Pasadena (păs´´әdē´nә). 1 City (1990 pop. 131,591), Los Angeles co., S Calif., at the base of the San Gabriel Mts.; inc. 1866. The city is a research and technological center with manufactures that include plastics, paints, paper, machinery parts, electronic equipment and systems, medical supplies, and computers. Pasadena is the scene of the annual Tournament of Roses and of the postseason college football game held (Jan. 1) in the Rose Bowl (seating 100,000 spectators). The city is also the seat of the California Institute of Technology (with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and Pacific Oaks College. It has a symphony orchestra; a community playhouse; the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens; the Norton Simon Museum; the Pacific Asia Museum; and several gardens noted for their rare flora. Mt. Wilson Observatory is nearby.