The Maxwell House
A 1929 Mediterranean-Italianate mansion in Pasadena where a bring-your-own caterer and bar policy pairs a landmark setting with real cost control for couples.
About 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.
Last updated July 2026 · maxwellhousepasadena.com, westernjustice.org, The Knot, WeddingWire, Here Comes The Guide
The complete The Maxwell House planning guide
Capacity & spaces
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
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
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.
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
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 →
Sample wedding day timelines at The Maxwell House
Days at The Maxwell House run earlier than at many venues, because the music ends at 10:00 PM on Saturdays and 8:00 PM on Sundays. These shapes are drawn from the weddings we have photographed here, and they are a starting point to adapt with your coordinator rather than a fixed schedule.
Eight hours with a five o'clock ceremony
- 12:00 PMCoverage begins at a hotel nearby or in the dressing suites. Details and candid getting ready.
- 1:30 PMGetting dressed, with quiet moments with parents and close friends.
- 2:30 PMTravel to The Maxwell House. Details in the painted entry hall.
- 3:30 PMFirst look if you are doing one, then family photographs before the ceremony.
- 4:30 PMYou step out of sight as guests arrive. Courtyard and arch photographed.
- 5:00 PMCourtyard ceremony.
- 5:30 PMRemaining family groups and about twenty minutes of couple portraits, then cocktail hour.
- 6:15 PMEntrance and first dance, then dinner, toasts, parent dances and cake.
- 7:30 PMOpen dancing and a few portraits at dusk, then coverage concludes around 8:00 PM.
An afternoon ceremony, dinner by early evening
- 12:30 PMCoverage begins in the dressing suites. Details and final touches.
- 1:45 PMA first touch through a door, or a first look, then portraits in the entry hall.
- 2:30 PMGuests arrive. Courtyard details photographed.
- 3:00 PMCeremony, with the document signing right after.
- 3:30 PMFamily photographs, kept close to the courtyard, then couple portraits.
- 4:00 PMCocktail hour and reception room details.
- 5:00 PMGrand entrance and first dance as you enter the reception room.
- 5:45 PMDinner, toasts and cake, with dancing afterward until coverage concludes.
Four to five hours, a smaller dinner party
- 2:00 PMCoverage begins. Final preparations in the getting ready rooms, details and the house itself.
- 2:45 PMFirst look and couple portraits in the entry hall, on the mezzanine and in the courtyard.
- 3:15 PMCore family photographs while the house is still quiet.
- 3:30 PMYou step out of sight as guests arrive.
- 4:00 PMShort courtyard ceremony under the wooden arch.
- 4:30 PMCocktail hour, with a short portrait set and the dining room photographed before guests enter.
- 5:30 PMSeated dinner, toasts, first dance and cake.
- 6:30 PMCoverage concludes as the dinner party carries on.
What is specific to The Maxwell House
A few things about this 1929 mansion that shape the day, and that are worth settling early with your coordinator.
Where couples also photograph nearby
Settings in the house and a short drive away that come up on Maxwell House wedding days.
- Colorado Street Bridge
- The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
- The painted entry hall
- The mezzanine overlook
- The courtyard arch at dusk
- The Palladian entrance and facade
- The front lawn