Welcome to Riverside!

Riverside Has All the Best That Southern California Can Offer!

All the best Southern California has to offer is a convenient drive from Riverside’s vibrant downtown village: wonderful attractions including Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, Raging Waters and the California Speedway.  Walk to the top of Riverside’s most historic landform, Mount Rubidoux, and from this vantage point, clearly many of the best things to see and do in Southern California are also in Riverside!

Great golfing abounds at six public golf courses and four private courses, and for outdoor enthusiasts – adventure beckons in the nearby mountains with year-round hiking and mountain biking, plus skiing and snowboarding in winter.  Aficionados of nature and a peaceful retreat, will enjoy the University of California, Riverside (UCR) Botanic Gardens.  Meanwhile, families of all ages will find acres of fun at Castle Park and Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom. 

The arts are alive in Riverside with an eclectic mix of art, music and song. Anchoring Riverside’s colorful downtown district are numerous art galleries as well as the Riverside Art Museum with its bold programming and commitment to upcoming artists, and the nationally acclaimed UCR/California Museum of Photography.

Riverside’s performing arts scene includes the Riverside County Philharmonic, frequently showcasing the work of new cutting edge composers; Performance Riverside, heralded as one of the finest producers of musical theatre in Southern California; the California Riverside Ballet, boasting promising young talent and innovative choreography; the Riverside Community Players; Riverside Master Chorale; and Ballet Folklorico de Riverside with its exceptional blend of authentic costumes and choreography.

History also lives on in Riverside at the Riverside Municipal Museum, the Victorian Heritage House, the Mission Inn Museum, the Jensen Alvarado Ranch and at the California Citrus State Historic Park, a testament to Southern California’s citrus legacy.  Also nearby are March Field Air Museum, Orange Empire Railway Museum, the Sherman Indian Museum and Riverside National Cemetery with an informative Medal of Honor Memorial. Architecture buffs will appreciate Riverside’s many historic structures including the Benedict Castle, Fox Theater, First Congregational Church, the Mission Inn, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, and the Universalist-Unitarian Church.  Of broad appeal is Riverside’s Victoria Avenue.  Acknowledged as one of California’s great historic avenues, the 7-mile divided boulevard is lined with palms, eucalyptus and old-fashioned rose gardens, and bordered by orange groves.

Shopping and dining are two favorite pastimes of visitors to Riverside particularly upon discovering the beauty and charm of Downtown.  A fantastic variety of unique specialty shops, one of the largest antique and collectibles districts in Inland Southern California and more than 60 restaurant choices (from fine, full-service to on-the-go) provide a variety of intriguing options for all!  The district also features the Downtown Wireless Mall that provides free high-speed wireless Internet access to anyone with a laptop computer or PDA with wireless capabilities.  Riverside also offers additional shopping and dining alternatives, and entertainment at the new Riverside Plaza, the Galleria at Tyler, Ontario Victoria Gardens, and at University Village.

Underscoring the best Riverside has to offer are Riverside Wednesday Nights featuring a farmers’ market, vendors and crafters, as well as special events throughout the year including the Riverside Dickens Festival, Riverside International Film Festival (RIFF), Riverside Air Show, Viva la Riverside! Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Independence Day Celebration, Riverside Jazz Festival (RJF), Fiesta de la Familia, Ghostwalk Riverside, Orange Blossom Holiday Village, Downtown Aglow and the renowned Mission Inn Festival of Lights.