The tour was very informative and interesting. Highly recommended that you took the tour if you like to know history of Mission Inn. I really enjoy seeing underground areas, antique and collectibles which are not available to regular guests. The current price we paid was $45 for adult and $15 for kids. I think it should be complimentary for hotel guests but I guess one time pay is ok ($120 for 4 of us.) The tour was about 45 minutes and it had free champagne and apple cider at the end. The tour guide team was very nice and friendly. They made the tour fun and entertaining :) read more

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Everything is amazing The rooms the museum tour All the art that is inside Front desk gave us an upgrade Coming back soon read more

I took their haunted tour that takes you around the neighborhood near the Mission Inn, where museum docents share ghostly tales, true crime lore, and strange bits of local history. One of the things I really enjoyed is how many of the stories connect Riverside to pop culture. For example, the tragic case of Gloria Ramirez, known as the "Toxic Lady," inspired an actual television show episode. Along the route, you'll stop by spots like the former police station, the old opera house site, and the library tied to the death of Cheri Jo Bates, which some believe may have been connected to the Zodiac Killer. The tour isn't just about listening--you also get to try out ghost-hunting equipment like EMF detectors and dowsing rods along the way. Plus, everyone received a limited-edition pin as a keepsake, which was such a thoughtful touch. Our guides, Patti and Sandy, clearly love what they do and kept the group engaged with stories that were equal parts spooky and fascinating. One of my favorite little details came right at the end, when we stopped outside the Mission Inn itself. They showed us a vent that connects down to the Mission Inn's catacombs. It was the perfect eerie note to close out the evening. If you're into local history, ghost stories, and true crime with a spooky twist, this is a really fun way to spend a night in Riverside. Enjoy the storytelling and a chance to experience the city in a new way. read more

Mission Inn Museum - Tour guide - Museums Near Me - Riverside, California

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The Mission Inn Museum is run by the Mission Inn Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1976 to help restore and preserve the then decrepit Mission Inn. It is a separate entity from the hotel itself, which has been owned since 1992 by Duane and Kelly Roberts. The hotel first opened in 1876 as the Glenwood Hotel by Christopher Columbus Miller, but it was his son Frank Miller who greatly expanded the hotel, then called the Glenwood Mission Inn, which eventually added 3 wings between 1903 and 1931, all done by different architects, contributing to the many different styles of the hotel, all under the Mission Revival umbrella. The docent-led tours are an essential way to learn about the Inn's history, plus provide access to parts of the hotel not always open to the public. I was fortunate to tour on a day when no events were planned, so we were able to see rooms sometimes closed for weddings and private events/parties/meetings/banquets, etc. The one caveat for tours is that photos are not allowed. However, since I was staying at the hotel, I did see at least one tour later on where the docent had a blind eye to photo-taking. Also, it seems all docents are accompanied by another docent on the tour who is the key-holder and runs ahead or stays behind to open/close/lock rooms as they are entered and exited. The rooms were saw that are sometimes inaccessible/locked were the Grand Parisian Ballroom, the Spanish Art Gallery, the Galleria, Ho-O-Kan and the Oriental Courtyard, St. Cecelia Chapel and St. Francis of Assisi Chapel. The Inn is a warren of corridors, stairways and levels, so it is very easy to get confused as to your whereabouts. We also saw the entrance to the "hotel room where macaws Napoleon and Josephine stay when not in their cage at the Inn's entrance. Overall an essential experience to learn about this fascinating Inn. I would consider taking more than one tour, since docents have such a wealth of knowledge and facts that tours surely are not exactly the same. read more

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Stayed at the mission inn and took the hotel tour. Very interesting and well worth the price. You get a behind the scenes look at inn , entering rooms and areas off limits to guests and visitors. I highly recommend taking this tour. read more

We had an amazing tour of the center of downtown Riverside by our docent , Nancy. Her description of the history of Riverside and the Spanish Mission Revival architecture that dominates city center was fascinating and informative. I came away with a better appreciation of all the buildings that I would pass without any previous thought of their history and origin. Of particular note is the mission tower that looks very similar to the mission tower in Balboa Park in San Diego,, our hometown. which Nancy kindly pointed out. Her enthusiasm was endearing. Thank you for a wonderful tour. read more

Mission Inn Museum - Mission Tower - Museums Near Me - Riverside, California

I hate to do it, but I left a bit meh here. It wasn't the worst, but not the best either. The museum itself felt more like a gift shop to me. So many items for purchase. Souvenirs galore. While they did have some really cool items on display I left fast and bored. They do have some tours for purchase that can get you into the Inn, but no photography is allowed on the tour. I did not go in the tour so I can't review that part, but I myself was in and out of the museum in under 20 minutes. I was greeted on entry, but other than that the employees just sat and talked amongst themselves. read more

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My husband and I have visited this museum and gift shop many times, and taken their fascinating walking tour of the Mission Inn hotel. The exhibits are enlightening, plus I bought a beautiful pint glass, stickers, and etched highball glass at a reasonable price in the gift shop. I loved the story about the elf now on display that was stolen in the 40's and returned to the museum in 2012 after the thief's death as required in his will. Great bits of Americana and very entertaining, I hope it survives its lease dispute with the Mission Inn. It is an integral part of the Mission Inn experience. read more

Mission Inn Museum - Display - Museums Near Me - Riverside, California

We took the tour hosted by Edward around downtown Riverside. This tour took about an hour and covered much of the historic parts of downtown. Edward was a wealth of knowledge. He made the tour an interesting and fun adventure. With a start of 4:00pm we beat the hordes of people that would later take over downtown. The tour was defiantly worth the price and a good way to start your festival of lights evening. read more

Mission Inn Museum - Museums Near Me - Riverside, California

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Downtown tour a MUST! I learned so much on this walking tour! I didn't know that the Mission Inn isn't one of the California Missions. The architecture of Mission Inn is in the style of the California Missions, but it is a historic hotel. The docent was knowledgeable and had a lot of information about the downtown buildings and knew the difference of architectural styles. It was my first time hearing about Brutalist architecture! Be prepared with comfortable walking shoes. read more

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After our stay at the Mission Inn, we made sure to check out this museum for souvenirs. It's free to enter and there are some old artifacts and many interesting pictures. It doesn't take long to check out this place. There's a neat looking model of the Mission Inn that you should check out as well. Thankfully, they had a magnet that I wanted to purchase. BTW, this is also the place where you can purchase tickets for the tour of the Mission Inn. You also meet here for the tour. read more

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We enjoyed a wonderful stay at the Mission Inn. We stayed on the 4th floor. We had spectacular breakfast, lunch and dinners at the Mission Inn Restaurant. Johannes waited on us for a few of our meals and he was very helpful with the surrounding area and enjoyable to talk to. We tried our darnedest to see all the different areas of the inn but we sadly missed a lot. We will just have to visit again. read more

The museum carries a lot of great Mission Inn items. The books were what I came for, as I was researching a book of my own that will contain Mission Inn content. They had quite a few! Also, the requisite coffee mugs, jewelry, postcards, etc. and a cool model of the hotel. The docents were quite friendly and asked about my project. I shared information with them, and one was quite enthusiastic and is now following me through social media. I took the tour and was blown away by the property itself. I'm assuming there have been policy changes over the years because we took plenty of photographs and we were lucky enough to be able to see the inside of the chapel (which is truly incredible). When I returned to my Air B n B in Burbank and raved about the tour, my host mentioned that he had taken it too. When I mentioned my subjects spending their wedding night there, he said his docent had told them which one. My complaint was that they did not mention the research centre to me, and I could really have used it. Unfortunately, I didn't find out about it until I got back to Burbank, and when I tried emailing the contact number, the email was returned. Perhaps it has shut down? read more

This is a tiny museum / gift shop adjacent to the historical Mission Inn. You can view some historical items from the hotel, read a bit about its history, and purchase souvenirs. It's free to view the museum section. This is also where you book / begin tours of the hotel. Tours are $20 if you book online but I paid $25 on the spot. I was told that you can book right up to the beginning of the tour. I came on a slow weekday but I think if you're coming on a busier day, you might want to consider the possibility of it selling out. Booking online might be a good idea. The website lists their daily tour times. Just know that the tickets are non-refundable but are transferable up to 24 hours prior to tour time. The tour is really worthwhile, if you have no plans to stay at the hotel. It's beautiful inside, especially around Christmastime. I came in January and the tree was still up. It was gorgeous. The hotel was a pleasure to experience. I was blown away by the stunning courtyard as well as the amazing chapel. It was interesting to get some history and context as well. If you like presidential history, you will appreciate the number of presidents that have stayed here. Ronald and Nancy Reagan came here during their honeymoon and Richard and Pat Nixon were married here. PARKING: There is plenty of parking on the streets surrounding the hotel. Just make sure you hold onto your receipt. I got a parking ticket even thought I paid due to an error of some sort. I was able to dispute it online (by providing a photo of my receipt) and it was dismissed. LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS: If you like antique shopping, Mission Galleria is right across the street. It's an antique mall that is jam packed with cool stuff. Also, Tio's Tacos down the street is a really unique restaurant, with tons of trash art (if you're into that). Their food is mediocre but their agua fresca is great. The area around the hotel is cute and enjoyable to walk around. read more

The one hour tour is not to be missed. Takes you into the Mission Inn with full history and access to spaces not normally available to visitors. Our tour guide was so helpful and we saw some stunning things. read more

The first Mt. Rubidoux walking tour conducted by several members of the Mission Inn Foundation was excellent! The historical information was interesting and enlightening and the views were incredible as always. Keep up the good work! read more

This place is beautiful. I can see why many would choose this location for their wedding venue. Museum was okay. Much to buy very little to see. the restaurant, hotel &spa are great . Great customer service! read more

We took the 4pm 75 minute tour of the Mission Inn during the Festival of Lights that runs from November 23rd to January 6 that marks epiphany. Since it just begins to get dark around 5pm, be aware that the lights are not at their full glory while on tour. Also the tour doesn't include the walkway that features lighted displays on the grounds of the hotel so at the end of the tour we had to get in a separate long time. If local history is interesting to you, this tour has nuggets of information about the founders & founding of this Riverside institution, the famous who have stayed here, architectural styles & features, etc. Those bored by history and so are doomed to make the same mistakes over & over again, stay away from this tour since you'll only be complaining. Michael Bosée is a native and long time resident of Riverside, who is a volunteer docent, and has researched deeply into the history & lore of Mission Inn w/ a fine toothed comb. Not only is he knowledgeable, but he brings this hotel's stories back to life in an amusing, avuncular manner. You can tell he takes great civic pride in the Inn in particular and the city of Riverside in general. 75 minutes went by quickly. Some fascinating sites: Surprisingly in the back, there is a courtyard dedicated to a mishmash of Sino Japanese architectural style seen through an American filter. It's similar in feel to Indo-Saracenic Royal Pavilion with its Long Gallery full of faux chinoiserie in Brighton, England. Ho-o-kan is Japanese for Phoenix Mansion, a hall featuring a seated Buddha in lotus position that looks similar to the Great Buddha in Kamakura, Japan. All this was inspired on a trip to the Orient by the founder Frank Miller. We could only peek at the outside of the elaborate Saint Francis of Assisi Chapel since a wedding was taking place. Rotunda was a large cylindrical shaft in the building which serves as an ornate opening for light & air. Too many other places to mention, but I found this tour worthwhile. 4pm tour during Festival of Lights: $20 Other tours during F of L: $18 All other times: $13 Presently no online reservations. Call Mission Inn Museum during office hours at (951) 788-9556. Credit cards are accepted. For more detailed tour information: https://missioninnmuseum.org/visit/take-tour/ read more

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The Mission Inn Museum is cute, it has a nice gift shop and lots of historical maps, photos, artifacts. Nice to browse if you're in the area. I had guests in town around the holidays and wanted to bring them to Riverside to see the Festival of Lights. They were interested to take the tour so I checked their site - you can't book it on line, have to call, which I did. I made the reservations, with date,, time and also paid via credit card ($13/person) over the phone. I wanted a receipt and they said they'd e-mail it to me. I waited for a few days and since I never got anything, I called them again - they were overwhelmed and freaking out. They said they'd e-mail later that day. I didn't get anything in a few days so I called again. As I had the feeling they screwed up the spelling of the e-mail address so we had to re-do the spelling (again!) over the phone and finally got the confirmation. I'll start by saying that I'm no guided tours fan. But I did a few over the years for various reasons. This one is on the lower end, I give the review 3 stars because the place is beautiful, and I enjoyed it, not because of the tour. The docent/tour guide was an elderly man, David. He was keen on starting the tour 5 minuted earlier (I was in the restroom and I overheard him saying that, by the time I came out- fast, the tour started already!). It should be about the people who take the tour and wait for everyone before you start, right? The tour last 75 minutes, bit on the longer side, but if it's done right, no issues. I think David kept us inside the museum, outside of it, in front of the hotel way too long. I didn't like his manner either, quiet, no humor, too much about the economics of everything. Kinda boring, like an older teacher you had back in school and wanted to skip his class. If I felt like it, imagine the younger kids in the group who were texting a lot! Not too sound like a young punk, but we needed somebody more energetic, with more humor. He didn't mention fun facts about the Mission Inn, like movies that were shot there, just had to criticize Oliver Stone one of my favorite directors, which I didn't appreciate, but "it's just your opinion, man". The highlights were being taken inside the reception area, hallways, the chapel (nice place with Tiffany's windows, we were lucky it was open that day, you never know), the Asian room (very zen), the beautiful indoor stairs and courtyards. It's worth to take the tour just to explore this architectural jewel of Southern California. I guess you're not supposed to take photos? Since some peeps in my group started to take some, I took my camera out and went for it! I didn't appreciate a docent in training who was always guarding us, keeping an eye on us, felt too supervised the whole time. She came to me and told me to stop taking photos in an area because we'll come back to it later. From my travels in the world, I know that won't happen in guided tours, so I disregarded her and kept doing it. And I was right, we never went back to that cool stairwell! It's worth taking the tour to see the place (unless you'll stay here or dine inside), even if the guide wasn't that good. At the end it was awkward, he left without saying "Thanks" or anything. Not the friendly type, I guess? Mission Inn is a historic landmark with a interesting story behind. It's a great place to explore and visit. It brings that Spanish style of architecture to Southern California, it's charming and it's a Riverside gem. read more

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I posted a review last week and it isn't visible. Is it because I wouldn't recommend this hotel? The rooms are old and musty. The outdoor light shined into my room all night for 3 nights straight. The front desk was not helpful when I needed directions to Riverside Community Hospital where my husband was having surgery. (It's literally 6 minutes away, thank goodness for GPS). The main restaurant is overpriced with limited food selections. The only reasonable priced eatery is the Mexican restaurant. Beautiful property, but the rooms are horrible. The shower was disgusting and the mat had mold. I did not get housekeeping service after 2nd night and the tv was inoperable on my 3rd night. I was truly looking for a comfortable hotel to rest while my husband was in the hospital. This hotel only made my week more stressful. Never again. read more

Very nice and friendly. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to do the tour. I hope to next time.

We took the private tour of the Mission Inn this weekend for my birthday weekend celebration. It was fantastic! I love the Mission Inn and we were guest of the hotel and appreciated the beauty of the hotel. However, after the tour the hotel became so much more meaningful to us with history! Karen and Charles were so sweet, attentive, thoughtful and a WEALTH of history of the hotel. I highly recommend the tour ! read more

The tour was recommended but fell short. I guess it depends on your tour guide. Ours was a nervous lady who didn't know much. We couldn't hear her at all. Complete waste of time and money. read more

A little history here, a lot of architecture there... Take a tour of the Mission Inn $13 on most days and $17 during the festival of lights, open 10am to 4pm. Monies continue to preserve and restore the Mission Inn. A little artwork here and a lot of mission bells there.... Pick up a memento at the Mission Inn Store, we picked up a minature bell, a cookie cutter and received a complimentary 2017 Mission Inn calendar with purchase. A little presidential here, a lot of festival there...The Mission Inn is a Riverside gem. #ALittle #RiversideGem #ALot #MissionInnMuseum read more

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Docents, displays and early reminders about Riverside's importance to California. Goods for sale feature the entrancing River Cross. It's everywhere in rain and very emblematic of this lovely locale. You can pick up the brochure I photographed here, at the museum. Check out the surrounding plaza and churches, buildings and restaurants: safe with few panhandlers compared to other downtowns. Sorry I don't like being harassed and Riverside seems to control the street people well. read more

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I highly recommend visitors to get this package. If you did not research anything about the background of the historical Riverside,you won't be able to appreciate the RAINCROSS SYMBOL,the BELLS,the MISSION INN,CITRUS INDUSTRY AND THE MILLERS. Special shout out to Robyne and Dave for the tour. You guys were very knowledgable and professional. read more

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What an amazing tour experience! I would of never have guessed there is so much beauty behind those walls! Completely informative and fun! Such great stories and fun little artifacts. I honestly wish the tour was longer than the 75 mins allowed. I wanted to see more and explore more. Our tour guide was very informative and really did a great job of telling the history of each room! Hope to return and visit again some day! read more

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Make a Reservation because they book up fast. Also arrive early because parking is a Hassel. I did enjoy the tour ($17) and the festival of lights were pretty. The hotel itself is Beautiful. Enjoyed hearing about all the President's that stayed here. read more

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We had stayed at the Mission Inn in the past, but we never experienced the museum. The docent was very nice and took us on a very enthusiastic tour. The tour was 70 minutes and took us all around the Inn. We were lucky enough to see inside the chapel. It was all very nice and a great addition to our weekend. read more

The Mission Inn Museum your is alright. I prefer to wander about on my own. Although learning about each statue and where it is from was pretty interesting. I think my favorite piece of architecture is the big clock. It is from Germany, and I am German so I felt a special kind of connection (at least in my mind lol). The statues were cool to learn about them. I also really loved the rotunda. It's just so grandiose, I mean what isn't to like about the elegant Disney like spiral staircase?! It's gorgeous and fun to run up and down lol I would have liked to hear more about how haunted the Mission Inn is and the ghosts that inhabit the Mission. There's definitely an eerie feel late at night when you are alone and I'd love to explore that or learn more about the spiritual presence at the hotel. Overall worth doing the tour if you are a history person. It is pretty inexpensive and good for nerdy fun! read more

Mission Inn Museum - Rotunda - Museums Near Me - Riverside, California

Informative Museum For The Hotel, Riverside & The Region STIREP I've often stayed at the Mission Inn during work trips to Riverside, but it's quite remarkable that for the first couple of years this little chestnut remained off of my radar. But getting out early one day from work responsibilities over at the California Towers Building on Main Street, I actually got the chance to check out the Museum. THE SETUP The docent(s) - whomever you get - are very pleasant individuals that share a lot of the rich history of the Mission Inn - how it was built, the community of Riverside (as it existed) at that time, the industries of Riverside that the local population engaged in, the different migrations of different ethnicities as they moved to the community, etc. etc. ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY The museum shares a lot of the rich history of the different phases of the building of the Mission Inn and the parties whom ownership was switched over to. The Chapel is absolutely beautiful and its fun to hear about it's development in the Inn for the local devout. WAR YEARS During the War Years, it's amazing how much prejudice was inflamed against the Japanese community (for obvious reasons) and how this particular demographic was almost wiped out of Riverside during the camp internments of WWII. THE LOWDOWN The museum does a great service informing the community of both the high notes and the low notes over the years in Riverside. read more

My girlfriend and I showed up to the museum as a quick "let's see" stop which turned out to be one of our best impromptu decisions...ever. After walking in, we were greeted by a polite young man named Philip. His expertise, excitement, and passion for the inn and its history was immediately apparent and he was amazingly eager to share with us incredible information and stories about the inn. The amount of beautiful items/relics the inn has, as we came to found out, is quite stunning and CERTAINLY worth a 75 minute tour. We could not have been more grateful for Philip and the museum/foundation which have marvelously preserved the history of the inn, and we will be back soon to find out more about memberships to the foundation. read more

Mission Inn Museum was my top search result of "10 Things To Do In Riverside". The building sits near the intersection of Main St. and Mission Inn Ave. I booked the 75 minute walking tour. Check-in was easy and Meredith served as docent. Highlights include: The bust and plaque dedicated to educator and reformer Booker T. Washington, the history, culture, artistic value, and the lasting impact on the citrus community. Coming to Riverside? Start here. (and ask for Meredith!) read more

My partner and I have always wanted to try a stay at the Mission Inn, but it had filled up so close to Christmas, so we stayed elsewhere in town and just did the Museum Tour. I found the tour fascinating, led by a knowledgeable docent, packed with historical detail and taking us through the many special features that the Inn has to offer. Protip: Don't make the mistake of reserving ahead for the tour! We bought tickets on the website the previous evening, in line with California's new policy of requiting advance reservations for museums and art galleries. Next morning when we presented for the tour, my partner was not feeling well and had to sit it out on a park bench in the adjacent pedestrian mall. But no refunds for her high-priced ticket, even when purchased the night before. And apparently the whole hotel is copyrighted, because I couldn't take pictures either. Just be there for one of the scheduled times, and you can buy tickets in the museum shop. read more

The tour is very cheap. It provides you to look inside the hotel/resort. In addition, it allows you to check out parts of the hotel that is for guests only. You really do learn about the history of the entire hotel. The cheap price point for the tour was well worth $ spent. You can understand why the history of Riverside revolves around this central place. read more

The Mission Inn Museum is an interesting little spot located on the corners of Mission Inn Ave and Main St in downtown Riverside. You wouldn't really think that a hotel would need a museum for itself...but anyone familiar with the Mission Inn and its historical background would understand. The museum itself is a fairly small affair, with exhibits and displays documenting the Mission Inn and the surrounding area through the decades. I'm a big history buff so I love that kind of thing. It also doubles as a gift shop. Whereas Kelly's Boutique a couple doors down specializes in more commercialized Mission Inn items (shirts, tote bags, etc), the items you find in here are more artistic. Pottery, art displays and books on the history of the Mission Inn and surrounding locale are just some of what you find here...with big emphasis on all things "raincross"-y. The museum is also the launching point for the guided tours of The Mission Inn itself. As previous Yelpers have said..the price isn't super cheap..but if you are a history nut and/or staying at the Inn for a weekend or more..I highly recommend it! All in all.. a fun little spot. My small complaint is that it could be bigger. I'd love to see more displays. The workers are very friendly and they are celebrating the 25th year of their Docent program! Stop by and pay a visit...even make a donation if you like. read more

This is where my guided tour started. Note: you can send free postcards to anyone inside one of the galleries! The mission inn will mail it for you! The tour started through the exterior and had a lot of backstory about the founder and the Spanish colonial impact on the architecture. Then, I was guided through the first wing (wood frame structure). I walked through the music hall, which was beautiful. Even the sorry about the "president's chair" was hilarious. My group went to the Spanish courtyard, the cathedral, the rotunda, a hotel corridor, the lobby, the plaza, and more. Super informative tour. I wish we were allowed to go through the former gallery or "catacombs". Parking is very accessible and daily priced around downtown Riverside. I loved my visit! read more

I visited this museum for the first time today. After 20 minutes of my boyfriend and I walking around, picking out a puzzle and coaster to buy and reading all the historical signs they have up, we watched as other people were helped by an elderly man and woman (two tour guides). He asked if they wanted a tour, while I stood 3 feet away and was not asked if I wanted any help. Despite the lack of a greeting or any other customer service, we continued walking and reading the signs. (I'm a young lawyer who just started practicing in the inland empire, and I love Riverside. I actually wanted to learn and buy Riverside gear!) I asked if there was a restroom, and a young woman at the desk immediately informed me there was 'no public restrooms' in the rudest fashion. I told her there was no need for her to be rude, I was buying things and she's working customer service. She didn't even apologize, just stared at me and said 'uh-huh'. The older man who asked others if they were interested in tours also stared at me. Nobody apologized or attempted to be polite. Go see the lights for free and skip the museum. Don't spend your money at a place that can't even train their employees to pretend to be nice to potential customers. I'll be sending management an email in the morning. read more

The museum is decent but much less interesting the than tour that they offer. At $15 a person, the price is steep, but the money doesn't go to the hotel, it goes to the Mission Inn Foundation, which is a non-profit that "preserves, interprets, and promotes the cultural heritage" of the Inn (from the website: http://www.missioninnmuseum.com/about/about.htm). So it's not like it's going to this huge commercial endeavor. The tour is a good way of seeing parts of the Inn that you can't see if you aren't a guest, and some that you can't even see if you are a guest. Unfortunately, tours vary according to the availability of the different rooms, since many are used for weddings and other special events. In that regard, it's nice to go in the middle of the week. Tours also vary according to the guide, and since the docents are volunteers, some are better than others. But it's still a fun way of learning a little about Riverside's history. read more

Well, lets get started...My girlfriend booked a tour for us on December 20th, as she wanted to view the "Festival of Lights" . We took the 2:30 tour of the Mission Inn Hotel. We drove from San Diego to Riverside, which took us about an hour and a half..we made great time. We arrived about an hour early, so we explored the area and lets just say, there is not much there. We took the tour which was said to be approximately 90 minutes, and I would say it lasted maybe an hour. Our Docent was very informative, and had a friendly demeanor about himself. We were then told that no pictures were allowed. We took a tour of the lobby area, where the portraits of Presidents are, saw the custom, extra large chair that was made for President Taft, and continued on upstairs to the first level. On the first level we looked down onto the spanish courtyard, that we were not allowed to go to. All around us were people taking pictures. We then went to the area where the chapel is, which contains six stained glass windows from Mr. Tiffany (of Tiffany Co. fame), and were told that we could not enter the chapel, due to a wedding. People were outside of the chapel taking photos of the one visible stained glass, but we were not permitted to do so. We then walked back the same path and basically the tour ended. We did not see much of the hotel at all. There is a gorgeous staircase on the property and we were not able to see that as well. A lot of the photos that you see on the website, in regards to the tour, are not accessible to the tour takers. I would say, the saddest part is, people who do not pay to take the tour have the same access to the what paying people are shown, which seems pretty lame to me. The major jip, to me is, their website states that the tour takes you to "areas inaccessible to the general public", which is obviously false; as were were surrounded by the general public that were taking photos of things that we were not allowed to photograph. As for the "Festival of Lights", it was not at all a festival in any way, but the Mission Inn is beautiful once the sunsets, and the lights come on. Also, the Mission Inn has a beautiful architectural design. If you do decide to visit, do not waste your money on the paid tour, just walk in the hotel and explore it on your own. read more