Tournament Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tournament Park
Tournament of Roses chariot race, 1911
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Location	Pasadena, California
Elevation	750 feet (230 m) AMSL
Status	Always open

Tournament Park is a special park and sports field in Pasadena, California. It's located northeast of Los Angeles. Today, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) takes care of it. This park got its name from the famous Tournament of Roses parade and festival.

For many years in the early 1900s, Tournament Park was a big deal! It hosted exciting events like chariot races, ostrich races, and even a race between a camel and an elephant. It also held the first eight Rose Bowl Games, starting in 1902 and continuing from 1916 to 1922.

Tournament Park: A Historic Sports Field

Tournament Park was once known simply as the "town lot" before it was officially named Tournament Park in 1900. Besides the Tournament of Roses events, it hosted other fun gatherings, like horse shows. This park has a rich history, especially with college football.

The Story of Tournament Park

In 1922, Tournament Park could hold about 43,000 people. Many of these seats were on temporary wooden stands. City officials decided these stands were not safe enough. This led to the building of the Rose Bowl stadium, which is about 2 miles northwest of Tournament Park.

Why a New Stadium Was Needed

Before the Rose Bowl stadium was built, Tournament Park was a major venue. The USC football team played some of their games there in the 1910s and 1920s. This was because Tournament Park was much larger than USC's own field at the time. The need for a safer, permanent stadium for the growing crowds of the New Year's Day game was clear.

Tournament Park Today

After the Rose Bowl stadium opened in 1923, the big New Year's Day game moved there. Tournament Park's seating was greatly reduced. However, the Tournament of Roses Parade route still ended at Tournament Park for several years. Both Tournament Park and the Rose Bowl stadium were home fields for the Caltech football team until the school stopped its football program.

Today, the main stadium area is called South Athletic Field. It has the Fox-Stanton Track, named after a former Caltech football coach. This track is still used for Caltech's track and field events. The rest of Tournament Park is a lovely area with a playground and picnic spots for everyone to enjoy. The park is about 750 feet above sea level.

Famous Games at Tournament Park

Tournament Park is most famous for hosting the first eight Rose Bowl Games. These games are a big part of college football history.

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  The first Rose Bowl Game in 1902 was a huge event.

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  The 1921 Rose Bowl game drew large crowds to Tournament Park.

More to Explore

• 1902 Rose Bowl
• 1916 Rose Bowl
• Tournament of Roses Parade