Join a behind-the-scenes tour of the 1906 Blinn House, formerly the Women’s City Club of Pasadena. Named for its original owners, Edmund and Kate Blinn, the Blinn House was designed by George Washington Maher, a prominent Chicago architect. The Prairie-style home is the only known Maher residence on west of the Mississippi.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the California Register of Historical Resources, and it is a City of Pasadena landmark. In 1945, the Women’s City Club of Pasadena acquired the home, and it was used as a clubhouse until the Club’s dissolution in 2020. Pasadena Heritage, a nonprofit organization that promotes historic preservation through advocacy and education, is the new steward of this historic landmark. During the tour, the public is welcomed to explore some areas not open to the public on the second and third floors.
The Blinn House is located in the Ford Place Historic District, which was nominated by the City of Pasadena to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Ford Place was developed between 1902 and 1916 as an exclusive upscale residential neighborhood. Tour guests will receive a self-guided walking tour brochure of this historic neighborhood, which is now home to Fuller Theological Seminary.
Please note the first floor of the Blinn House does have wheelchair access and is accessible via the Hunt Room ramp. If you have special accessibility needs, please contact Pasadena Heritage staff at 626-441-6333 or education@pasadenaheritage.org prior to your visit so accommodations can be made.
This event is part of the The California Preservation Foundation 3rd Annual Doors Open California, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of historic places statewide. Spanning September weekends, the event features over 70 unique sites, including hidden museum vaults and inaccessible historic buildings. For a $20 flat fee, attendees gain rare access to preserved architecture and enlightening stories across various cities. Some museums will offer free entry.
