Grace Nicholson gave the building to the City of Pasadena in 1943 for art and cultural purposes, with the stipulation that she would retain her private rooms until her death. She shared the building with the Pasadena Art Institute until she passed away in 1948. In 1954, the Pasadena Art Institute changed its name to the Pasadena Art Museum and occupied the building until 1970, when it moved to its new location at Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards and became the Norton Simon Museum. The Pacificulture Foundation moved into the building in 1971. In 1987 the Foundation bought the structure once known as “The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art,” and subsequently became Pacific Asia Museum. In November 2013, the museum partnered with University of Southern California to become USC Pacific Asia Museum.