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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