I’ve you ever driven (or walked) on South Arroyo Boulevard, near Lower Arroyo Park about a half-mile south of the Colorado Street Bridge, you might have heard the whizzing sound of arrows flying from bows coming from the Pasadena Roving Archers, also known as the Lower Arroyo Archery Range. For over 85 years, the non-profit organization has been teaching archery skills to residents of the San Gabriel Valley, Olympians and even some celebrities — one of its instructors taught the cast of James Cameron’s “Avatar” — and next month it will celebrate being recognized by state and national officials for its historical significance.
| Photos courtesy of Pasadena Roving Archers
The Lower Arroyo Archery range, which was created in 1936 by the Pasadena Roving Archers, is the oldest surviving, continuously operating field archery range in the United States, and the Pasadena Roving Archers is one of the oldest continuously operating field archery clubs in California. Adding to its storied history, the range was listed as a historic landmark on the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 20, 2020, and as a result was also listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.
In honor of these awards, the group will be hosting a public celebration commemorating the date on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. on the main range located at 415 S. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. The celebration will include speakers from the community and a range of different archers, a demonstration of various archery forms and skills, a display of archery history and accomplishments of archers on the Arroyo and the state, as well as light refreshments.
