FreeBee

Free museums and attractions in Riverside

7 listings in Riverside, CA: always-free spots and free admission days. Each one checked against its official source, every catch spelled out.

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Tomorrow 3

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage: free desert gardens and exhibits

Wednesday–Sunday, 8:30am–4pm (mid-September to early June)

Sunnylands Center & Gardens, Rancho MirageRiverside

The visitor center and desert gardens at Sunnylands, the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, are free to visit Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30am to 4pm, from mid-September to early June. Guided tours of the historic house and estate are separate and paid. Garden walks, an art exhibition, self-guided audio walks and history displays are part of the free Center & Gardens.

Verified Oct 27 · sunnylands.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $8)

Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands: free museum of Lincoln and the Civil War

Tuesday–Sunday, 1–5pm

Lincoln Memorial ShrineRedlands

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine in downtown Redlands is a small museum devoted to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. Admission is free, Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 5pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays.

Verified Oct 27 · lincolnshrine.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $5)

UCR Botanic Gardens: 40 acres of gardens and trails in Riverside

Mon–Fri 8am–3:30pm; 1st and 3rd Sundays 8am–2pm

UCR Botanic GardensRiverside

The UC Riverside Botanic Gardens is a 40-acre living museum with thousands of plant species in its curated collection. Open Monday to Friday 8am to 3:30pm (last entry 3pm) and the 1st and 3rd Sundays 8am to 2pm; starting in 2027 it opens every Sunday. A $5 donation per adult is suggested. Parking on campus needs a paid permit (Botanic Gardens lot from $2.50 an hour). Closed Nov 5, Nov 11, Nov 26–27 and Dec 24–Jan 1.

Verified Oct 27 · gardens.ucr.edu

No catch

This weekend 2

AttractionsFree (worth about $8)

Free admission at the Ontario Museum of History & Art

Thursday–Friday 12–4pm; Saturday–Sunday 11am–5pm

Ontario Museum of History & Art

The City of Ontario's Museum of History & Art, in Ontario's former City Hall on South Euclid Avenue, shows regional history and art. Admission to the museum, its programs and events is free. Open Thursday and Friday noon to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Verified Oct 27 · ontariomuseum.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Free guided tours of Heritage House, Riverside's Victorian home

Friday–Sunday, 12–4pm; tours at 12:00, 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15pm (September–June)

Heritage House (Museum of Riverside)

Tour the Museum of Riverside's Victorian Heritage House and its gardens, Friday through Sunday, noon to 4pm. Tours start at 12:00, 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15pm; book a free tour online. A $5 donation per person is suggested but not required to tour. The house is open from the first Friday after Labor Day through the last Sunday in June. Through November 8, 2026, tours go 'Behind the Black Veil'.

Verified Oct 27 · museumofriverside.org

Catch: Free tour: book online

Always free 2

AttractionsFree (usually $25)

Free Thursday nights at the Palm Springs Art Museum

Thursdays, 5–8pm

Palm Springs Art MuseumRiverside

Admission to the Palm Springs Art Museum's main building is free every Thursday from 5 to 8pm, funded by the City of Palm Springs (regular adult admission is $25). The museum is always free for under-18s and active-duty military families. It went cashless on October 15, 2026.

Verified Oct 27 · psmuseum.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (usually $17.95)

Riverside Arts Walk: free entry to the Riverside Art Museum, The Cheech and UCR ARTS

First Thursday of each month, 6–9pm

Riverside Art Museum, The Cheech and UCR ARTS

On the first Thursday of every month, downtown Riverside's Arts Walk runs from 6 to 9pm. Admission is free during Arts Walk at the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture (normally $17.95 for adults; one ticket covers both), and UCR ARTS on Main Street (normally $12 for adults) is open and free that evening too.

Verified Oct 27 · riversideartmuseum.org

No catch