This is probably the most unique place I've ever visited in Southern California. Three of our…read moredocents were actual workers on the castle, so we got an inside view of its origins. I'll never forget the experience and highly recommend that you make it a priority to visit. When a person has a vision and spends 25 years fulfilling it with hundreds of friends and neighbors, you have a masterpiece! Go as soon as you can!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

Happened to see this place on my way going somewhere else. Had some time and decided to check this…read moreplace out. Free admission and private parking lot. Although, the lot was almost full, there were only a handful of people inside the museum. Anyway, I was greeted by two nice ladies and brought to various sections of the museum. The art (paintings and sculptures) were preserved well and the museum was cool and clean. It's not very big so I was able to walk the entirety of the museum in less than 45 minutes.

Stopped by after waiting for a spot in a local business for brunch, stumbled upon this museum by…read moreaccident and thanks to the two lovely staff we had a great time. We were kinda in a rush but had enough time to explore the whole place. Highly recommend to go checkout the art!

I love bringing my kids here during their harvest festival. It was $5 per person for entry for 2yrs…read moreand up but each child gets to pick a pumpkin to take home. There a room to decorate the pumpkins along with other arts and crafts. There's other activities like a petting zoo, panning for gold, butter churning, fairy garden, and quilting + more all included with the entry fee. It's a short event from 10-2 but if you're local it's definitely worth a visit. They sell burgers and hotdogs, which they BBQ on site, if you want to have lunch there. I packed some snacks for the kids as it was a short event and it was not an issue taking it in. Everyone was so friendly and eager to help with activities.

We had our wedding here November 2025 and loved it! I was able to visit the venue as much as needed…read morethroughout my planning. Donna was so great and responsive to my many many questions and requests- I really appreciated it! The day of my event happened to be the worst weather BUT the team & Donna worked with the last minute changes to move all things inside and everything worked out better than expected. We had a great time and will remember it forever. The staff throughout the event was great and helpful as well. We also received alot of compliments about the food (Bashful Butler). The bar was great- my guests hardly had to wait and kept the party going. Perfect space for any event!

A great opportunity to learn about the history of Covina! You can visit their Jailhouse on Sundays…read morefrom 1-3pm. They use this specific house for their board meetings and a few other things. The information below is from their website that I just 'cut & pasted': The little town of Covina was founded in 1886 by Joseph Swift Phillips. A land speculator, Phillips purchased 2,000 acres of land from John Hollenbeck . The area was located just south of the San Gabriel Mountains within the La Puente Rancho. Phillips immediately surveyed the land into 10 acre parcels and planned to sell each parcel for only $650.00. He enticed a couple of newspapermen to settle in town to help advertise and promote land sales. One investor was Daniel Houser from Stockton, California. He brought five sons, and, using money from the sale of his invention of the Combined Harvester, eventually brought water to the town. Water enticed more people to settle on the fertile land. Businesses sprouted up along Citrus Avenue and Covina was incorporated in 1901. At one time, it served as the agricultural hub of the San Gabriel Valley, producing and shipping more oranges than anywhere else on earth. The Covina Valley Historical Society was organized in 1969 to preserve and promote the history of our community. We own and operate two distinctly unique historic venues; The Firehouse Jail Museum and the Heritage House. The Firehouse Jail Museum, erected in 1911, is located directly behind City Hall just east of Citrus Avenue. This exciting museum contains one of the most complete collections of orange industry documents and artifacts in southern California. Hundreds of school children visit this unusual museum each year. We are open every Sunday (excluding holidays) from 1pm-3pm. Admission is free. The Heritage House is located adjacent to Covina Park at 300 N Valencia Avenue. The 1908 craftsman-style home is completely furnished with period-accurate treasures and it offers a unique glimpse of early 1900's life. It is opened by appointment only by calling (626) 966-9871.

I've known for years the Baddio (more accurate spelling is Baddia) brothers and their adventurous…read moreendeavor of coffee plantation in relation to John Hollenbeck. Today I met some Covina residents, who grew up and still live in Civina close to Hollenbeck and Baddio but know nothing about the history behind the street names. After sharing with them some stories, I was urged to look into some details to refresh my memory about this part of history. This post provides some very valuable information and I'll keep it in my archive.

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.

A pretty nice local museum that has rotating exhibits. I came here on a weekend visit and it was…read morebusy here and there. People seem to just stop in shortly here, with a few people that stuck around longer to really take in the art. You walk in to the security desk and check-in with your location. They only need your zip code and you're free to check out the exhibit. There's about two museum security persons in the exhibit areas They don't really greet you, but they're there. I came in for their Chicana(o) art exhibit as well as their water exhibit. Both were good. They also had a special historical exhibit that features the history of the City of Ontario. That was an okay exhibit. Facility has some nice historical architectural feel. Kind of like some of the art deco styling in the L A. buildings. Parking lot is small, but you can also park on the street. Also just a very close walk the Ontario train station.

This museum is small but packed full of incredibly detailed and interesting displays. The quality…read moreis incredible for the price of admission: free! I was surprised how amazing this place is and how much fun I had exploring the history of Whittier. Although I knew that President Nixon was from Whittier, I still did not expect to see an entire display about his history in Whittier. It was also interesting and very well curated. I can't wait to come back one day for a Haunted Whittier Tour! Instead of donating money to the museum we loaded up on a couple souvenirs instead. This museum is definitely worth a few visits since the displays are constantly changing and evolving.

A lovely museum worth visiting…read more I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the different rooms to explore. My friend and I had a great time and spent about an hour and a half here. Museum is free and there is parking in the back.

A visit here is a great way to learn about the history of Glendora! I was greeted warmly by Karen…read moreas the doors were opening at 11:00am and she was very helpful answering my questions. I enjoy local history, so I spent a little time viewing the displays which cover artifacts from the indigenous peoples to the famous. I certainly walked away knowing more than when I entered. Highly recommended!

Always a fun place to visit! Benefits: FREE & labeled…read moreself-guided tour. Any questions are answered by the docents. Highlights: Sally Rand display, doll collection, images of some of the public schools in Glendora that no longer exist, old maps of Alosta & Glendora, old toys, 100 year rain fall records, citrus display, a huge archeological dig, Rt. 66 display, old businesses from Glendora, a ton of old photos, etc. Volunteer run- OPEN SATURDAYS 11 AM- 2 PM

My toddler loves playing at Pretend City. We bought a membership and visited often over the summer…read more(on weekdays). It's well maintained and kept clean in the morning. There were times staff kept putting back toys so quickly and frequently I was getting annoyed (in my head) because I had to keep getting boats and fish back out for him in the water area. I love that they switch out the sensory items in the art room throughout the month so it's a different experience each visit. Their Wonder Lab area with painting was sooo fun! It's too bad it was only seasonal. My son loves all of it - harvesting fruits and veggies in the farm, pushing his own cart in Trader Joe's, cooking in the restaurant, etc. It is truly a great, fun space for kids. Once, the CEO played in the construction area with him for a few minutes - that impressed me. They also regularly have special event days with dance and music demonstrations, author read alouds, etc. Members Only hour is the best time to visit (they open an hour early). Once 10:00 hits, the floodgates open and it's gets substantially more crowded. With all that said, we visited on a recent Sunday afternoon - never again! Every exhibit was in total disarray (every single toy on the floor and rarely even in the right zone), older kids zooming around on kid cars like scooters, a child climbing the fake fountain in the center and standing at the top (where were the parents?! No staff member present either...it was really dangerous). I've never seen Pretend City look like that before but if that's what it was like on my first visit it would scare me away! There's lots of parking but mostly in the back lot. The front lot gets full fast and many spots are reserved for other businesses. You can bring your own food/drinks to eat in their Cafe area or purchase some from vending machines. Wish they sold coffee... Again, amazing spot and 5/5 on weekday mornings. 1/5 on weekend afternoons.

The place is wonderful, filled with lots of hours of play and excitement but I definitely feel…read moreit's over priced.. if you have EBT or Wick then you can get in for $5 a person.. The man at the front desk has a ton of attitude so beware.. only reason why I left 3 stars.. he was extremely rude to me for not understanding something with the pricing.. The vending machines are expensive but it's pretty cool that you can bring your lunch. Definitely worth checking out .

Great host, very interesting venues and stories. The perfect spot to walk around and see history…read morethat still exists.

We did the Kellog house tour and our tour guide was great. She was very knowledagable of the…read morehistory of not just the house, but the surrounding city/cities as well. The length of the tour was well worth the money, I also know that some stories are passed down through history or just lore. We enjoyed our experience and how everyone got into character/dressed as the era. My next goal is to do the Disney mansion tour. See you soon

This is a great community museum. It's all volunteer run and they do a fine job. Being volunteer…read morerun, it has limited hours, but they're actually longer than other historical society museums in the area. If you live in Duarte, you 100% owe yourself to visit - and then come back every few years. Thanks to all who give freely of their time and energy to make this museum possible!

I have been to this museum only a few times for school field trips when I was in elementary school…read more I also came here on my own once because I was in the area. But it is hard to see this museum since the times this place is open is only a few hours on certain days (1-3 pm 1st & 3rd Wednesday of every month & 1-4 pm every Saturday, except holidays/ holiday weekends). This museum is pretty small, but as a resident of Duarte, I think it is at least worth a look because this museum focuses on the history of Duarte (part of the route 66, Andres Duarte). This museum is located at the Encanto Park and parking has never been a problem when I have visited this park. By the way, admission is free.