30 Best Sights in The Inland Empire, California

The shrine houses the largest collection of Abraham Lincoln artifacts on the West Coast. You can view a marble bust of Lincoln by sculptor George Grey Barnard, along with more than a dozen letters and rare pamphlets. The gift shop sells many books, toys, and reproductions pertaining to the Civil War.

Exhibits here explain the area's flora and fauna, and staffers provide maps and camping and hiking information. You can sign up for canoe and kayak tours of Big Bear Lake or naturalist-led tours of the Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve in spring and summer or snowshoe excursions in winter. The center is also the starting point for Cougar Crest Trail and the paved Alpine Pedal Path Trail. 

Founded in 1927 by Susanna Bixby Bryant, a wealthy landowner and conservationist, the garden is dedicated to the preservation of native California plant species. You can meander here for hours enjoying the shade of an oak tree canopy or take a guided tour of the grounds, whose 86 acres of ponds and greenery shelter California wild lilacs, big berry manzanitas, four-needled piñons, and other specimens. Countless bird species also live here.  Guided tram tours are offered the third Sunday of the month (reserve by the 15th of the preceding month).

The crown jewel of Riverside is the Mission Inn, a Spanish-Revival hotel whose elaborate turrets, clock tower, mission bells, and flying buttresses rise above downtown. Taking his cues from the Spanish missions in San Gabriel and Carmel, architect Arthur B. Benton designed the initial wing, which opened in 1903. Locals G. Stanley Wilson and Peter Weber are credited with the grand fourth section, the Rotunda Wing, completed in 1931.

You can climb to the top of its five-story spiral stairway, or linger in the Courtyard of the Birds, where a tinkling fountain and shady trees invite meditation. If a wedding isn't taking place, you can also peek inside the St. Francis Chapel, where celebrities such as Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and Richard and Pat Nixon tied the knot before the Mexican cedar altar. Ten U.S. presidents have patronized the Presidential Lounge, a bright, wood-panel bar.

Docents of the Mission Inn Foundation, whose museum contains displays depicting the building's illustrious history, lead guided tours. On occasion, Friends of the Mission Inn ( www.friendsofthemissioninn.com) host silent movie nights with music played by the pipe organ in the Ball Room. 

What started as an apple shed has become a 14-acre fun park and plaza with eateries, a petting zoo, a candy store, a creamery, train rides, shops, trout fishing, gold panning, local artisans, archery, a cider mill, and more. Be sure to grab a fresh-baked apple pie from Apple Annie’s Bakery. Some activities are seasonal.

In summer, beat the heat by slipping down the dual waterslide or breezing down the twisting Olympic-style bobsled course. The facility also has an 18-hole miniature golf course, a mountain coaster, and go-karts. The arcade and snack shack make this the type of place families can spend an entire day.  Winter highlights include inner tubing down the hill, which is lit up at night, and taking the Magic Carpet lift back up.

Franciscan Fathers built the mission in 1819, but it functioned as one for only a few years. In 1834 it became part of a rancho and later served as a school and a factory. The current mission is a replica. The landscaped courtyard contains an old Spanish mission bell, and one building holds a small museum.

This teaching museum exhibits contemporary art, works by old masters, and American Indian art and artifacts. The new building, opened in 2021, is its own work of art designed by Machado Silvetti. Among the 18,000 items spanning 22 centuries are a mural by Mexican artist José Clemente Orozco, first-edition Goya etchings, and 15th- and 16th-century Italian panel paintings. 

This rescue and rehabilitation center specializes in animals native to the San Bernardino Mountains. Its residents may include black and (non-native) grizzly bears, bald eagles, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, snow leopards, and bobcats.

The 25-passenger paddle wheeler Big Bear Cruzer departs from here on 90-minute lake tours ($22). The marina also rents fishing boats, Jet Skis, kayaks, and paddleboards.

One of Temecula's oldest wineries is centered on a stunning steel-and-glass cube with vineyard views all around. Callaway made its reputation with Chardonnay, but these days is also known for Roussanne, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The winery's Meritage Restaurant specializes in tapas, salads, and sandwiches.

College walking tours, architecture tours, and art tours are conducted quarterly by Claremont Heritage. The organization gives 2½-hour guided walking tours ($10) by reservation. Self-guided tour maps can be found on the group's website.

This Italian-Argentine wine-making family with a 30-acre property at the Temecula Valley's northeastern edge takes a passionate and quirky approach. Winemaker Damian Doffo and his father, Marcelo, play music for their vines, whose grapes go into small-lot wines, among them a rich Syrah and the signature Malbec, from estate grapes. Tastings of these and other wines take place inside a refurbished garage. The family's racing and vintage motorcycles, which guests can view on free self-guided walking tours, are displayed in an open-air showroom nearby.

Just outside of Oak Glen, this museum features late 16th to early 19th century European, Indian, and Asian works of art. Founder Dean Stout designed the interior to resemble a home with seven historic rooms including a library with over 2,700 books from the 17th to the 19th centuries. After visiting the museum, stroll the grounds to enjoy the koi pond, garden maze, and the popular Legacy Rose Garden.

Though all of this luxury wine resort's dining, lodging, winery, and other components won't be completed for a few years, a pleasant tasting room here serves wines made from French, Spanish, and Italian varietals. The selections range from Vermentino, Albariño, and other light whites to reds like Syrah and Primitivo. Winemaker dinners take place in the village, which also presents live music on some weekend nights.

At the center you can learn about the area's Native American and natural history. Outside are several miles of hiking trails, plus biking and equestrian trails and picnic areas. The park is pet friendly.

In 1897 Cornelia A. Hill built what's now Kimberly Crest House and Gardens to mimic the châteaus of France's Loire Valley. Surrounded by orange groves, lily ponds, and terraced Italian gardens, the mansion has a French-revival parlor, a mahogany staircase, a glass-mosaic fireplace, and a bubbling fountain in the form of Venus rising from the sea. Alfred and Helen Kimberly, founders of the Kimberly-Clark Paper Company, purchased the estate in 1905, and their daughter, Mary, lived here until 1979. Most of the 22 rooms are in original condition.

Bordeaux and Rhône blends are the specialties of this 20-acre hilltop estate with magnificent views of Cabernet Sauvignon vines. If it's available, try the winemaker's pride and joy, the SS Grand Mélange (Grand Blend), made from the traditional Rhône combo of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsaut. Winery tours take in the vineyards and the wine-making areas. The tours require a reservation, as do wine-and-food pairing sessions that might include fruits and cheeses or, in the case of dessert wines, chocolates. Leoness's popular French-inspired restaurant is open Friday through Sunday.

Temecula's hippest winery sits high on a hilltop. Rhône-style whites (including the Four Torch Blanc blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne) and reds like the estate Syrah and Opulente blend of Tempranillo, Alicante Bouschet, and Touriga Nacional are the strong suits, though the Tempranillo and rosé have their partisans. Taste inside at the casual bistro or outside on the deck, perhaps with an artisanal cheese plate. On Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 10, the winery goes into party mode with drinks, music, and dancing that spill into the vineyards. For an afternoon party, drop by on Sunday when DJs spin from 3 to 6 pm. 

One of the original Temecula Valley wineries, opened in 1969, Mount Palomar introduced Sangiovese, a varietal that has proven perfectly suited to the region's soil and climate. New owners have transformed the homey winery into a grand Mediterranean villa with acres of gardens and trees, turning it into an award-winning wedding and event venue. The Sangiovese is worth a try, as are the Solera Cream Sherry (ask how it's made) and the popular Cloudburst, an inky red blend with Petit Verdot and Tannat. The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday for lunch and dinner and there's live music Friday through Sunday from 1--4 pm.

This 909-acre preserve encompasses the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden, the Children’s Outdoor Discovery Center, and the Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm. Three well-marked trails—ranging from 2 to 4.8 miles—wind past ponds, streams, wetlands, oak and pine forests, chaparral, and willow woodland.

The original wooden schoolhouse (circa 1889) was replaced by this two-story stone structure in 1927, and it continued operating as a school until 1965. Today, it's a museum with vintage desks, blackboards, textbooks, a 48-star American flag, and artifacts dating from the 1880s. Outside the museum is a playground and picnic area.

For a bit of old-fashioned fun, head to Old Town Temecula, where turn-of-the-20th-century-style storefronts and boardwalks extend for 12 blocks. Along with dozens of restaurants and boutiques, there are antiques stores, tasting rooms, hip brewpubs, a performing arts center and jazz club, and art galleries.

If you have the kids along, check out the fictional 7,500-square-foot workshop of Professor Phineas T. Pennypickle, PhD. This elaborately decorated children's museum is filled with secret passageways, machines, wacky contraptions, and time-travel inventions.

Take one of the two-hour tours offered daily to get the most out of your visit.

Lush gardens and more than 300 acres of vineyards provide a rustic, elegant setting at Ponte, whose small-lot bottlings range from sparkling wines and light whites to very fine Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec reds. Another favorite in the light-filled tasting room is the flagship Super T wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon–Sangiovese blend. To find out how the wines are made, take the Premium Tour ($85) by electric bus of the vineyards and production facility. The tour (reservation required) concludes with a wine and cheese tasting. The shaded outdoor Restaurant at Ponte serves salads, wood-fired pizzas, and seafood daily for lunch, and on Friday and Saturday for dinner.

Employees dress in period costumes at this interactive, kid-friendly ranch. Riley's hosts school groups from September to June, and individuals can join the groups by reservation for tours on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Gold Rush, homesteading, and colonial farm life. You can hop on a hayride, take part in a barn dance, pick your own apples, press some cider, or throw a tomahawk while enjoying living-history performances. The farm is also home to Colonial Chesterfield, a replica New England–style estate where costumed 18th-century reenactors offer lessons in cider pressing, candle dipping, colonial games, and etiquette. 

Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan designed this museum that houses a significant collection of works by Robert Williams, Takashi Murakami, Shag, Käthe Kollwitz, James Gurney, Marc Chagall, Millard Sheets, Shepard Fairey, Corita Kent, and Don O’Neill. In 2022, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture joined the museum to showcase Chicano art in the form of paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by artists including Patssi Valdez, Sandy Rodriguez, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, and Gilbert “Magú” Luján.

Opened as a produce stand along I–15 in 1974, Tom's Farms has grown to include a locally popular hamburger stand, a furniture showroom, a sweets shop, and a popcorn shop with fudge and candy apples. You can still buy produce here, but the big draws are various weekend attractions for children: tractor driving, Tom's mining company, a petting zoo, a children's train, a pony ride, free magic shows, a pirate ship, a Ferris wheel, a bounce house, and an old-style carousel. Most cost a modest fee. Of interest for adults is the wine-and-cheese shop, which has more than 300 varieties of wine.

With a collection that includes thousands of Kodak Brownie and Zeiss Ikon cameras, this museum—the centerpiece of UCR ARTS—surveys the history of photography and the devices that produced it. Exhibitions, some of contemporary images, others historically oriented, are always top-notch and often incorporate photographs from the permanent collection of works by Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and other greats. The museum also hosts films, performances, and other cultural events. 

One of Temecula's busiest tasting rooms sits amid inviting parklike grounds. Wilson Creek is known for its Almond sparkling wine, but it also produces appealing still wines. Among these the Petite Sirah, Viognier, reserve Merlot, white Cabernet Sauvignon, and bourbon-barrel Zinfandel all merit a taste. For the premier Library Collection, reservations are recommended for tastings.