Rose Bowl, stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., that was constructed in 1922. It is best known as the site of the annual college gridiron football game of the same name.
Some 10 miles (16 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles is the town of Pasadena, which juts up against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The town’s name comes from an Ojibwa word that means “crown of the valley.” It is a scenic area that attracts many tourists, but it is perhaps best known for its annual Tournament of Roses Parade and its Rose Bowl stadium.
The first Tournament of Roses Parade was held on New Year’s Day in 1890, organized by the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club. Horse-drawn carriages were driven in grand style, with the horses and riders decorated in flowers, in a procession through the local streets. This parade was followed by tug-of-war games, jousting matches, and other festivities, all designed to celebrate the clement winter weather of the area.
The Rose Bowl stadium was designed in 1921 by the architect Myron Hunt, and it was built in 1922, with its opening Rose Bowl game being played on New Year’s Day in 1923. The stadium was originally built in a horseshoe shape, but it has been added to and in 1928 became a complete “bowl.” In 1916 the tradition began of holding the annual Rose Bowl college football game after the parade—a game that has become the most famous and historic of bowl games; it is commonly referred to as the “granddaddy of them all.” The stadium was built for the Rose Bowl game, which attracted more spectators than its previous stadium could hold. Apart from the historic Rose Bowl college football games, the stadium has since 1982 been the home field of the UCLA football team.
The Rose Bowl stadium has hosted numerous other major sporting events, including the Super Bowls played in 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, and 1993 . It has also hosted the World Cup football (soccer) finals for men (1994) and women (1999) and the MLS Cup game in 1998. In addition, it served as the venue for track cycling during the 1932 Olympics and the gold medal football (soccer) match during the 1984 Olympics.
The Rose Bowl stadium has been renovated several times, the most recent being completed in 2016, and has a current seating capacity of more than 92,000 people. In 2017 the original locker room was restored as a museum.