Serving Altadena since 1935
The Altadena Historical Society (AHS) was founded in 1935. As a 501(c)3 organization, we gather, preserve, and share print and digital information about the people, places, and events that have shaped the Altadena community.
Thank you to everyone who supported AHS in 2025 with memberships, donations, and merchandise purchases. We appreciate it!
Announcing a new edition of our award-winning book!
The Altadena Historical Society’s new commemorative edition of Altadena: Between Wilderness and City by Michele Zack is now available. Visit the AHS Store to order your copy.
Books will be available for pick-up at the main lobby of the Altadena Community Center (MAP) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and may be picked up by appointment at other times during the week.
Save the date! Michele Zack will be discuss this award-winning book on February 16, at Vroman’s Bookstore.
Learn about our new oral history project
History Contest for 8th graders
Calling all 8th-graders! Create a multi-media project to teach others about how people, land, and resources have developed in Altadena. The deadline is February 28, 2026, so get started!
Altadena as a work of art…
This piece captures Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains rising above a vibrant field of poppies, the landscape that shapes Altadena’s identity and history. Created in memory of the losses sustained by this eclectic community in the wake of the Eaton Fire in January of 2025, the painting is both a tribute to resilience and a celebration of the place locals call home.
Order directly from the artisans at Old California. Choose a matted print, art canvas, or wood plaque. Profits from this print will be donated to Altadena Historical Society.
Events
Visit our Programs page for upcoming events. Subscribe to our email list to stay in the loop.
Research requests
Wondering about the history of your house? Or a notable person from Altadena’s past? Just ask us.
In the Archives
We have thousands of printed items related to the history of Altadena. Visit this page for details.
A slice of history
See “Fourteen Decades of Altadena History 1883-2017” at the Altadena Community Center.
Travel to the past
The Disneyland of its day, the Mount Lowe Railway drew visitors from around the world.
Honoring a hero
We celebrated the life of activist Ellen Garrison Clark—and purchased a headstone for her grave.
