Arroyo Seco Parkway

The Pasadena Freeway, also known as the Arroyo Seco Parkway, is a journey through the past. The first divided-lane, high-speed, limited-access road in the metropolitan western United States was this beautiful byway. Some claim that Arroyo Seco, which is sometimes referred to as the first "freeway" in the West, is the origin of Los Angeles' automobile culture. The Pasadena Bridge, with its opulent arches soaring 150 feet over the Arroyo Seco, remained a component of Route 66 until the Arroyo Seco Parkway was finished in 1940.

However, the ideal balance of picturesque panoramas, lush landscapes, and cultural history is what makes this journey so amazing. Did you know that Arroyo Seco served as the epicenter of the West Coast Arts and Crafts movement from the late 1850s through the early 1860s? One of four sites of the movement in America that are still known globally, this historic path continues to inspire new generations.