Riverside Tourist Information and Tourism

(Riverside, California - CA, USA)



Being located in Southern California and so close to Los Angeles and the Moreno Valley really is a big part of Riverside's overall appeal. However, you needn't feel that you will have to venture into LA to enjoy a holiday here, with Riverside offering plenty in the way of history, tourism appeal, attractive buildings, dining experiences and appealing neighborhoods, not to mention sunny arid Californian weather and an important state university.

Riverside earned its simplistic name many years ago, since it originally grew up around the banks of the Santa Ana River. Today, it actually belongs to the Greater Los Angeles area and is perhaps best remembered as being the place where California's lucrative citrus industry was born, with its California Citrus State Historic Park being well worth a look, coming with a visitors center and numerous huge orange orchard groves.

To get the most out of your visit, it is sensible to pay a visit to the Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau when you arrive, to pick up the latest tourist information and find out what's on in town during your holiday. The city's Dickens Festival each February is especially popular with literary buffs, being followed by an International Film Festival in April, a classic Indian Pow Wow in May, and Oktoberfest celebrations at nearby Big Bear Lake at the end of September.





Riverside Tourist Information and Tourism: Top Sights

Tourists will find that their are lots of open-air attractions spread around Riverside, allowing you to make the most of the dry climate and beautiful countryside scenery. Mount Rubidoux Park is one place to look out for on a sunny day, with its mountain offering impressive views all the way to Corona and the Moreno Valley, while the tranquil University of California Riverside Botanical Gardens attraction boasts more than 3,500 different plant species and an enviable setting at the base of the Box Springs Mountain.

Families with children may like to spend a day riding on the rollercoasters and fairground-style rides at the Castle Park amusement park, finishing off the day at one of Riverside's two drive-in movie theaters (Rubidoux and Van Buren). Alternatively, you may like to check out what's on at the Fox Performing Arts Center (Riverside Fox Theater), which interestingly is most famous for being the first cinema on the planet to screen award-winning movie blockbuster 'Gone With The Wind' in 1939. More information about Riverside Tourist Attractions.

When it comes to landmarks in Riverside, the Mission Inn does rather steal the show, with this historic hotel featuring an eclectic mixture of architecture styles and said to be the biggest Mission Revival style building standing in the whole of America. An ornate and imposing Beaux Arts exterior can be expected if you choose to check out the Riverside County Historic Courthouse, and at the City Hall is a public library with an enormous collection of books - the third-largest in the Southwest.

Located close to the City Hall is the Main Street Pedestrian Mall, where the aptly named Antique Clock Tower dates from 1908 and has been relocated many times during its first century of life. There are also numerous churches in the city that are designated as official landmarks, such as the Universalist Unitarian Church on Mission Inn Avenue and its neighboring First Congregational Church. More information about Riverside Landmarks and Monuments.

There are far more museums here than most visitors and tourists expect, with plenty of different subject matters being covered and information ready to be imparted. A reliable first port of call is the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM) on Mission Inn Avenue, which was established way back in 1924 and today manages to boast in excess of 100,000 artifacts from the world of anthropology, history and natural science. Also located on Mission Inn Avenue is the Riverside Art Museum, which opened here in the 1960s and occupies the former building of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). More information about Riverside Museums.

There are many possible day trips that present themselves to tourists on vacation in Riverside, and if you have invested in a rental car, you can make full use of the plentiful freeways and interstates that pass by the city. Of course, any excursion to the bright and exciting lights of Los Angeles is something of a must, with its famous Hollywood sign, its enormous zoo, its Walt Disney Concert Hall and its regular baseball games held at the Dodger Stadium. The Californian city of Anaheim is even closer and famous for being the birthplace of the iconic Disneyland theme park and its Mickey Mouse parades. From Riverside, Anaheim Hills, the Chino Hills State Park, Corona, Dana Point, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Seal Beach are all quite easily reached by either car or public transport. In Long Beach, the star tourist attractions include both the Aquarium of the Pacific and the RMS Queen Mary, a retired ocean liner, larger and more luxurious than the ill-fated RMS Titanic. More information about Riverside Attractions Nearby.

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Riverside, USA - Information and Tourism - Last updated 7/9/2019 - gprofile - Google+

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