Imagine wandering around the Gamble House, flashlight in hand, shining a bright beam on the carvings in the living room friezes and peering into closets and bathrooms.

These are not the sorts of liberties you generally get to take on a tour of the famed Arts and Crafts home in Pasadena.

Once a month though, rules are relaxed a bit for the “Behind the Velvet Ropes� tour, a 2 1/2-hour intimate look at the National Historic Landmark.

Each visitor gets a flashlight. The docent dons a pair of white cotton gloves. And even though the everyday rule is no touching anything by anyone -- even the guides -- he opens doors and drawers as he takes you through room after room.

For my latest City Beat, I go poking around in the Gamble House. Get the whole story here.

And check out the photos and video I sent out on Twitter:

Behind the velvet ropes at the Gamble House

The Gamble House in Pasadena is an Arts and Crafts beauty and a National Historic Landmark. A special tour lets you go behind the velvet ropes and see things other visitors can’t.

Storified by LA Times City Beat· Sat, Mar 23 2013 18:51:12

For my latest City Beat, I visit the Gamble House in Pasadena to go on an especially intimate tour.LA Times City Beat
Come along on my visit to the Gamble House. Sending out photos and a video now.LA Times City Beat
Most tours of the Gamble House last about an hour. You peer into rooms closed off by a velvet rope: pic.twitter.com/1z5EeZLd6tLA Times City Beat
The “Behind the Velvet Ropes� tour, offered once a month, is special. You get flashlights and... pic.twitter.com/mrd0fhjFqRLA Times City Beat
the velvet ropes come down: pic.twitter.com/PXoghIrHEBLA Times City Beat
You get to walk around the rooms that you normally view from outside: pic.twitter.com/rgytI1Fp09LA Times City Beat
You see things you would otherwise miss, like this carving of an owl in the living room: pic.twitter.com/zHHSD6hwK1LA Times City Beat
On ordinary tours, even the guides don’t touch anything. On this one, they wear white cotton gloves... pic.twitter.com/399btfup3yLA Times City Beat
and open doors to show you hidden secrets: pic.twitter.com/BSzPoAQE08LA Times City Beat
The house is full of beauty: pic.twitter.com/OHMOCFm7xxLA Times City Beat
On this special tour, our group had it all to ourselves for a stretch: pic.twitter.com/viqX1kW71kLA Times City Beat
Our wonderful docent, Michael Murray, opened a window for us in the dining room: pic.twitter.com/GvkCkzZIZlLA Times City Beat
He let us see inside writing desks and secret panels in the walls: pic.twitter.com/5aoV5J8wAlLA Times City Beat
In the middle, we got cookies and lemonade: pic.twitter.com/yesGQoI2qcLA Times City Beat
Upstairs, we got to walk into bathrooms... pic.twitter.com/sjTw2a5m56LA Times City Beat
though the warnings were clear: pic.twitter.com/3C8gcsDXphLA Times City Beat
We took in the views from the sleeping porches: pic.twitter.com/dt8uLO3StxLA Times City Beat
You could see the Rose Bowl from one of them: pic.twitter.com/E2su71Q9ytLA Times City Beat
Video of docent Michael Murray talking about the Gamble House and the “Behind the Velvet Ropes� tour:
“Behind the Velvet Ropes� at the Gamble Houselatimescitybeat
For more on tours of the Gamble House, visit gamblehouse.org.LA Times City Beat
And read all about the Gamble House tour in my latest City Beat: lat.ms/16QuIilLA Times City Beat

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