Modernism Week is expanding its programming beyond its signature October and February festivals with a new lineup of curated regional day trips designed to immerse guests in the architectural, cultural, and historical richness of Southern California. Beginning Saturday, September 26, these small‑group excursions—each capped at 25 participants—offer exclusive access to landmark homes, guided tours led by experts, catered lunches, and thoughtfully crafted itineraries that highlight the innovation and beauty of the region’s most significant communities.
The inaugural outing, the Pasadena Heritage Tour Day Trip, takes guests through Pasadena’s celebrated midcentury neighborhoods aboard a comfortable motorcoach. Participants will learn how architects like Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Buff & Hensman, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and Craig Ellwood shaped postwar residential design with open floor plans, post‑and‑beam construction, and seamless indoor‑outdoor living. The tour includes private access to two architecturally important homes—one by Buff & Hensman and another by Harold B. Zook—plus a viewing of original Julius Shulman photographs. Guests will also enjoy lunch at Green Street Restaurant and attend Her Pasadena: Changing Ideas of Home in Mid‑Century Southern California, held at the historic Blinn House.
Modernism Week will continue the series with additional excursions: Los Angeles: Hollyhock House & Neutra Colony on November 14, featuring private tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s UNESCO‑designated Hollyhock House, Neutra’s VDL Research House, and the rarely accessible Reunion House; Claremont Heritage: The Influence of Millard Sheets on December 12, exploring the visionary artist’s integration of fine art and architecture; and further trips to La Jolla, Pasadena, and Riverside in early 2027. Each experience offers a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the architects, artists, and cultural forces that shaped Southern California Modernism.
Tickets and full itineraries are available at modernismweek.com.
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