Pasadena residents can walk the same field that hosted five Super Bowls and two World Cup finals when the Rose Bowl opens for a public tour on Friday, July 31.

Rose Bowl Stadium Tours will lead two guided walks through the century-old National Historic Landmark, one at 10:30 a.m. and a second at 12:30 p.m., according to the program's Eventbrite listing. The route passes through the original 1922 locker room, the current team locker rooms, the press box, the Court of Champions and the field itself.

Guides cover the stadium's athletic history along the way, from the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame to Brandi Chastain's penalty kick that clinched the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup final for the United States.

A century of big games

Architect Myron Hunt designed the stadium as a horseshoe, built for $272,198 in 1922 dollars and opened that October. It was enclosed into a full bowl in 1928. The first Rose Bowl Game played there came on January 1, 1923, when USC beat Penn State 14–3.

Since then, the venue has hosted five Super Bowls, the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, the 1999 Women's World Cup final and the gold-medal soccer match at the 1984 Summer Olympics. UCLA Bruins football has called it home since 1982. The stadium earned National Historic Landmark status in 1987.

Olympic stage ahead

The tour arrives two years before the Rose Bowl's next major chapter. LA28 organizers announced in 2024 that the stadium will host both the men's and women's gold-medal soccer matches at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with the men's final set for Friday, July 28, 2028, and the women's final on Saturday, July 29, 2028. Shana Ferguson, LA28's chief of sport and games delivery, said the selected venues will let "more fans witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand."

For Pasadena fans, the July 31 tour is a chance to stand on that future Olympic pitch while it's still just a football field.

What to know before you go

  • When: Friday, July 31 — tours at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
  • Where: Gate A, Rose Bowl Stadium, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. Park in Lot F.
  • Tickets: Starting at $22.19 (fees included), available on Eventbrite. Refunds accepted up to one day before the tour.
  • Duration: Allow up to two hours.
  • Tips: Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Wear walking shoes; parts of the tour are outdoors.

More information is available at rosebowlstadium.com/tours or by calling (626) 577-3100.