History of Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena

In the early 1880’s, John P. Woodbury, one of the Woodbury brothers who founded Altadena, was captivated by a stand of deodar cedar trees he saw while traveling in Italy. John told his brother Fredrick about their great beauty and suggested that they might make a good boarder for one of the streets in their new development. Fredrick contacted the USDA in Washington D.C. to find out if the deodars would grow well in Altadena. The answer was yes, so Fred ordered some seeds from them. In 1883 the seeds were germinated in cold frames on the ranch site where the Community Center now stands. They grew very well for two years. They were balled, and transplanted to the lane in the Spring of 1885.

By 1885, the deodars were transplanted along what would become Santa Rosa Avenue, intended as a driveway leading to Woodbury’s future estate. Although the mansion was never built, the trees thrived — and the vision he planted would take on a new kind of legacy.

In 1920, Altadena resident and Pasadena businessman Frederick C. Nash had an idea: string festive lights through the towering deodars to celebrate the holiday season and attract shoppers to his department store. With support from the Pasadena Kiwanis Club and the City of Pasadena, a quarter-mile of trees were lit that December — creating a dazzling new local tradition.

In the years that followed, the display expanded to cover nearly the entire mile, eventually illuminating 150 trees. Locals began calling the stretch “Christmas Tree Street”, and it became a beloved annual drive-through experience, with cars lined up bumper to bumper along the twinkling Lane.

By the 1927 holiday season, the newly formed Altadena Kiwanis Club introduced a touching tradition: giving less fortunate children rides down the Lane so they could experience the wonder of the lights. Attendance grew, with more than 50,000 vehicles visiting the Lane each year, a number that remains remarkably steady even today.

Tom Hoag, the Woodbury Ranch foreman who helped plant the original trees, was honored with the role of “pulling the switch” at each lighting ceremony until his passing in the mid-1940s. The Lane went dark during the winters of 1943 and 1944, not due to wartime blackouts, but to conserve electricity during low snowpack years.

It was during the postwar era that postcards began using the phrase “Christmas Tree Lane”, and the name stuck.

In 1990, Christmas Tree Lane was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as California State Landmark No. 990. The review noted its unique cultural contribution, bringing together two new 20th-century phenomena: automobile tourism and outdoor electric lighting. It remains the only botanical landmark on the California State Registry.

When Altadena voters rejected annexation into Pasadena in 1956, the city stepped back from involvement with the Lane. In response, local residents formed the Christmas Tree Lane Association (CTLA), a volunteer-run nonprofit that has carried the torch (and the lights) ever since.

CTLA volunteers:

String and remove over 10,000 lights every year

Maintain aging infrastructure and electrical grids

Clear brush and care for the trees

Coordinate the annual Lighting Ceremony

Fundraise year-round to cover utility bills, insurance, and supplies

Thanks to their efforts and the support of community members like you, Christmas Tree Lane has continued to shine every holiday season for over a century.

Each December, the Lane is officially lit at the Annual Lighting Ceremony on the first Saturday of the month. Thousands of visitors gather for music, food, performances, and a countdown that ends in a canopy of lights.

Local choirs sing, marching bands perform, vendors serve hot cocoa—and of course, Santa Claus makes his appearance.

It’s more than just lights.
It’s a living tradition.
And it’s powered by the heart of a community.

In 2020, Christmas Tree Lane marked its 100th anniversary, a milestone year that coincided with the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the in-person Lighting Ceremony was canceled for the first time in decades, the Altadena Library District and Altadena Historical Society partnered with the Christmas Tree Lane Association to create a virtual celebration honoring the Lane’s rich history and enduring community spirit. This video series captures the stories, legacy, and local pride that have kept the Lane glowing for over a century.

Watch the full playlist below to relive the centennial and explore the Lane’s past and present.