Jackie and Mack Robinson Memorial

A great spot and the memorial is nice. A great memorial for a great family. Will always be in history. Check it out if you get a chance. The area is nice. I like the location so much. Safe and clean.

I have to say, I’ve never seen a memorial quite like this before. Two huge heads in front of the Pasadena City Hall. It’s… remarkable.
Not that there shouldn’t BE memorials to these two outstanding sons of Pasadena, just that two huge heads seems a bit unusual.
Still, it was interesting to stop because while I have heard of Jackie Robinson, I had no idea about Mack. So I learned something today!

What a lovely gesture on Jackie and Mack Robinson, two venerable athletes, both of whom I did not know went to school in Pasadena before going off to college and then on to what history remembers them for (notably Jackie Robinson).
The two giant sized head-​statues are located right by City Hall. I noticed them for the first time while walking to the Memorial Park Gold Line metro station. Benifiting from the picturesque Pasadena City Hall, the two giant bronze heads are an excellent easy venue to appreciate and it’s a great history lesson to kids. It’s open to the public and a significant addition to an already wonderful centralized area for the community.
Take the time to read the engravings and learn a bit more about both these figures and what they’ve contributed. I think Pasadena is incredibly fortunate to claim both of them as being a significant part of the city’s history.
The previous review was quite thorough on the history of both Jackie and Mack Robinson and I’ll just refer to that Unilocaler’s generous post for more information on them.
A great place to walk around, touch the giant bronze statues, sit on the bench. .. and appreciate the great, positive things that people can do.

I had no idea this was here. The other reviews are thorough, but I just want to agree and add that walking around DOES bring you more experiences in life. I saw the heads from City Hall, and wandered over to investigate. Jackie Robinson!!! I LOVE this guy. I had no idea who his brother was, so I learned something.
Be sure to look at the back of their heads. Amazing art etchings.
If you come to the area — you should stop over and explore. Super nice memorial to 2 great American athletes.

The Jackie and Mack Robinson Memorial is located across from Pasadena City Hall in an effort to remind the public of their presence in Pasadena during their formative years, already stated by the first Unilocaler. Apparently, except for certain periods of time, brother Mack did not move from Pasadena whereas brother Jackie eventually sought his paths elsewhere. This relationship is expressed in the placement of the bronze sculptures: Mack faces the City Hall, Jackie faces eastward.
Dedicated November 6, 1997, the bronze heads each weigh 2700 pounds, in dimensions are 9 feet by 6 feet by 7 feet. As a visual reminder of their years in Cairo, GA before their family move to Pasadena is the placement of flowering peach trees surrounding the edges of this park.
On the granite bench adjacent to Jackie’s sculptural head are his words incised
Life is not a spectator sport…
If you’re going to spend your whole life
in the grandstand just watching what goes on
in my opinion you’re wasting your time
On the granite bench adjacent to Mack’s sculptural head are his words incised
Athletes should recognize
that once they establish themselves
people will attempt to pattern their lives
after their sportsheroes
Sitting on either granite bench, it is a natural response to touch the individual letters, thereby making the moment more poignant. Later, I observed a 20 something Afro-​American man relate to the words by touching them. That was amazing to watch.
On the rear of the sculptural heads are words and images relevant to each man engraved in the bronze. It is more difficult to have a close relationship with those words and images, in the shadows of the late afternoon, given the darkness of the bronze. Perhaps surrounding partial enclosures or plaques with these factoids and imagery would have been more effective. At the same time, it is understandable why the heads were designed as they were when detached from the environment of the park itself.
Jackie (1-​31-​1919 to 10-​24-​1972) was the first black to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. To learn more about his life, consult en,
Another Pasadena place well worth to visit in order to see artifacts and displays connected with Jackie Robinson, refer to
Mack (7-​18-​1914 to 3-​12-​2000) was noted for his silver medal in the 200 m. dash, 0.4 seconds after Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Pasadena places which honor Mack Robinson are the stadium at Pasadena City College and the new Post Office. To learn more about Mack Robinson, consult
To access the Jackie and Mack Robinson Memorial, ample public parking is available or using the Gold Line, the stop is Memorial Park in Pasadena.

The things you find when walking around is one reason everyone should get out of the car and walk.
I found this memorial to Jackie and Mack Robinson.
Apparently both attended a local high school and went to PCC before heading to University of Oregon (Mack) and UCLA (Jackie)
Mack won a silver in the Olympics in track and Jackie… well. do I really need to tell you… ok for those that don’t know he was either the first or one of the first black players in baseball.
It is located next to city hall.