery and designs. Magnificent transformation filled with so many different styles. Tickets range from $35-$50. After touring the house you can shop and dine at multiple restaurants and shop at the cute boutique shops. It is a half of day event. No stilettos in the house, no big bags, will need to walk upstairs and be okay with weather bc there is no ac. Be prepared to get shuttled in bc they are strict with keeping address a secret to keep away congestion in the neighborhood. All proceeds goes to local music scholarships/programs. read more

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Yes I love that place I have been attending the showcase for several years at least 12 and it's always the place to be. Two years ago three of my cousins came along and they really enjoyed it. Hopefully they will come with me in 2026. Unfortunately I was unable to attend 2025 and I am missing the catalog for my collection but I'm big giving up I am looking for one. Cynthia read more

The homes are always so beautiful. It is worth seeing. The designs of each room are amazing. read more

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DO NOT GO. The house was almost 20 minutes from the parking lot, which is excessive but necessary given how many tickets were sold (way too many). By the time we arrived at the house, there was an enormous winding line to get in, which we were told would take over a half hour just to get in. After waiting on line for a while and not making much progress, we ended up skipping the house entirely. It was a complete waste of money and a day. We had a bite to eat and then left. What a terrible, terrible experience. It's like those tourist traps where they are so focused on making money that they completely overfill the space and don't care that people coming are having an awful time. Everyone who was on line with us was similarly frustrated; many had come in prior years and said it was much better. After a long work week and looking forward to this it was an awful experience. read more

I have been coming to the Pasadena Showcase for 5 years from San Francisco and agree 100% with Dorothy S. This was one of the worse showcase houses I have been to. Have been an interior designer for 24 years and it is unfortunate that i spent the money and time to attend this event. The whole house looked staged. Way too many pillows, way too many books, way too much of everything. The dining room looked like a going out of business sale from Las Vegas. Extremely disappointed. Who was on the design committee that allowed this to happen? I usually come away inspired from these celebrations of design. Last year was spectacular. If this is considered designing, I am on the wrong planet. read more

This years Pasadena Showcase House 2024 is an example of hideous interior design. The rooms were garish and tawdry. I've been coming to the Showcase house tours for over 30 years and this one was unbelievably bad. It had a "Liberace meets Pier One" quality that I still can't get out of my head. Showcase Houses are meant to "push the envelope" and introduce a new point of view. That's what makes them fun. But you have to start from a solid design foundation. This will be my last Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. I'm sad to end the tradition, but I just don't have the stomach for this. read more

If I could leave ZERO STARS...I WOULD!!!! I purchased golden tickets as gifts for my friends and i who used to attend yearly. Since it was for the 2020 house it was canceled. They never gave any attendance to a future show in exchange. They said everyone received an email that the ticket amount should be taken as a tax deduction. I never received this email....only one that stated they could be used at a future date... so we just lost the money. With all the subsidized monies given out during covid...I seriously doubt they lost money that year... and probably made bank!!! In ANY CASE...IT'S IRRELEVANT! They basically stole the money from everyone who never got to use their tickets!!!! NO CONCERN FOR THEIR LOTAL PATRONS!!!! WE WILL NEVER RETURN!!! It's so sad they soured what was a yearly girls event in this manner! NEVER BUY GOLDEN TICKETS...and if you must go...personally I suggest buying them the day you want to attend so you actually know the event will take place and they won't steal from you as well!!!!! read more

The Pasadena Showcase for the Arts has been raising funds to support young musicians for years. Every year their piece de resistance is the annual Showcase House fundraiser. I've been attending Showcase House every year for the past several years with my friends because it is the most unique and fun way to support a nonprofit that I have ever experienced! So what is it? Every year, the Showcase House committee selects a mansion of a certain age in the Pasadena area that may be in need of a little TLC. Then, they select interior designers and landscape architects to completely refurbish the home. And then, in the spring, they open the home up for tours! The result is an amazing experience and a great way to not only enjoy yourself, support a local charity, but also stay in touch with the latest trends in interior design. Parking is usually available at a parking lot nearby with complimentary shuttle service to and from the mansion. If you want to support the charity even more, there are restaurants for lunch and local vendors awaiting your shopping pleasure. Get your tickets here:www.pasadenashowcase.org/index.php ! Photography is verboten but you will receive a lovely complimentary program with professional photos of each room. read more

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I have been visiting the Pasadena Showcase House with my family since I was a child. It has changed over the years and not in a good way. My friends and I could not be more disappointed in this year's show. Our suspicions were confirmed that many of the rooms looked to be put together by people who were not interior designers - as we were approached by a real estate agent, trying to gain us as clients! He 'designed' a bedroom that was absolutely horrendous, clearly he should stick to his day job. Aside from the lack of any design in the house this year, I have typically gone to support the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Foundation, which benefits kids. But to be pushed by designers promoting and asking for funds for other charities and by real estate agents trying to get new clients is not right and seems unethical. Isn't it enough that we have supported the main charity over the years? I have to say that my friends and I won't ever be back and I recommend that visitors save their money and stay home - this was a total waste of money and an embarrassment to see. read more

2024 Pasadena Showcase House I've attended for 10 years, prior to the pandemic and was extremely disappointed when visiting the 2024 house. Everything seemed so disorganized. Shuttle lines were inordinately long as were lines for house entry, like 45 minutes to 1 hour, never experienced this previously! We almost didn't see the house, but decided to have a glass of wine and eat before going in. Finally after checking the line numerous times, it was accessible around 4 pm! What a waste of time, the decor was either overblown Romanesce, gothic, with cherubs, peacock feathers, garish chandeliers or an abundance of flowers, and I'm not talking about floral arrangements, which were minimal. One tiny room was painted wall to wall with nearly life size horses! I recall uttering a lot of Wow's when approached by the designers. Only things I liked were the georgeous floors in the main bathroom and counter tops in the gatehouse kitchen. I can't imagine why these designers were chosen, or perhaps they were the only ones interested. Sadly, I think this event has peaked. I will not be attending going forward. read more

This review is not about the designers for the quality of the home itself. It's about the fact that the people in charge of the Pasadena Showcase Event clearly understand they're dealing with an upscale clientele yet they provided porta potties at their event that was so disgusting they wouldn't be tolerated at Coachella. There were approximately 10 porta potties. Nine of them had out of order signs. The one remaining was piled up so high with toilet paper poop and pee you can barely sit on it. It was beyond disgusting. Flash Forward yesterday I went to Pizza Fest downtown and they had the sensibility and class to have the new style luxury mobile bathrooms for their clientele. They're not a new Innovative idea. They've been around for a very long time. The companies that provide them bring them in on trailers and leave them at the event. They have flushing toilets, plenty of water to wash your hands, plenty of soap. I found it Beyond insulting that the people running the Pasadena Showcase home thought so little of the clientele visiting, they would it's perfectly acceptable to use disgusting porta potties at such a magnificent event. I wrote to them letting them know my thoughts and even providing them a link to the luxury mobile bathroom facilities I referenced here. They didn't even have the decency to write back. read more

I am not giving this a bad review for the actual tour and designers. They were good and I liked the tour. What I found so offensive if how this company treats it donors that purchase the $400.00 Golden Tickets which comes with an Empty House Party and a premier night. The Empty House party was fine. But the premier night was a disaster. First I get an original email which states the premier is on Saturday April 23rd. They promised to send updated emails but I never received any - not even in spam. They advertise it on their website as having entertainment, a seated dinner and a private tour. Also champagne. Since I never got an email I did not know what time it started. So I called. And it's good I did. Their original date was incorrect - it was Friday April 22nd. I was told it began at 5:00. Then I receive an email saying that we could bring dinner with us but could not take it inside. And that their would be food to purchase inside. So which was it? A seated dinner which is on their site or Food for sale which I was told in an email. Well, it was neither! You received some champagne for a very short time after the tour. In fact the last groups to finish the tour were greeted with a closed bar. There was absolutely no entertainment and no food Period. No food for sale and no seated dinner. It was really awful. I can't figure out how they get donors when they treat them this bad. Next year, if I go at all, I will just do the regular tour for about $40.00 and there you can enter tents for food, drink and items for sale. read more

I have gone to this annual event for many years with no complaints. As part of the event the sponsor Shops at the showcase, where vendors sell clothing and other things. This year I purchased fro Limelight Boutique 5 tops. One they needed to order, but I had to prepay for the top as well as the shipping for a total of$181. But now 2 months later I have never received the item I ordered. I h e called the store over 6 times without a response fact that the Show Case is set up that all payment is made to the Showcase not the store makes getting a refund even more complicated. I would appreciate the Pasadena showcase fixing this pro. Update.... I would like to thank the management at the design house for their efforts to get the vendor to finally give me a refund for the item I made for but did not receive. Without there help I doubt that the matter would be fixed. read more

Not enough transit busses. Standing in the sun instead of a covered waiting area as there is not enough space provided.