Rose Bowl Pre-Game & Stadium Fans Tailgating Guide

Here’s a pro’s guide to the tailgate situation, the stadium and the scene.

Rose Bowl Party & Travel Tips

• Arrive Early.  On game day, there’s only a couple of ways in and out of the stadium, so expect to spend close to an hour getting parked once actually arriving in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl is in a residential area away from the town and while the backdrop is spectacular, the entry and exit it not. Plan on being around the stadium by 10.

Parking is very limited (the best place is the adjacent golf course; all lots $25) so the top option is to park in a designated lot in the city of Pasadena and catch a shuttle to the stadium. Signs clearly mark pickup and dropoff areas and police will be directing people to the appropriate places.

The stadium is in Pasadena, which is ideally located only if you are in Pasadena. It’s north of downtown and while there is a Metro train that goes to a fun area of town that has cool restaurants and a few bars, it doesn’t go to the Rose Bowl. The Gold Line goes to Memorial Park Station, and from there you have to follow signs to get a shuttle bus to the stadium.

The Tailgate Party. The place to tailgate is at “the backstop.” It’s on a baseball field which opens up to a huge grass area. It is next to the famous “Rose Bowl” logo on the stadium and is adjacent to public restrooms. There is a large grass field to set up chairs and tables for picnics and partying.

Open flames or individual tents are not permitted. Corporate tents, on the other hand, are sure to be prominent.

• Bring Your Food & Drink For the Day. The best thing to do is bring a Styrofoam cooler, which will eventually collapse and become disposable. Fill it with your favorite beverages and food. Even for those who are just going to party, bring a sandwich and/or snack.

Because the Rose Bowl location is isolated, there is no town, restaurant or bar to walk to, so keep this in mind when packing provisions. The golf course does have a clubhouse but it’s small and hardly adequate for the crowds that swarm the stadium. Vending trucks are on-site.

• Tickets, Anyone? Don’t have a ticket? Don’t sweat it. Oh, you may not get into the game but because this is L.A., there will be several locals with no team affiliation who just want to be at the Rose bowl to party. Hey, it’s a good party scene! And who knows, you might get lucky from someone who has an extra.

Our best advice is to follow the PubClub.com plan: Scope out the situation and think on your feet.

• The Rose Bowl Stadium. An historic venue, the Rose Bowl is one of America’s great sports locations. There are 77 numbered rows and most seats offer good views of the action. It is one level and some seats and aisles are very, very narrow. Beer is sold in the Rose Bowl (not for UCLA games, but for the Rose Bowl).

Some seats are so narrow you have to stand sideways and while the stadium. While it’s recently been renovated, don’t go to the bathroom or concession stand at key moments of the game because you’re likely going to miss the action due to long and slow-moving lines. (PubClub missed the entire second quarter of the Alabama-Texas game in 2009 standing in a single beer line.)

Officially from the Rose Bowl, here is what is NOT allowed into the stadium: Backpacks, handbags, etc. larger than 14″x 14″ banners, cans, glass bottles, thermoses, coolers, alcoholic beverages, large still cameras, video cameras, noisemakers of any kind, umbrellas, beach balls, soccer balls, footballs, Frisbees, narcotics, firearms, explosives or other weapons.

Smoking is only permitted on the pedestrian concourse in designated smoking areas.

• Is There a Party in Pasadena? While Old Town has restaurants and some bars and in the days leading to the game, in LA, there are other places to cut loose. PubClub recommends Santa Monica or those who really want to party, the South Bay Beach Cities of Hermosa and Manhattan Beach.

• What to Do in Los Angeles? Click on this link for a complete city and nightlife guide, including bars and restaurants all over L.A. and Orange counties.