Things To Do in Riverside, CA

Find downtown landmarks, parks, museums, family-friendly stops, coffee, restaurants, and free things to do in Riverside, California.

Things To Do in Riverside, CA

Riverside is one of the Inland Empire's largest cities, with downtown landmarks, parks, museums, family-friendly stops, coffee, restaurants, and plenty of free things to do.

Browse places in Riverside by category, then open any listing for its address, official website, and visit details.

Popular Annual Events in Riverside

Scheduled rows link to a current dated event listing. Every other recurring event clearly shows that its next date has not yet been confirmed.

Mission Inn Festival of Lights Scheduled: Nov 21-Dec 31, 2026 November to January
Riverside Lunar New Year Festival 2026 date not yet confirmed January-February
Riverside Dickens Festival 2026 date not yet confirmed February
Riverside Tamale Festival 2026 date not yet confirmed Spring
Riverside Insect Fair 2026 date not yet confirmed Spring
Riverside Juneteenth Celebration 2026 date not yet confirmed June

Top Free Things To Do in Riverside

Mount Rubidoux Park Riverside - Parks & Outdoors - Paved uphill roads, dirt trails and historic landmarks make this a walking outing rather than a playground stop. The park's 3.5 miles of paved roads describe its road network, not one prescribed loop. For a shaded picnic and playground-focused afternoon, Fairmount is the better fit among these picks. Plan the mountain visit around walking, sun exposure and your group's pace. The city recommends the adjacent Ryan Bonaminio Park parking lot. Restrooms are there during park hours, not on the mountain. Surrounding street parking is limited. Mount Rubidoux is open dawn to dusk, with no trail lighting and no night hikes. Public vehicles are not allowed on its park roads.
Downtown Riverside and Main Street Riverside - Downtowns - Downtown Riverside and Main Street is a walkable downtown, village, main street, arts district, or town-center pick in Riverside. A major IE downtown district around Main Street, the Mission Inn area, museums, restaurants, coffee, public spaces, events, and historic architecture. It is free to walk and browse, while food, shopping, paid events, parking, and private venues vary. Use this listing for date walks, family strolls, visitors, coffee-and-browse plans, casual shopping, local events, and low-pressure things to do. Check the official source before going for current events, business hours, parking rules, and closures: https://riversidedowntown.org/
Galleria at Tyler Riverside - Shopping - An enclosed Riverside mall with department stores, specialty shops, dining, and indoor space for an easy family outing near the Tyler Street corridor. It works well for hot afternoons, rainy days, back-to-school shopping, food stops, and browsing with kids or teens.

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Urban Dripp Riverside - Coffee Shops - A Downtown Riverside coffee and donut stop with coffee, espresso drinks, donuts, beer, mimosas, ice cream, and a lively local feel. Good for a quick treat, casual meetup, downtown coffee run, or a low-pressure stop before a show or evening plan.
Crave Coffee & Tea Riverside Riverside - Coffee Shops - A Riverside Crave Coffee & Tea location for coffee, tea, blended drinks, bagel sandwiches, pastries, casual meetups, work sessions, and easy pickup near Central Avenue.
Arcade Coffee Tasting Room Riverside - Coffee Shops - Arcade Coffee's original Riverside tasting room and roastery cafe, with coffee roasted on Chicago Avenue and a brunch menu. Useful for serious coffee, Eastside meetups, work sessions, and a better-than-chain morning plan.
Mission Ranch Park Riverside - Parks & Outdoors - Mission Ranch Park is listed by an official City of Riverside parks, facilities, or recreation source as a public park, trail, reserve, garden, recreation open space, or special-use park site. Use this listing for local park discovery, outdoor time, playground or sports planning, family outings, and neighborhood walks. Check the official city source before going for current amenities, closures, reservations, field status, and posted rules: https://www.riversideca.gov/park_rec/sites/riversideca.gov.park_rec/files/pdf/Riverside%20Parks_0.pdf
Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park Riverside - Parks & Outdoors - Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park is listed by an official City of Riverside parks, facilities, or recreation source as a public park, trail, reserve, garden, recreation open space, or special-use park site. Use this listing for local park discovery, outdoor time, playground or sports planning, family outings, and neighborhood walks. Check the official city source before going for current amenities, closures, reservations, field status, and posted rules: https://www.riversideca.gov/park_rec/sites/riversideca.gov.park_rec/files/pdf/Riverside%20Parks_0.pdf
Challen Park Riverside - Parks & Outdoors - Challen Park is listed by an official City of Riverside parks, facilities, or recreation source as a public park, trail, reserve, garden, recreation open space, or special-use park site. Use this listing for local park discovery, outdoor time, playground or sports planning, family outings, and neighborhood walks. Check the official city source before going for current amenities, closures, reservations, field status, and posted rules: https://www.riversideca.gov/park_rec/sites/riversideca.gov.park_rec/files/pdf/Riverside%20Parks_0.pdf
Duane’s Prime Steaks & Seafood Riverside - Restaurants - The Mission Inn's flagship fine-dining steak and seafood room, built for anniversary dinners, dressed-up dates, wine, and a full special-occasion night in Downtown Riverside.
Le Chat Noir Riverside - Restaurants - Le Chat Noir is an intimate French restaurant in Downtown Riverside for a quiet dinner, wine, and classic bistro-style dishes. Reservations are handled by phone, so call ahead if you are planning a date night, anniversary dinner, or pre-show meal near the Mission Inn area.
Mario’s Place Riverside - Restaurants - A Downtown Riverside classic for upscale Northern Italian food, wine, a Mission Inn-adjacent stroll, and a refined date-night dinner before or after a show.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Riverside - Date Ideas - Riverside's landmark downtown destination for architecture, dinner, drinks, spa days, seasonal lights, and out-of-town visitors. It works best as a grown-up plan, date plan, or history-and-architecture stop.

More Places in Riverside

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