Tournament House and Rose Gardens
Pasadena, California
The Wrigley Gardens featured floral displays with more than 1,500 varieties of roses, camellias and annuals.
This year's Tournament Rose is titled .. You're My Everything.
Among the rose varieties is a a pink variety that is resistant to black spots and white powder. They are known as the Tournament of Roses Rose and were developed by William Warriner for the Tournament of Roses centennial.
William and Ada Wrigley
The Tournament House has come to collect a history of the parade, as well as the Rose Bowl game. The Tournament of Roses offers tours of the stately mansion. This magnificant white, 3-story, 18,500 square foot Italian Renaissance-style mansion was built in 1906 originally for the Stimson family in Pasadena's "Millionaire Row". Its nickname was the Shadows, due to the patterns cast from the tree's shadows which once danced on the lavish lawns. Most the trees have been removed allowing more of a view of the home.
William Wrigley, Jr. the chewing gum magnate purchased the house in 1914 for $170,000* as a winter retreat. A year later he purchased a neighboring property for $25,000 which was cleared to make way for the Wrigley Gardens. It was one of six homes the Wrigley's owned across the country and became Mrs. Wrigley's favorite as she enjoyed watching the New Years Day Rose Parade pass by from the comfort of her own front porch. After Ada Wrigley's passing in 1958 the mansion and its four and a half acres was gifted by the heirs to the City of Pasadena, but they had one condition. It was to become the permanent Tournament of Roses headquarters. This was to honor Ada Wrigley for the parade she loved so much. The home is located at 391 S. Orange Grove Avenue.
The mansion has 21 rooms including servants quarters, library, solarium and six bedrooms all with their own en-suite.
Upon entering the grand foyer guests at the Wrigley home were greeted at the four-inch-thick Honduras mahogany front door.
The foyer when the Wrigleys were in residence.
The foyer as it is today.
The Wrigley Lounge
A large room with wood-paneled walls and marble fireplace. In this room the only original furnishing is the large rug. In the center of this room sits a table with a framed photograph of the late Mrs. Wrigley. She resided in the Wrigley home until her passing at the age of 90.
The solarium with its metallic wallpaper. Originally this room was an open "garden balcony" and was used by Mrs. Wrigley to entertain her female guests.
Mr. Wrigley's library where bookshelves lined all the walls. Today, one of the walls has been made into a doorway.
William Wrigley's library
Original photo
Mr.Wrigley's private phone booth where he made important calls. The walls are about a foot thick.
The Aeolian-Skinner organ* was installed in the downstairs hallway. Even though none of the Wrigleys were musically inclined, the organ was installed with all of its 1,500 pipes hidden from view under the grand staircase and an organist was hired to play when the Wrigleys were entertaining their guests.
*Aeolian-Skinner pipe organs are known for their clear voicing, blending choruses adn graceful solo lines. The Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc. was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932 and built many pipe organs until it closed in 1972.
The Wrigley's original dining room table and recovered chairs.
The Grand staircase leading to the second floor. Upstairs there are six bedrooms with bathrooms and an entrance to the attic. No bedroom furniture remains as the rooms are now used for the Tournament of Roses staff. Each room is a theme room with one featuring crowns of former queens and photos of the former Rose Parade Grand Marshalls.
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