Redlands: Culture, Museums and Nature

Redlands combines impressive architecture, regional history and expansive nature experiences. Those wishing to plan a trip with cultural discoveries and active days will find a wide variety of opportunities here: Victorian houses, historical exhibitions, open-air music and trails through a landscape that also provides a habitat for wildlife.

Experience Architecture and Garden Culture

A prominent starting point for cultural experiences is Kimberly Crest House & Gardens. The 6-acre estate includes a Victorian château and gardens in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The interior serves as a museum and offers guided tours. The gardens are open to the public free of charge, allowing you to focus your visit on the gardens according to your interests or plan a tour of the house.

The A.K. Smiley Public Library also contributes to Redlands' architectural history. The wing added in 1906 was built to fit into the original design of the Mission Revival library. For travelers who want to experience historic buildings not merely as photo opportunities but as part of a place's development, this detail adds another perspective to a cultural stay.

Museums with Regional and Historical Themes

The Historical Glass Museum displays 6,000 pieces of glass in a Victorian house dating from 1903. Admission is by donation; the museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 16:00. These fixed hours are particularly important for planning your day if you want to combine several cultural stops.

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine offers guided tours for groups of 12 or more by prior reservation. An exhibition entitled “...That All Men are Created Equal: Slavery in America” provides insight into slavery and its legacy in the United States from precolonial times through the 20th century. Visitors can hear stories and songs of formerly enslaved people. The subject is suitable for anyone wishing to examine historical contexts in greater detail.

The San Bernardino County Museum presents exhibitions on the Inland Empire region, including depictions of life in Redlands and other surrounding areas. The program also includes history, art, anthropology, archaeology, biology, geology and paleontology relating to the Inland Southern California region. This makes it possible to plan a cultural day around different interests, from regional history to natural sciences.

Nature Trails and Active Excursions

Heritage Park is an 18.4-acre nature park that reflects the history of Redlands. A trail passes boulders and conveys historical connections to the area. This contrast between landscape and history makes the park an opportunity to combine exercise and discovery without focusing the entire stay exclusively on museum interiors.

The San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary offers more space for activities, with 5 miles of trails for hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. San Timoteo Sanctuary covers approximately 200 acres and provides a habitat for coyotes, deer, badgers and snakes. Mountain biking is permitted on the singletrack through the eucalyptus grove. Depending on how you wish to organize your trip, you can therefore choose between hiking, cycling and horseback riding here; the aforementioned trails and permitted uses should be taken into account when planning each day.

Music and Special Travel Occasions

The Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival is considered the oldest continuously held music festival in the United States at which no admission is charged. Its history began in 1923 with the founding of the Redlands Community Music Association by Grace Stewart Mullen. If music is one of your travel interests, this festival can become a focus of its own. Since the performances available depend on the respective program, arranging the specific dates is one of the next steps before the trip.

The Right Holiday Apartment for Your Travel Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Redlands, it helps to first determine your preferred focus. Those interested in culture can make museums, architecture and historical topics the centerpiece, while nature lovers can take the trails in Heritage Park or San Timoteo Sanctuary into account. Those traveling with companions who have different interests can include both areas in their daily plans without limiting the trip to just one type of experience.

You can then search for a suitable holiday apartment in Redlands and calmly add the other destinations to your trip.

Additional Destinations for Orientation

For further planning, you can also discover Big Bear Lake, Adelanto, San Bernardino, Hesperia, Running Springs, Barstow, Searles Valley and Fawnskin.

To the higher-level travel overview: San Bernardino.