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THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Pasadena in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

Hale Solar Laboratory

 
 
Hale Solar Laboratory Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, June 22, 2020
1. Hale Solar Laboratory Marker
Inscription.
Hale Solar Laboratory has been designated a National Historic Landmark. This property possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America.
 
Erected 1989 by National Park Service.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks series list.
 
Location. 34° 7.994′ N, 118° 7.278′ W. Marker is in Pasadena, California, in Los Angeles County. It can be reached from Holladay Road south of Lombardy Road, on the left when traveling south. The marker is located on private property, not open to the public. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 740 Holladay Rd, Pasadena CA 91106, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically,
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it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tournament Park (approx. Ό mile away); Hameetman Center (approx. 0.3 miles away); Karman Laboratory of Fluid Dynamics and Jet Propulsion (approx. 0.3 miles away); Throop Memorial Garden (approx. 0.3 miles away); The First Known Antiparticle (approx. 0.3 miles away); William Morris Davis, 1850-1930 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Iris Garden (approx. 0.4 miles away); Beckman pH Meter (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pasadena.
 
Regarding Hale Solar Laboratory. Built in 1923, this was the laboratory of astronomer George Ellery Hale (1868-1938), a pioneer in the development of astrophysics.
After retiring as director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hale built this laboratory as his office and workshop, pursuing his interest in the sun. The observatory was where Hale refined the spectrohelioscope, making it possible to perform detailed observations of the surface of the sun. Hale also contributed to the founding of the California Institute
Hale Solar Laboratory Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, June 22, 2020
2. Hale Solar Laboratory Marker
of Technology, the Mount Wilson Observatory, and the Palomar Observatory.
The solar laboratory with its research instruments and library still exists, unused. It is located behind a private residence and not open to the public.
 
Hale Solar Laboratory and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, June 22, 2020
3. Hale Solar Laboratory and Marker
The marker is to the left of the driveway, located behind the private residence. The laboratory building is hidden behind the trees.
View From the Street image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker, June 22, 2020
4. View From the Street
Nothing can be seen from the street. This is private property.
Hale Solar Laboratory - 1923 image. Click for full size.
Huntington Library Collections
5. Hale Solar Laboratory - 1923
Edwin Hubble House image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Baker
6. Edwin Hubble House
Located nearby, at 1340 Woodstock Rd, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 862 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 30, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.   6. submitted on February 12, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
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Jul. 5, 2026