So you think you know Pasadena, huh? Let’s put your navigation expertise to the test. Join in on a scavenger hunt. There are nine clues that lead to locations within the City of Pasadena. We hope you have fun getting out and exploring our amazing city!
This program was created by the Teen Advisory Board. The team was led by our senior member and murder mystery writer veteran, Genevieve (12th grade), with assistance from members Noah (9th grade) and Cassie (12th grade). They crafted the clues, selected the prizes, wrote up the publicity details, and facilitated most of the direct communications with participants during the program week.
Much like any other TAB program, this experience engaged Board members in exercising their organizational, creative, and leadership skills. Months before the event, during a TAB meeting, various members pitch ideas and vote on the top ones they want to pursue. They select themes, form teams, divide up work, and work out a timeline. Leaders are selected, deadlines met, budgets and shopping lists created, and plan and host the final event.
While the primary objective is for participants to physically get out into the city, TAB members hope that they will also get some satisfaction from guessing answers to simple clues and receiving prizes as a reward for trying it out.
We’re grateful for everyone who contributed to this wonderful experience, including the participants who trusted us to lead you around the city.
Try it out!
For those who haven’t yet participated but would like to, below are the clues. While there are no prizes at the end of completing the scavenger hunt, the experience is just as fun. In the “live” scavenger hunt, participants would only receive the next clue if they sent us a picture of the correct place. Remember: the real purpose of this program is to get up and out into the city, not just guessing the answers to the clues.
Some of the clues are next to each other, while others are across the city. It can be completed over a few hours to a few days depending on your transportation method. (For instance, if you take the bus, you may only get out to one location for the day.)
Clue 1: Save this store! We cannot bear to see it go. Where else will I find cooking recipe books, stationary, and calendars all in the same location?
Clue 2: This place has been an iconic location for entertainment long before the pizza lovers moved next door. Here is where the most unknown films are seen. Is it pronounced lemur? Lamers? La–
Clue 3: Lions, tiger, bears, oh my! It could be jazz shows, musicals, or operas, you’ll find it all here. Sandwiched in between an antique store and a bridal store, here is where you will find up-and-coming actors.
Clue 4: This location is a city staple. It is where teen advocacy lives and where social justice comes into fruition. Is that council member John Kennedy I see? Or is that Tyron Hampton? Besides being a place of city communication, this location is often known to have the best scenery for graduation, wedding, and quinceñera pictures.
Clue 5: Known for their checkered pattern, this store has been in Pasadena for years helping people skate and strut in style.
Clue 6: What other place has such professional-looking plates, bowls, furniture, and kitchenware? It’s your one stop shop if you want to find fashionable living room decor. Think “____ & ____”.
Clue 7: It was a momentous event when these powerful ladies beat France. One player couldn’t hold back her joy and sprinted down the field before skating on her knees in front of the cheering crowd. This moment has since been made into an iconic statue, but do you know where it is?
Clue 8: Maybe the book is just too good to put down. Whatever the reason, these two kids haven’t taken their eyes off of it yet. But it’s not their fault, with a café just steps away, this location makes the perfect location for reading a good book. They do look a bit rusty and have turned green because of the weather, but I just hope they finish the book sometime soon.
Hint: If you were to rank coffee shops, this one would definitely come in first place because of its bagel buddies next door, but the real attraction is the rusty children statues on the lawn.
Clue 9: Up and down we go sitting across each other on this metal cylinder. Toddlers look at this playground object with amazement and physicists look at it when calculating torque. Nonetheless, it is a fun toy for all to enjoy in a park where so much goes on: Saturday open-air markets, baseball games, and just one block away from the house of the bulldogs.
Closing script: Congratulations! You have successfully finished the Pasadena Library scavenger hunt! We hope you enjoyed this mind-stimulating experience and that you and your family had a great time exploring the city. If you have any great photos, please share with us via Instagram @pasadenalibrary or @paslibraryteen. Or email to jgov@cityofpasadena.net
Photos from our participants!
