What to Know
- Holiday happenings at The Gamble House
- 4 Westmoreland Place in Pasadena
- Holiday Open House Touring will take place on Nov. 29 and Dec. 28; $12 adult (other ticket tiers are available)
- Swing by the Gamble House Dec. 1 for a "Handmade Holiday"; local artisans will set up shop around the grounds
- Join a "Holiday Gathering" Dec. 8 at the house; $45 members, $55 non-members
There's a gentle genre of seasonal design, one that adorably involves woodland critters as well as the nature-inspired sights you might find in an enchanted forest.
This lovely and loamy look is found everywhere in December: Wrapping paper, greeting cards, ornaments, and clothing all celebrate a whimsical woodland Christmas, with animals, trees, and pretty vistas as the serene subjects.
Finding this woodsy expression in the real world can be a bit tough, but there are a few sylvan spots that gorgeously gleam when the yuletide is on effervescent approach.
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The Gamble House, that handsome Craftsman wonder, is just about the woodsiest indoor spot in Southern California, or it can feel that way once you enter its warm-walled entryway.
Adding to this outdoors-is-indoors feeling at the Pasadena landmark?
Trees and flowers colorfully festoon the home's famous stained-glass panels, while carved bats may be seen fluttering along a wall in the living room.
So the opportunity to experience this woodsy warmth around the holidays can make a person feel as chuffed as a squirrel who just unearthed an especially plump nut.
There are a few gladdening goings-on just ahead, with a Holiday Open House popping up on both Nov. 29 and Dec. 28 and a Handmade Holiday event taking place Dec. 1, which is Museum Store Day.
And a Holiday Gathering, complete with music, will twinkle-twinkle Dec. 8.
Most events require a ticket — the outdoor Handmade Holiday market offers free admission — so you'll want to line up your entry soon.
In other words, you'll want to act as quickly as a chipmunk devours a tasty acorn.
Many Southern Californians like their sparkly season to have a side of woodsy whimsy, the kind of nature-based joy we often find depicted on wrapping paper and greeting cards, so for sure: Spots can fill up.
Nope, a squirrel won't greet you at the door to the Gamble House, nor will an owl guide you around.
But the stately 1909 gem is near the wonderfully wild Arroyo Seco, meaning the home's grand grounds are enjoyed daily by all sorts of local critters. It is, in short, an ideal spot to discover a woodland-adjacent doorway to the season.
