In the late 1800s, Pasadena became renowned for its many grand hotels and resorts, inviting tourists to escape the frosty winters and enjoy the area’s sunny skies. Well-heeled tourists preferred the quiet serenity and pastoral countryside of the San Gabriel Valley over the gritty, rough-and-tumble boomtown of Los Angeles.

These resorts were vital to the growth and prestige of the region, as many frequent visitors to the resorts would later build permanent family homes.

The golden age of railroad travel brought people from all over the world. Supporters of the region praised Southern California as a wonderland where crops flourished and health ailments like tuberculosis faded in the mild and sunny climate.

Grand resorts like the Hotel Green, the Vista del Arroyo, the Raymond, and the Huntington were built in the Pasadena area, welcoming affluent families.