The Maxwell House, Pasadena
A restored 1929 Mediterranean-style mansion in Pasadena, home to the Western Justice Center nonprofit — a preferred-vendor relationship where Lulan Studio has photographed weddings for years.
A restored 1929 mansion, home to a Pasadena nonprofit
Built in 1929 in Mediterranean Revival style, this roughly 13,000-square-foot mansion now serves as headquarters for the Western Justice Center, a Pasadena conflict-resolution nonprofit — event rental proceeds support the organization's mission. The restored building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a grand entry, coffered ceilings with hand-painted panels, a living room, dining room, library, and mezzanine, plus a bistro-lit courtyard and landscaped gardens with a rose garden and pergola-lined pathway. Note: this Pasadena venue is unrelated to the similarly-named Neutra/Maxwell House, a separate mid-century residence in Angelino Heights.
A preferred vendor at this Pasadena mansion since 2022
We've been a featured, preferred vendor at The Maxwell House since 2022, photographing weddings here across multiple years and taking part in the venue's vendor open houses. The venue has also directly hired us for its own events, including a staff celebration, as a thank-you for our ongoing relationship. We know the mansion's Palladian entry, its coffered-ceiling interiors, and its garden courtyard well — including how the low interior light lends itself to moody, editorial-style portraits after dark.
Good to know before you book
- Event/liability insurance of $1M plus alcohol coverage is required
- Catering must be selected from the venue's preferred-vendor list — outside food trucks and outside cooking aren't permitted
- A professional, paid day-of coordinator from the preferred list is required, generally once guest count exceeds ~30
- The venue is BYO-alcohol, but service must be handled by a licensed, professional bartender
Where we like to shoot
- The grand Palladian entry doorway for a classic first-look backdrop
- The arched, mezzanine-level windows for dramatic natural-light portraits
- The bistro-lit courtyard and rose garden for outdoor ceremony and cocktail-hour coverage
- The pergola-lined garden pathway for couple portraits
What couples and guests notice about Maxwell House Pasadena
A restored 1929 Mediterranean mansion with architectural details — coffered ceilings, arched windows, a grand staircase — that need very little added décor.
As a preferred vendor since 2022, we know the mansion's rooms, its garden flow, and its evening lighting well.
Catering, coordination, and bartending must all come from the venue's preferred list, and music must end by 10pm Saturday / 8pm Sunday — good to plan your timeline around.
Planning your day at Maxwell House Pasadena
Planning a wedding at The Maxwell House?
Reach out to check your dateAbout The Maxwell House
The Maxwell House is a stately 13,000-square-foot Mediterranean-Italianate mansion built in 1929 by architects Marston and Maybury for East Coast litigator and philanthropist George H. Maxwell. Its soaring entry hall, decoratively painted ceiling panels, living and dining rooms, mezzanine, dressing suites and courtyard now host weddings on behalf of the nonprofit Western Justice Center.
Couples choose The Maxwell House for the rare combination of a National Register landmark, minimal-décor architecture, and a flexible bring-your-own caterer and bar model that keeps costs down for the LA area. The rental includes tables, chairs, a hand-crafted wooden arch, dance floor, sound system, security, setup/teardown and complimentary parking, and every wedding supports the venue's nonprofit mission.
Location · 55 S. Grand Ave, Pasadena
Style · 1929 Mediterranean-Italianate mansion
Capacity · Up to 100 guests
Venue fee from · $7,500 (boutique, up to 60)
Best season · Spring and fall for the courtyard ceremony
Last updated July 2026 · maxwellhousepasadena.com, westernjustice.org, The Knot, WeddingWire, Here Comes The Guide
The complete The Maxwell House planning guide
Capacity & spaces
Ceremony · 100 (indoor or courtyard)
Reception · 100 seated indoors
Cocktail/standing · 100
Rentable spaces
- Entry hall — soaring foyer with decoratively painted ceiling panels and California Art Club paintings
- Living & dining rooms — connected mansion rooms for dinner, lounge and dancing
- Mezzanine — overlook level adding vertical drama to the main hall
- Courtyard — outdoor ceremony space with the hand-crafted wooden wedding arch
- Dressing suites — getting-ready rooms for the wedding party
- Full kitchen — commercial kitchen available for your licensed caterer
Pricing
Traditional wedding (up to 100) · from $9,500
Boutique wedding (up to 60 guests) · from $7,500
Hold deposit · $100 for a 7-day reservation
Catering & bar
You bring your own licensed and insured caterer from the venue's Preferred Vendor List — no outside cooking, grilling or food trucks — and a full commercial kitchen is included. Alcohol is also BYO, served through one of the venue's partnered bartending service providers, which lets couples save meaningfully versus in-house-only venues.
Rules & restrictions
- Private events are held Saturdays and Sundays only, one event per weekend
- Music curfew: 10 PM Saturday, 8 PM Sunday per the Conditional Use Permit; full clear-out by 11 PM
- No outside cooking, grilling or food trucks — caterer must be licensed and insured from the Preferred Vendor List
- Required vendors (coordinator, bartender) must come from the venue's preferred list
- Confirm candle/open-flame and petal/confetti policies with the venue
- Vendor insurance required
Getting ready, parking & access
Getting ready · On-site dressing suites (note: limited groomsmen space)
Parking · Free/complimentary parking included with the wedding package
Accessibility · Wheelchair accessible
Rain plan · Indoor mansion rooms provide a full all-weather alternative to the courtyard
How to book
Tours run by appointment (typically Tuesday–Thursday 5–7 PM and select weekends); email cindy@westernjustice.org or call (626) 584-7494 ext. 101 to schedule, and place a $100 hold to reserve a date for 7 days. You also get roughly a 3–4 hour setup/rehearsal window the Friday before.
Photographing The Maxwell House
The courtyard is best for ceremonies in late afternoon, when the Mediterranean stucco and tile warm up and the light softens for portraits under the wooden arch. Because you get the Friday-before setup window, décor can be styled and lit in advance, easing golden-hour timing on the wedding day.
Best backdrops are the soaring entry hall with its painted ceiling panels and California Art Club paintings, the Palladian entrance and stucco-and-tile façade, the mezzanine overlook, and the courtyard arch — architectural detail that photographs richly with minimal added styling.
Engagement sessions at The Maxwell House
The Maxwell House's Mediterranean façade, painted entry hall and courtyard make an elegant, timeless backdrop for engagement and pre-wedding sessions in Old Pasadena.
Best light · Late afternoon in the courtyard and entry hall
Signature spots · Painted-ceiling entry hall, Palladian entrance, courtyard arch
Vibe · 1929 Mediterranean mansion, timeless and stately
The studio books sessions around the nonprofit's tour and event schedule, using the Friday setup access where available to shoot in a fully styled space.
What couples love
- Stunning historic mansion that needs minimal decoration
- Affordable for the LA/Pasadena area thanks to BYO caterer and bar
- Vendor and alcohol flexibility that saves couples real money
- Included furnishings — tables, chairs, arch, dance floor, sound system
- Friday-before setup window to decorate and leave everything in place
- Supporting the Western Justice Center's nonprofit conflict-resolution mission
Good to know
- Maximum 100 guests — not suited to large weddings
- Private events limited to Saturdays and Sundays with early curfews (10 PM Sat / 8 PM Sun)
- Limited dressing space for groomsmen
- Caterer, bar and key vendors must come from the preferred list
- Some couples have reported slow communication/responsiveness — confirm timelines in writing
A typical wedding day at The Maxwell House
Getting ready — wedding party preps in the dressing suites; details shot in the painted entry hall
Ceremony — courtyard vows under the wooden arch, late afternoon
Cocktail hour — guests move indoors through the mansion rooms with a partnered bartender
Reception — seated dinner and dancing across the living and dining rooms
Golden hour — courtyard and façade portraits before the amplified-music curfew
Frequently asked questions
How many guests can The Maxwell House hold?
Up to 100 guests for a traditional wedding (excluding staff and vendors), with a boutique option for up to about 60 guests.
How much does a wedding at The Maxwell House cost?
Traditional weddings start at $9,500 and boutique weddings (up to 60 guests) start at $7,500. A $100 hold reserves a date for 7 days.
Can I bring my own caterer and alcohol?
Yes — this is a BYO venue. Your caterer must be licensed, insured and from the Preferred Vendor List (no outside cooking, grilling or food trucks), and alcohol is BYO served through a partnered bartending provider.
What days can I have my wedding?
Private life-cycle events are held on Saturdays and Sundays only, with one event per weekend.
What's the music/noise curfew?
Per the Conditional Use Permit, amplified music ends at 10 PM on Saturday and 8 PM on Sunday, with a full clear-out by 11 PM.
What's included in the rental?
Tables, chairs, a hand-crafted wooden wedding arch, dance floor, sound system, security, setup/teardown, a full kitchen and complimentary parking.
Is there a getting-ready space?
Yes, on-site dressing suites are included, though groomsmen space is limited.
Is parking available?
Yes, complimentary parking is included with the wedding package.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes, The Maxwell House is wheelchair accessible.
Can I set up the day before?
Yes — couples typically get a roughly 3–4 hour setup/rehearsal window the Friday before to decorate and leave items in place.
What's the history of the mansion?
It's a 1929 Mediterranean-Italianate mansion designed by Marston and Maybury for George H. Maxwell, later used as an Army hospital and the U.S. Court of Appeals, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Proceeds support the nonprofit Western Justice Center.
Getting there & logistics
Address · 55 S. Grand Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
From Hollywood Burbank (BUR) · ~13 mi · 20–30 min
From LAX · ~28 mi · 45–70 min
Nearby getting-ready hotels
- The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
- Hotel Dena, Pasadena
- dusitD2 Constance Pasadena
- Sheraton Pasadena
The history behind The Maxwell House
- Built in 1929 by architects Marston and Maybury in the Mediterranean-Italianate style, 13,000 square feet
- Commissioned by George H. Maxwell, an East Coast litigator and philanthropist
- Served as a U.S. Army hospital for Pacific-war injuries from 1943 to 1949
- Restored in 1985 to house the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Home since 1987 to the nonprofit Western Justice Center
Similar venues we love
More venues we photograph: Greystone Mansion · The Biltmore · The Oviatt · Union Station · The Belasco.
Planning a wedding at The Maxwell House? Reach out to check your date →
