Pasadena, California, is not just known for the Rose Bowl, historic architecture, or creation of the cheeseburger – it is also the birthplace of the Mighty Van Halen. Beyond rehearsing and writing many of the Van Halen classics in Pasadena, the city is where brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen and frontman David Lee Roth grew up; bassist Michael Anthony was initially a resident of nearby Arcadia. Diamond Dave continues to live in Pasadena all these years later, recording a lot of content for Roth Show from the home he calls “The Mojo Dojo.”
Darren Paltrowitz had the pleasure of visiting Pasadena again in March 2025, and this time Ihe took some photos and notes related to key Van Halen landmarks within the city.
Below is an excerpt from “Van Halen Landmarks in Pasadena” from Visit Pasadena.com.
Pasadena, California, is not just known for the Rose Bowl, historic architecture, or creation of the cheeseburger – it is also the birthplace of one of the most legendary rock bands of all time: Van Halen. The group, formed by brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen alongside frontman David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony, inarguably revolutionized rock music with their electrifying performances and groundbreaking instrumental work. The end-result of that would be over 80 million albums sold worldwide and decades of arena and stadium-level tours for the 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
Pasadena played an integral role within Van Halen’s rise to fame, and throughout the city, numerous locations serve as reminders of their incredible journey.
The Van Halen Sidewalk – Allen Avenue
A pilgrimage for any Van Halen fan begins at Allen Avenue, where the band’s name is forever etched into Pasadena’s sidewalks. The Van Halen name was reportedly etched into the curb, a few doors down from M&S Liquor and Convenience, by Alex and Eddie Van Halen in 1976. A “VH” logo has since been printed onto the sidewalk in stencil-form, as spotted by writer Gary Deduke.
The Van Halen Family Home – Las Lunas Street
A few blocks from “Van Halen Sidewalk,” you will find Eddie and Alex Van Halen’s childhood home on Las Lunas Street. This modest house was where the brothers – son of lifelong musician Jan Van Halen – first developed their musical skills, practicing relentlessly and setting the stage for their future domination of rock music.
David Lee Roth’s Childhood Home – Bradford Street
A counterpart to the Van Halen home, David Lee Roth’s childhood residence – which he is known to still consider one of his names – on Bradford Street is another Pasadena landmark linked to the band’s history. Here, Roth nurtured the flamboyant stage presence and vocal style that would make him one of rock’s most dynamic frontmen. It served as early rehearsal space for Van Halen and was where Roth filmed most of his early 2000s “No Holds Bar-B-Que” video release.
The Bradford Street home was notably featured in a mid-1980s episode of Robin Leach’s “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous,” as centered on Roth’s father, Dr. Nathan Roth. It was also seen in an episode of “The Bionic Woman” titled “Jaimie & The King,” which featured acting work by Dr. Roth ??as “1st Guard.”
Pasadena Civic Auditorium – Memorial Plaque
The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is one of the city’s most iconic venues, and it played an essential role in Van Halen’s early days. The band performed here before reaching superstardom, and today, a memorial plaque stands in honor of Eddie Van Halen, reminding visitors of his unparalleled contributions to music. Audio recordings of some of the band’s performances at this venue can be found on YouTube.
Read the rest on VisitPasadena.com.
Should you be craving more content related to Van Halen — because we all know that “a little ain’t enough” — feel free to check out more from author/podcaster Darren Paltrowitz :
– The book DLR Book: How David Lee Roth Changed The World (available via Van Halen Store — press on the title can be found here)
– The podcast The DLR Cast (as co-hosted with Steve Roth — our latest episode features a review of M3 and includes the hosts of Dave And Dave Unchained)
– The Paltrocast site (where I regularly interview musicians and other entertainers about both Van Halen and Van Hagar — including interviews published with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, former DLR band musicians Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan, and current DLR drummer Francis Valentino)