Things To Do With Family In Riverside, California
Riverside, California is a lively city in the middle of the state, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Riverside has a lot of things for families to see and do. It has a lot of history, interesting buildings, and nice weather all year. In this growing city, there is something for people of all ages and interests to enjoy, from historic sites and interactive museums to beautiful parks and gardens.
Visiting new places as a family and spending time together makes memories that will last a lifetime. There are lots of fun things to do with your family in the Riverside area. Here are 13 of the best things to do with kids of any age in Riverside, California.
Hike Mt. Rubidoux
By hiking up Mt. Rubidoux, you can work up an appetite and enjoy the views of downtown Riverside and snow-capped hills. At just over 1,300 feet high, Mt. Rubidoux stands out against the city skyline, and the white Peace Tower statue on top of the mountain makes it easy to recognize. A paved road and stairs are two of the three trails that lead to the top. They are 1.5 miles long and go through natural chaparral habitat with lots of birds.
Enjoy the beautiful views at the top of Mt. Rubidoux with this short, family-friendly hike that is good for younger children and people who need ADA access. Along the trail, look at the historical signs and sculptures with migrant themes. Bring a picnic to eat and drink while you enjoy the view of the valley from certain places near the top.
Play Mini-Golf at Castle Golf & Games
Castle Golf & Games has been a local favorite for golfing and games since 1958. It is another fun and cheap place for families to have fun. Castle Golf has two creatively built 18-hole mini-golf putting courses that families will love. They are just over the freeway from Castle Park. Courses 1 and 2 have mini-golf holes with fake grass, rock walls, ponds, bridges, and waterfalls all around them.
Everyone from kids to serious players can play on each course, which lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Follow your mini-golf round with a visit to Castle Golf’s huge arcade, which is full of reward games, racing games, shooters, basketball hoops, coin pushers, and claws. Castle Golf & Games in Riverside is a cheap place where your family could have a great time for hours.
Watch Falcons at the Center for Birds of Prey
At the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Riverside, you can see how raptors are used to help people. This one-of-a-kind center is in Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park. It takes in injured native California birds of prey and heals them before releasing them into recovery areas. Free self-guided walking tours can be taken through the peaceful wildlife center on dirt paths and raised boardwalks.
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On-site rehabilitation areas give families a rare look at how birds are cared for every day, and signs tell the stories of each bird that lives there. You should go to the weathered flight area to see the staff work out falcons, hawks, golden and bald eagles, vultures, owls, and other raptors that are getting stronger for flight. Kids from toddlers to teens who love nature will feel a deep link to these beautiful predators before they are set free.
Pick Fruit at an Orange Grove or Farm
Visit one of the pick-your-own citrus groves or farms in Riverside County for a fun and hands-on agritourism adventure with your family. The weather in the area makes many crops grow well, and from mid-November to June, you can pick sweet, juicy oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines right from the tree.
Families can also go to nearby summer farms to pick their own fresh greens, peaches, apples, blackberries, and strawberries. Take it easy while picking ripe fruit outside, with the snow-capped San Bernardino mountains on either side. Some farms offer extras like tractor rides, petting zoos, pony rides, train rides, and fairs for more old-fashioned family fun in the middle of fruit trees.
Tour the Riverside Metropolitan Museum
The Riverside Metropolitan Museum, which is close to downtown, brings Riverside’s rich cultural past and art to life. This free neighborhood museum is also called the Riverside Museum of History or the Riverside Museum. Its modernist building, which it has been in since the 1960s, is where most of the thought-provoking fine arts exhibits are housed.
While adults look at the modern art on show in the main hall’s bright rooms, kids can play in the TELUS Sparklab and take part in hands-on STEAM activities that make museum objects and lessons come to life. Check out the museum’s permanent displays, such as the replica of a Fox theater set from the early 1900s and the thriving Chinatown show.
DOM Café for a bite to eat before you leave, or look at the event calendar for family arts programs.
Ramble Along Pachappa Hill Trail
The Pachappa Hill Trail in Bellegrave Park is a great place to walk with your family without having to deal with a lot of other people. It’s also close to downtown. This easy two-mile loop hike is in the southeast and goes around a hill with a view of cute old Riverside homes. In the spring, it has beautiful wildflowers, and all year long, it has panoramic views.
A winding dirt road leads through native coastal sage scrub, past the foundations of an old adobe house and a water tower, and into a forest where oaks and sycamores provide shade. On this short break from the city, kids can look for animals like lizards, butterflies, and hummingbirds flying through the flowers and birds singing from the trees above.
Keep little kids close because some parts of the trail are broken and steep, so be careful where you step. The quiet hills and beautiful views, on the other hand, make the Pachappa Trail’s charming hiking loop worth finding.
Visit the Historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa is the crown jewel of Riverside. It is a one-of-a-kind classic hotel that you can’t find anywhere else. A National Historic Landmark building with famous bell towers, flying buttresses, a cool garden inside with fountains, and great places to eat and shop has been welcoming visitors since 1876.
Kids will love exploring this castle-like building with their parents to learn about its past and see beautiful architecture and artifacts like an Egyptian mummy. Seasonal events like Christmas tours and summer movie nights are family-friendly things to do. After that, you can get hot chocolate in the Presidential Lounge or learn more about the inn’s history at the on-site museum.
See Exotic Animals at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens is one of the biggest zoos in the state. It stands on almost 1,200 acres. Wild animals from over 130 different species live there, along with 400 plant species from deserts in North America and Africa. Families could easily spend the whole day at the zoo, which has beautiful nature trails, hidden desert oasis, and interesting animal displays.
Kids will love getting up close to cheetahs, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, warthogs, giraffes, and zebras in areas that look like their natural habitats. Remember to check out animal experiences like the lorikeet aviary and petting kraal where you can pet and talk to friendly animals. At the end of the day, have a picnic and watch the rare desert bighorn sheep group.
Tour Fox Performing Arts Center
Add the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside to your must-see list if your family likes music, theater, and the arts. This theater from 1929 was beautifully rebuilt in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. At night, musicals, concerts, comedians, and more come to life.
If you go during the day, you can take a one-hour guided walking tour of the fancy interior and see things that most tourists don’t get to see. The painted ceilings, brass lamps, winding stairs, and 100-year-old Austrian crystal stage curtain will amaze kids with an eye for design. During your insider tour, don’t forget to take pictures on the grand lobby stairs.
Ride on Riverside’s Sightseeing Trolley
A ride on one of Riverside Trolley & Train’s bright red carts is a great way to get to know the city with your family. These guided sightseeing rides are fun ways to learn about the history of the city over the past 100 years. As you walk along the hour-long route, knowledgeable guides will point out important sites and tell stories about the early citrus business, the Mission Inn, museums, historic buildings, parks, and other things.
There are stops on the trolley route that let you hop on and off at any time. The route goes around downtown, Riverside Plaza, and the shopping area. Because of this, the trolley is a fun way for families to see Riverside’s art, culture, restaurants, shops, and major sites.
Wander the California Citrus State Historic Park
Visit California fruit State Historic Park near downtown Riverside with your family to learn about the city’s fruit history. In the early 1900s, Riverside was known as a booming agricultural hub thanks to its huge citrus groves, which used to cover almost 250,000 acres. Some of the oldest industrial orange groves are still standing in this small urban park. It also has an ornate packing house and other items from the boom era.
You can get a free map at the tourist center and then walk along paths that go through citrus trees that are full of fruit when the time comes. After having a picnic under some orange trees, let the kids run around on some open grass. Then, take a look inside the tall old packing house to see old tools and displays that show how citrus farming has changed the city.
Make a Splash at Castle Park
In Riverside, on hot days, you can cool off by going to Castle Park. This family-friendly park has been around since 1976 and is right next to the Santa Ana River. It has fun water rides and video games. You can float down the Lazy River, race down three-story water slides like Dragon’s Descent, or face the powerful Tidal Wave all day.
When you’re done having fun in the water, go to the Midway area, which has carnival games and difficult miniature golf courses. You can see how good you are at shooting hoops at Safari Sam’s 3D blacklight basketball arcade or play air hockey with your family at the arcade’s indoor tables. If you bought a cheap pass, you could spend hours enjoying Castle Park’s thrilling rides, difficult mini-golf, and retro arcade vibes.
Conclusion
Riverside has a wide range of family-friendly cultural sites, recreation activities, and natural landscapes to discover. It’s a great place to make memories and bond with others across generations.
Families traveling to Riverside will never run out of fun things to do with kids of all ages. There are fun theme parks, educational museums, and amazing wildlife encounters.
Plan a great trip with this guide, and then go on your own adventures as you explore Riverside’s historic places, beautiful natural areas, and fun things to do.