Most people recognize
Here’s a short clip from the movie with scenes of the house – to jog your memory.
Every so often there is a Back to the Future convention, where fans show up dressed in costume. Many Delorean owners meet up here to pay homage to the cult classic film.
history of the gamble house
The Gamble House and furnishings were designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble Company. Originally built as their 6,100-square-foot winter retreat with three stories and in a rustic style to blend in with the surroundings.
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the headquarters to Proctor and Gamble, David and Mary Gamble decided to spend their winters in Pasadena. After several years, vacationing in hotels and resorts, they planned on building a winter retreat.
Mary Gamble played a huge roll in the construction of their new home and spent much of her time with the architects and builders. Ensuring everything was done on par, which I think is quite studious of her.
The couple only lived in the house during the winter months, the remainder of the time it was closed up. They continued to do so until they died in 1923 and 1929.
Mary’s spinster sister, Julia who also lived with them remained a resident until her death in 1943.
It was continually the residence to other members of the Gamble family until 1966 when it was gifted to the city of Pasadena and run by the University of Southern California.
Every nook and cranny, each piece of furniture, was designed with the utmost care and attention to detail. Is carpentry an artform? Yes, I would have to say it takes a high level of skill and attention to detail. To know how to work with the grain of the wood, router, mill and sand the edges to a
The Tour
The entrance door has leaded, stained glass windows and opens into a 38-feet long hall. This was also used as a room with a table in the centre.
One of the wooden panels in the entry hall is actually a concealed door leading to the kitchen, and another panel opens to a coat closet.
Note, they do not like you to stand along the edges of the rugs inside the home, so make sure you watch where you stand.
Family Room
Once you hear about the entryway and staircase, you are taken to the family room. From just inside the doorway you can see the incredible woodwork, fireplace, lights and seating area making you want to curl up with a good book.
Dining Room
Next stop on tour was the dining room. The most interesting item in this room was the chandelier above the table. The way it hangs from the ceiling is quite inventive.
The Kitchen
The heart of every household is the kitchen. I very much enjoyed the look—the cabinets, the large windows that let in lots of light. I felt immediately at home here, even though I can’t cook to save my life, ask Andrea.
Adjacent, there is a large butlers pantry and a doorway to a flight of stairs for the staff to use.
Upstairs to the Second and Third Floors
Finally, we made the journey upstairs to the second of the three levels. The rest of the bedrooms are on this floor of the Gamble house.
The Gambles master bedroom seems very dark and not quite what we expected—two single beds, a writing desk and two rocking chairs placed in front of an open fire.
Julia’s room is the same now as it was when she was living there. All the furniture was hand-built to suit her shorter stature and is somewhat smaller than the standard size.
We viewed the other bedrooms and a lovely sun veranda which overlooked the gardens.
The top floor, now used as a conference room, has impressive views of the grounds and rooflines. When the Gambles were in residence, the scenery would have been somewhat different.
The Gardens
With the tour now over, we ventured into the gardens. These are public grounds so you can come and visit any time at no cost.
On the back patio, there is a small lily pond, and a short path winds through the treeline at the rear of the property. Hiding behind the garage in the shade of the trees sits a bench.
The Garage and Gift Shop
The original garage has been transformed into a large gift shop. This is where you initially buy your tickets to tour the house. Inside are all kinds of novelty gifts and a restroom.
Our Takeaway on The Gamble House
The tour takes around an hour. But bear in mind, there was only four of us, and we didn’t ask a lot of questions. The woodwork of the home is very impressive and if you have an extra hour on your hands, stop by and see for yourself.
in a nutshell
- Address: 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena
- Open – Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. – tours only
- Cost of admission: $15.00 per person
- Purchase tickets from Book Store
- Tours last over an hour – there is a lot of standing and stairs to climb
- Parking – free in front of the property
- There is no food or drinks inside the house
- No filming or the use of tripods
- Absolutely No high heel shoes
- The restroom is located in the Book Store ONLY
- Wheelchair access to 1st floor only
For further information on tours click HERE
location map
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