California Botanic Garden was absolutely beautiful! I loved exploring the different trails…read morethroughout the garden. There was so much nature and wildlife to enjoy along the way. We got to see bunnies, rabbits, turtles, and so many different types of birds. It was such a peaceful and beautiful experience being surrounded by nature. Whether you're looking for a relaxing nature walk, want to explore the trails, or enjoy a nice hike, this is a great place to visit. I definitely recommend coming here if you love nature and wildlife!

Claremont, CA This…read morebotanic garden has grown on me. There are so many varieties of California native plants and they do have a nursery that is usually open a few days a week but is closed for Summer and reopening in October, 2026. What I love about this property is the sprawling amount of walkway to take a nice walk. You'll find enough shade along the way but many parts are not shaded. The pathways are decomposed granite, concrete and or asphalt so it's like hiking in nature but without the dirt road or elevation gain. I also really love that it's not crowded here. It's also smack dab in the middle of nature so you will occasionally see wild animal poop on a path, cracks that have not been repaired, but none of that really bothers me. There are plenty of benches along the path and a restroom on one side of the property so plan accordingly. They used to have a nice gift shop here and novelties like hats, t shirts, children's toys, books are now displayed in a small outdoor kiosk near to where you check in. California Botanic Garden is a member of the American Horticultural Network of Gardens (AHS). So if you have an annual membership at one of the participating Gardens associated with AHS Gardens you automatically have access to visit all of the gardens in network, unlimited visits for no additional charge. It is nice being a member at one garden and having access to visit hundreds of gardens. Currently, 380 gardens participate in this Network throughout parts of United States and Territories of U.S.A., Canada, and Cayman Islands. https://ahsgardening.org/ahs-garden-network/ I copy and pasted the exerpt below from AI but it has been a treat to see the blooms and how they change color, specifically Native California Buckwheat which can be seen along many hills and roadsides in California. To observe how the plant changes and matures in different seasons is quite fascinating: "Native California Buckwheat flowers start out white (or pale pink/creamy) and transition through shades of orange, cinnamon, rust, and deep red-brown as they age and dry out into summer and fall. Flower Color Changes Fresh Blooms (Spring): Tiny clusters open up as bright, clean white or pale pink. Aging and Drying (Summer): As the weather heats up and soil dries, the petals shift into rusty orange, copper, and tan. Late Season (Fall/Winter): The spent flower heads mature into deep rust-red and chocolate brown tones across the hillsides." I truly enjoy seeing the change of colors on each visit, they are so bright and vibrant! Look for it, and you will find a lot of beauty in the varied California native plant foliage and blooms on this property. Visiting seasonally gives the best picture. For example, The 1000's of large Matilija poppies which resemble a crinkly giant sunny side up egg just finished peak bloom a few months ago. They will be back!

The ideal setting for such an incredible display of Claremont's talent; just like a very precious…read moregem, it is small but full of beauty. The Claremont Depot's architecture graciously frames the work of talents such as Millard Sheets, John Edward Svenson, Harrison MacIntosh, Rebecca Hamm (from the new generation of talent) currently on display. What a wonderful experience was to be there. Can't wait for the new exhibition "Tree Speak" to open on April First. A modest admission of $5.00 can open your mind and soul to a wonderful journey in fine art that begins, you are right, at the Claremont Depot.

Cute tiny museum with nice staff!…read more I think entry is normally $5, but they're doing a "pay what you want", which can be anything. I think $5 a fair price considering the museum's size, though-- it's more or less just 3 rooms. To be honest, I didn't like this current set of exhibits that much, but that's probably just a matter of taste. It's also located near a lot of other cool stuff in Claremont.

Although small, it was well designed and I left more educated. $12 for entrance which was worth it…read more Parking is free but you need to talk to the parking security guard first since it's in a school.

Wow what a hidden gem!! The Raymond M Alf Museum of Paleontology is tucked away in Claremont on the…read moreWebb school campus. Since it is a high school, you must show your IDs at the gate to be given a badge to get onto campus. The museum is closed Sunday-Tuesday. Wednesday -Friday from 11am-5pm, and Saturday from 11am-5pm. Admission Pricing (March 2026): $12 General $9 Youth/Senior $9 Student with ID FREE 4 and under FREE CA teachers, EBT & WIC cardholders This museum is 2 levels. The top is a chronological walk through history and the bottom level is more of a hands-on interactive play area for kids. We spent about an hour at this museum. We had so much fun exploring history. In order we went through the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic periods. The fossils and skeletons were so fascinating. This would have been such a great spot for a field trip back in grade school. I had a lot of fun exploring history and taking selfies. Highly recommended for those who enjoy dinosaurs, fossils, or history!

How beautiful; a wonderful way to end a romantic evening. It does take time to sit and watch,…read more20-30min from actual start time, but is sooo relaxing to just think or talk quietly to a lover.

James Turrell Skyspace is in the Draper Courtyard, Lincoln and Edmunds Buildings, Pomona College…read more which is at the corner of 6th & College Way in the city of Claremont. It can't be seen from the street. You have to keep your eyes open while you search for this hidden site.  I went during the winter break so I parked in their restricted permit only parking lot which is located about 500 feet north of the Skyspace. Not sure if you can park there during the regular school year.  The light show starts about 25 minutes before sunset and ends about 30 minutes after the sun goes down. Also happens at dawn for a longer time period. There is polished, hard marble, long row banquette seating around the perimeter of this art installation to look up at the ceilIng with a square cut out to expose the sky above. There is a multicolour lighting system that tints the ceiling creating a color contrast to the color of the sky.  Depending on the color of the ceiling, the same sky takes on a subtly different color tone. Keep lookIng up, and your mind plays tricks on you so you start to imagine different colors especially along the edge of the rectangular hole.  Also, your perspective of the ceiling & hole changes so illogically the hole and ceiling meld into a unified whole.  I'm sure people will perceive the Skyspace differently due to their mood, physiology, upbringIng, etc. It's meditative, serene, calming. It's incredible like communing with infinity where there are no bounds at the same time so very personal connecting to your inner self.  Unfortunately, an ADHD family that couldn't shut up and stay still and a clueless young couple who didn't even look up at the Skyspace and blabbed throughout the performance ruined the meditative atmosphere.  When attending the Skyspace, SHUT UP, do some introspection, go deep into your psyche in order to find serenity & peace. Many of us Americans are so much into the hype and being "hip" that we lose sight of what gives us health and sanity. Being in a meditative state allows us to heal and recover from life's stresses and anxieties.  Even with the disruptions, I still got snippets of quality time. I can imagine how incredible this art piece would be if silence reigned.  5 stars for a transformative experience.

Absolutely amazing! It's such a gem in the area. I've visited 3 times now as a student at the…read morecolleges, and I'm enamored with the atmosphere, lovely staff, and phenomenal collections of works!

Having just learned that a dear student of mine had died from cancer last Friday, I tried to get…read moresome comfort by stepping in the Benton College museum of arts. Lucky me, it was opened and I was the single only visitor. First, I was asked to put my bag away, which I did not want to do because I had just my phone & keys in it, and carrying them around in my hands would have been cumbersome. Then, I was told not to touch a sculpture of bells that were made to be touched but only by staff, with no sign about that matter in the outside courtyard. On the whole, the single visitor who happened to be a faculty felt terribly out of place and unwelcomed in an empty museum made for academic matter (so they say) with no less than four rather unfriendly staff around to make what could have been an experience of freedom, and a calming of grief, an accumulation of sadness. This is a good summary of where Academia is at today.

Part I :Hal Glicksman at Pomona…read more The first "It Happened at Pomona" exhibition focuses on the academic year of 1969-1970, when Hal Glicksman was the curator/director. Glicksman established one of the first museum residency programs in which artists used the museum gallery as a studio space and created unique environments directly in the museum. Open 24/7 during Part 1. Non-flash photography allowed in gallery Insider Tips: Free to the public. Part I ends on Nov. 6, but stay tuned for Part II (Dec 3 - Feb 19) and Part III (Mar 10 - May 13). On January 21 the Museum is sponsoring 3 free performance recreations around Claremont.

A small little college museum, located at the Claremont Village. Admission is free. Street parking…read moreis fairy easy to find. Pomona College Museum of Art is a small modern art space featuring mix of contemporary historical works. I am not sure how often the displays rotate, but it's a perfect 30mins - 1hour visit.

The Ontario Museum of Art is perfect for a small getaway and really shows Ontario as the hidden gem…read moreit can be. The two main galleries highlight the museum's permanent collections, but what makes this place stand out is the third rotating exhibit space. When I visited, they were featuring a Day of the Dead exhibit presented through a Chicano art lens, alongside the 13th Annual Biennial Open Art Experience. Both were powerful, vibrant, and thoughtfully curated -- the Day of the Dead pieces were deeply moving, and the Biennial showcased an incredible range of creativity from the community. The setup of the museum is welcoming and easy to explore, and I found several works truly compelling. Honestly, this museum deserves to be advertised much more -- it offers culture and history you wouldn't expect to find in downtown Ontario. On top of that, there's a rose garden right outside and Nugent's Park next door where you can even play a game of horseshoes . It's a wonderful spot in the downtown area that mixes art, history, and community. Perfect for all ages -- whether you're local or just passing through, this is a must-visit hidden gem.

I'd say a solid 4.5! Free museum that's really small, but a huge section of the museum is closed…read moreoff for renovations right now. They really only have their two main exhibits, one of which is a history of Ontario and the other is about water conservation in Ontario. AC is really strong, clean facility, super nice staff... but honestly there really isn't much to see unless you're a local and really interested in your area's history. I think if they had their art exhibits open, it'd be an easy 5/5 despite being small because it is free.

First about logistics if you haven't been here before (because we had difficulties):…read more - go to gate 17 at the fair ground. Not wherever Google takes you (to a sheriffs place?), Not gate 1 (if you call the listed number it says To go to gate 1 and proceed to the security but the security at gate 1 laughed at us and said the event was closed early and we almost turned around). Plenty of parking. Really cool to see a bunch of trains up close. You can climb aboard some. The kids really loved it. You probably could go through the whole thing in an hour or less. Everyone working there, maintaining the trains and working the store were friendly. This event isn't open every weekend but specific weekends only. Check their website or call the phone number (voicemail says the dates) before you head over.

Such a great free activity to attend with kids or family. Railgiants is only opened once a month…read moreand everyone that works there donates their own personal free time to keep this place up and running. You can tell everyone who volunteers there genuinely enjoys the train and the mesuem and are always happy to provide demonstration, the history, and explanations behind the trains. My kids love that they can ring the train bell and it's great way to kill some time on the weekend.

Fun place for adults and kids to play video games. Love that there is a place for kids to have fun…read morein the middle of so many great shops and restaurants. It is close to the colleges, so the area feels very vibrant. The place also gives exceptional service. The selection of games and variety of machines was awesome too. We will be back as you can't beat the deal to play unlimited machines and stay out of the heat for a while.

Came in for my husband's birthday to browse trading cards. Definitely a decent selection of Magic…read morethe Gathering cards. Unfortunately, they didn't have the card that he was looking for but he was super excited to find a Doctor Doom Magic the gathering deck box. The two staff members were super friendly and willing to answer the questions we had. Definitely close to us so I'm sure we'll be back.

Stopped by American Museum of Ceramic Art before my kids' class and was pleasantly surprised…read more The museum is actually bigger than I expected and holds over 7,000 ceramic pieces, with thoughtfully curated exhibitions that change regularly. It was really inspiring, especially since I'm planning to take ceramic classes this year. They also offer quite a few ceramic classes and programs, which I didn't realize before visiting. The museum is open to the public Friday-Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM. The surrounding area didn't feel the safest at first, but the museum has a gated parking lot that is spacious, which made it feel more comfortable. If you're in the area and enjoy art or ceramics, it's definitely worth stopping by.

AMOCA (est 2003) is an art museum dedicated to ceramic art. They presents exhibitions, collections,…read morepublic and educational programming, and studio practice. This museum is located in Pomona, CA. Admission ticket is reasonable at $14. They have permanent artist fellows and revolving exhibits. Parking lot is large enough for at least 200 cars. Staff were nice. I came on a late afternoon to check out the China ceramic exhibit. It was interesting. Overall, it's a nice ceramic museum.