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The Window Seat

How to Get to the Rose Bowl: The Shuttle, the Metro, Parking and Getting Back

by Wanderu

Rose Bowl stadium entrance framed by palm trees

If you’re picturing the train pulling up at the stadium, it stops about two miles short, at Memorial Park in Old Pasadena. The Metro’s A Line gets you there from Union Station in 25 minutes for $1.75. Walk two blocks to Parsons on Walnut Street (that’s the one people mean by “the Rose Bowl shuttle”) and take the free shuttle from there. The last train back leaves Memorial Park at 12:11 AM. Most buses and trains from other cities arrive at Union Station, a stop on the A Line.

Heading to the Rose Bowl from out of town?

My event starts
Getting thereBe in downtown LA two hours before the startAbout 5 hours by bus to downtown LA. For an 8pm kickoff, leave Las Vegas by about 1:00pm.from $35
Getting homePlan to stay overBuses back to Vegas start around 6:30 AM.Buses and trains home

Off a bus near 7th St/Metro Center: Walk about 15 minutes to 7th St/Metro Center station, then the A Line north about 35 minutes to Memorial Park.Off a bus or train at Union Station: The A Line to Memorial Park, about 25 minutes for $1.75, then two blocks to Parsons for the free shuttle.

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Going to the Rose Bowl Game or Harry Styles? See What’s on.

What’s the best way to get to the Rose Bowl?

The best way to the Rose Bowl is the Metro A Line to Memorial Park, about 25 minutes from Union Station for $1.75, and the free shuttle from Parsons; driving means $38 to park at a 2026 UCLA game.

  • Metro + free shuttle

    Cost
    $1.75 a person each way
    The catch
    The last train back is 12:11 AM.

  • Park at the stadium

    Cost
    From $38 a car for a UCLA game
    The catch
    The lots take time to empty, and they’re card only.

  • Park at Parsons + shuttle

    Cost
    $24 a car for a UCLA game
    The catch
    You’re in the same shuttle line as everyone off the train.

  • Uber or Lyft

    Cost
    Metered; no set price
    The catch
    It can’t drop you at the stadium. You get out in Old Town and take the shuttle.

How does the Rose Bowl shuttle work?

The Rose Bowl shuttle is free and runs from the Parsons lot in Old Pasadena to Gate B, from 3 hours before a 2026 UCLA kickoff until about an hour after the game.

  • Where: Parsons, 100 W Walnut St, two blocks from Memorial Park station.
  • Concerts: the shuttle starts at 2:30 PM.

How do I get to the Rose Bowl by Metro?

  1. Take the A Line to Memorial Park. (Older pages call it the Gold Line.) It’s $1.75: tap a bank card, your phone or a TAP card, and transfers between lines are free for two hours, so one fare covers the trip from Koreatown or Hollywood.
  2. Walk two blocks to Parsons. Exit onto Holly Street, turn right, and cross Fair Oaks Avenue.
  3. Take the free shuttle to Gate B.

Getting there without a car

  • Union Station

    First move
    A Line north
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~25 min

  • Downtown (7th St/Metro Center)

    First move
    A Line north
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~35 min

  • Hollywood or Koreatown

    First move
    B or D Line to 7th St/Metro Center, then the A Line
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~45 min to an hour

  • Santa Monica

    First move
    E Line to 7th St/Metro Center, then the A Line
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~1h 25m

  • An airport hotel near LAX

    First move
    K Line, then the E Line to 7th St/Metro Center, then the A Line
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~1h 30m

  • Long Beach

    First move
    A Line north, one ride
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~1h 30m

  • San Gabriel Valley or Pomona

    First move
    A Line west, one ride
    Time to Memorial Park
    ~40 min

  • Staying in Pasadena

    First move
    A Line from Del Mar or Lake, one stop
    Time to Memorial Park
    A few minutes

On weekends, Pasadena’s Route 51 bus also runs near the stadium for 75 cents, but it stops at 8 PM on Saturdays and 5 PM on Sundays.

How much is parking at the Rose Bowl?

Parking at the Rose Bowl is $38 a car for a 2026 UCLA game if you buy ahead, and the stadium lots are card only.

Typical parking prices for each event

  • UCLA games

    Buy ahead
    $38
    On the day
    $44

  • The USC game

    Buy ahead
    $48
    On the day
    $59

  • Concerts

    Buy ahead
    $64
    On the day
    $75

How the lots work

  • Buying ahead: costs $6 to $11 less a car on the stadium’s parking page, and for the Rose Bowl Game it’s the only safe bet, since its parking sold out last season.
  • Lots open: Six hours before kickoff for games.
  • Where you park: on the golf course and ball fields around the stadium. RVs use West Drive.
  • Re-entry: none.
  • Getting out: the lots have to be empty 90 minutes after the end.
  • Tailgating: set up in front of or behind your car. No open flames, and no drinking in the lots once the game starts.

Parking at Parsons and taking the shuttle

Parsons, the lot in Old Pasadena, is $24 a car for UCLA games and $35 for concerts, and the shuttle from there to the stadium is free. You can prepay for concerts through LAZ. For UCLA games, you pay at the lot on game day.

Free option: Sierra Madre Villa station on the A Line has about 900 free spaces, 7 minutes by train from Memorial Park.

What a UCLA game costs your group if you start at Union Station

The Metro and shuttle there and back is $7 for two, $10.50 for three and $14 for four, against $24 a car at Parsons or $38 at the stadium whatever the group size, so the Metro costs less for any group up to six ($21 for six). Parking prices don’t include gas, and driving frees you from the last train.

  • Driving in from San Diego, three people: about $90 driving (gas plus Parsons) against about $250 by train and Metro.
  • Driving in from Las Vegas, three people: about $160 driving against about $350 by bus.
  • After a night game: the last train to San Diego leaves at 10:10 PM and the first bus to Las Vegas around 6:30 AM, so the train or bus means a night in Los Angeles while driving gets you home.
  • Cheapest of all: park free at Sierra Madre Villa station and take the A Line 7 minutes to Memorial Park, $10.50 for three round trip.

Figures checked September 2026: gas at California’s average and 25 mpg, fares at Wanderu’s medians.

How do you get back from the Rose Bowl after a game?

The last A Line from Memorial Park toward Union Station leaves at 12:11 AM every night, so after a late game at the Rose Bowl the trains can stop before the shuttle does.

The shuttle back to Parsons runs for about an hour after the end, and from there it’s two blocks to the station.

When to leave Memorial Park to make your connection

  • Union Station or downtown

    Leave Memorial Park by
    12:11 AM

  • Long Beach

    Leave Memorial Park by
    12:11 AM

  • Koreatown or Hollywood

    Leave Memorial Park by
    11:31 PM

  • Santa Monica

    Leave Memorial Park by
    11:51 PM

  • San Gabriel Valley or Pomona

    Leave Memorial Park by
    12:37 AM

  • LAX by train

    Leave Memorial Park by
    10:51 PM

These leave-by times are the same every night, New Year’s Day included, and late at night there’s a train about every 20 minutes. After an evening kickoff, the Koreatown and Hollywood connection usually goes before the game ends.

Buses and trains home: Las Vegas · San Diego · Bakersfield · Santa Barbara · San Francisco · Phoenix

How to get to the Rose Bowl from Las Vegas, San Diego and beyond

Buses from Las Vegas reach Los Angeles in about 5 hours and trains from San Diego in about 3, and most arrive at Union Station, where the A Line reaches Memorial Park in 25 minutes and the free shuttle covers the last two miles to the Rose Bowl.

  • Las Vegas

    Ride
    ~5 hours by bus
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $35
    Where you arrive
    Downtown near 7th St/Metro Center, or Union Station on Greyhound and FlixBus

  • San Diego

    Ride
    ~3 hours
    Fares from
    Trainsfrom $35Busesfrom $22
    Where you arrive
    Union Station, or downtown on some buses

  • Bakersfield

    Ride
    ~2.5 hours by bus
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $17
    Where you arrive
    Union Station on Greyhound and FlixBus, Van Nuys or Westwood on Amtrak buses

  • San Francisco

    Ride
    ~8 hours by bus
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $40Trainsfrom $46
    Where you arrive
    Union Station

  • Phoenix

    Ride
    ~7 hours by bus
    Fares from
    Busesfrom $39
    Where you arrive
    Union Station, or downtown near 7th St/Metro Center on Tufesa

  • Santa Barbara

    Ride
    ~3 hours by train
    Fares from
    Trainsfrom $25Busesfrom $16
    Where you arrive
    Union Station

  • Palm Springs

    Ride
    ~2 hours by bus, 4.5 by train
    Fares from
    Trainsfrom $18Busesfrom $22
    Where you arrive
    Union Station

If your bus stops downtown, 7th St/Metro Center station is about a 15-minute walk, and the A Line runs north from there.

Train fares barely change, but long bus trips can cost more at the last minute.

What airport is closest to the Rose Bowl?

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) is the closest to the Rose Bowl, about 15 miles away: Metrolink from Burbank Airport station to Union Station and then the A Line takes 65 to 80 minutes, and the last Metrolink back leaves around 7 to 8:40 PM.

From LAX, take the free shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then the K Line, the E Line and the A Line to Memorial Park, one $1.75 fare and about an hour and 45 minutes. The FlyAway bus also runs from LAX to Union Station about every 30 minutes.

  • Burbank (BUR)

    How to get to Memorial Park
    Metrolink from Burbank Airport station to Union Station, then the A Line
    About how long
    65 to 80 min
    Last train back to the airport
    Around 7 to 8:40 PM

  • LAX

    How to get to Memorial Park
    Free shuttle, then the K, E and A Lines
    About how long
    1h 45m
    Last train back to the airport
    Leave Memorial Park by 10:51 PM

  • Ontario (ONT)

    How to get to Memorial Park
    Free ONT Connect shuttle to Metrolink, change at Pomona, then the A Line
    About how long
    1h 45m to 2h 15m
    Last train back to the airport
    Around 9:40 PM

After a night game: the trains to all three airports have stopped, so take a rideshare from the Old Town pick-up zone, or stay over and ride out in the morning.

What’s on at the Rose Bowl in 2026 and 2027

The Rose Bowl has five more UCLA home games in fall 2026, the Rose Bowl Game on Jan 1, 2027, and Harry Styles for four nights in April and May 2027.

  • Sat, Oct 17UCLA vs. Wisconsin
  • Sat, Oct 24UCLA vs. Michigan State
  • Sat, Oct 31UCLA vs. Nevada
  • Fri, Nov 13UCLA vs. Illinois, 6 PMA Friday night game.
  • Sat, Nov 28UCLA vs. USCParking is $48 in advance, $59 on the day.
  • Fri, Jan 1, 2027Rose Bowl GameA College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
  • Apr 23, 24, 30 and May 1, 2027Harry Styles
  • Second Sunday of each monthRose Bowl Flea MarketTickets are online only.

UCLA kickoff times are set closer to each game.

Rose Bowl Game, Friday, Jan 1, 2027. The kickoff window comes out on Selection Day, Dec 6. The Rose Parade runs down Colorado Boulevard that morning, a few blocks from Memorial Park, so expect crowds and closed streets.

Heading to more games on the road? See our guide to college football stadiums, or how to get to Soldier Field, Lumen Field, Levi’s Stadium, Camping World Stadium, Reliant Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and State Farm Stadium.

Frequently asked questions

How early should I get to the Rose Bowl?

Gates at the Rose Bowl open 90 minutes before a UCLA kickoff, the shuttle starts 3 hours before kickoff and the lots open six hours before if you want to tailgate. For concerts, the gates open at 5 PM and the shuttle starts at 2:30 PM.

Where is the Uber drop-off for the Rose Bowl?

For UCLA games and concerts, Uber and Lyft drop off and pick up at the Rose Bowl’s zone in Old Town Pasadena rather than at the stadium. From there, walk to Parsons on Walnut Street and take the free shuttle.

Is parking free at the Rose Bowl?

The Rose Bowl’s own lots aren’t free: stadium parking is $38 for a UCLA game and Parsons is $24, but Sierra Madre Villa station on the A Line has about 900 free spaces, 7 minutes by train from Memorial Park.

How far is the Rose Bowl from the Metro?

The Rose Bowl is about two miles from Memorial Park station, and the free shuttle covers the last stretch.

“From” fares refresh from Wanderu’s route data and show the cheapest fare recently available on that route. Metro, shuttle and parking figures are published prices checked September 2026.

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About the author

Wanderu

Wanderu

We’re the conductors of content, engineers of engagement, and the ticket to your next great read here at Wanderu. From crafting express guides to deep-dive studies, we’re all aboard the storytelling train. Fueled by coffee, memes, and a one-way ticket to inspiration, we’re here to keep your wanderlust rolling. Hop on – we’re making every stop worth your time!