Decorating Places

Before the Rose Parade floats make their big New Year's Day debut, families can get a sneak peek at Decorating Places, the Tournament of Roses' behind-the-scenes float viewing. Inside Rosemont Pavilion near the Rose Bowl, floats sit in their final stages of preparation while volunteers and professional designers race to finish every petal.

Kids are often amazed to learn that every inch of a Rose Parade float has to be covered in natural materials. Up close, they can watch decorators glue on seeds, bark, dried grasses, fruit and thousands of fresh flowers, and see how giant animated figures and colorful scenes come together piece by piece.

It is a fascinating hands-off art and engineering lesson, and a fun way to pick favorite floats before watching the parade. Food trucks will be parked in Lot I at the Rose Bowl, so families can grab lunch before or after touring the pavilion.

Tickets are sold online only, with no cash or credit card sales on site, and the Tournament of Roses enforces a clear-bag policy. Children 5 and under get in free, making this an easy holiday-week outing for families with little ones.

📅 Dates & Times

Monday, December 28, 2026 through Wednesday, December 30, 2026

Monday, December 28: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (last entry 3:00 PM)

Tuesday, December 29: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (last entry 3:00 PM)

Wednesday, December 30: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (last entry 6:00 PM)

Closed to the public on Thursday, December 31.

📍 Venue

Only Rosemont Pavilion is open to the public; the Rose Float Plaza South location in Irwindale is closed to the public this year.

Rosemont Pavilion

700 Seco St.

Pasadena, CA 91103

👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👦🏻‍👦🏻 Age Requirement

All ages are welcome.

🎟️ Tickets/Price

This is a paid event.

December 28 and 29: $26.50 per person

December 30: $31.50 per person

Children 5 and under are free.

Tickets are sold online only. No cash or credit card sales on site.

BUY DECORATING PLACES TICKETS

🍔 Food

Food trucks will be available in Lot I at the Rose Bowl.

🚙 Parking

Free first-come, first-served parking is available in the lots near Rosemont Pavilion and Jackie Robinson Baseball Field.

A rideshare drop-off zone is located in Lot H, off Seco Street and Rosemont Avenue.

A clear-bag policy is in effect.

🌐 Website Link

Tournament of Roses Decorating Places

🧭 Directions

Click on the “Google” map for directions.

📢 Disclaimer

Event listings are believed to be accurate at the time of posting, but details are subject to change without notice. Please confirm all details with the event organizer before attending. FUN WITH KIDS IN LA® is not liable for errors, omissions, or changes to listings in our calendar. Some events have paid us to be on our events calendar, and some events contain an affiliate link.