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    Riverside Art Museum

    3.9 (100 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    NGL this one almost made me shed a tear. Miss the Showcase
    Michael T.

    Located on the corner of Mission and Lime, I'd passed the Riverside Art Museum so many times but never actually went inside. I was usually heading next door to the RMA for a concert. But when they announced the 60 Miles East Punk Rock in Riverside exhibition, I knew I wasn't going to miss it. The Riverside Art Museum was originally built in 1929 as a YWCA before being bought and turned into what it is now. You walk in and admission is right there. I went on Veterans Day so I got in free. Otherwise combo tickets that get you into the Cheech the same day cost $15.95. A good deal! The 60 Miles East exhibition is in a giant room filled with flyers, posters and clothing from bands and places all over the Inland Empire. It was super cool but made me a bit sad inside because I'd been to the Showcase Theatre on many occasions and still miss it. They also have art in another part of the gallery including a Shepard Fairley original. I wasn't expecting that! Overall the Riverside Art Museum is a place I'd for sure recommend. It's not real big but since you can go to the Cheech on the same day with your ticket, it's worth the admission cost. 60 Miles East runs to mid April so don't miss it! Support the arts!

    Max S.

    Very cool. Nice building. Multiple, large spaces. Great exhibits, from photographs to interactive installations. The museum gift store is worth the visit. I purchased a rooster finger puppet just for fun. Complimentary admission on the first Sundays of the month. It's worth the drive to Riverside.

    10/2024
    Jacob C.

    I've been to RAM three or four times and it's always a pleasure. You get free admission when you purchase a ticket for Cheech Marin's museum. My favorite exhibits this time were The Human Interaction is a Beautiful Thing, Invisible Threads, The Pleasure of Being Wrong, and James Baldwin. All were interesting and thought-provoking.

    I mean look at that space 3
    Tania T.

    I came here with my little family, taking advantage of the FREE FIRST SUNDAYS admission. This museum is housed in an older builder. They have ramp access for strollers toward the sides and you have to press a button to be buzzed in. The space is a bit more cramped if you're comparing it to The Cheech next door. But, it is enough space for a single stroller. The mood and vibe of this place is a bit more "serious", it has more sculptures than painting when we went, and if you have little ones, you'd need to watch them. There are security guards in the area which will remind you if the little ones are running around. There is also a gift shop and a cool Atrium space in the middle. When we visited, there was a demonstration on puppets for the little ones. Overall such a lovely venue! To the exhibits - the Sacred Space arts and sculptures on the second floor is really neat. I really enjoyed my time there! There are cool paintings, vases, and tables with their geometric shapes and colors. I love exposing my family and myself to new things. We definitely learn a thing or two visiting museum like this one.

    Krajicek K.

    Beautiful building and atrium. The building itself is an art piece. This museum features local artists. We enjoy especially different pieces from Charles Bibbs. So exquisite and powerful. High recommended. The museum entrance fee also gives the admission to The Cheech, a collection of Chicano arts. We enjoyed our visit.

    Chicken tamale, pan Dulce, Mexican hot cocoa
    Shaheen N.

    This was a cool find. I had an appointment in downtown Riverside at a nearby venue. I just happened to park in front of the art museum. They were a special New Year's/ Yuletide event. I was informed that the first of every Sunday they have a special event open to the public. They had like performances, photo opportunities, and free food. Of course, this is an art museum , and services are guaranteed and every event, but it was a lovely experience it was just one time. As a huge fan of the inland Empire, I'm glad that this creative space has graced the City Of riverside.

    Wedding Cake
    Ronald M.

    A different type of venue, on a different day of the week, Tuesday, for a wedding. So if you're looking for a different type of venue for your nuptials try the Riverside Art Museum, in downtown Riverside. Just a short distance from the world famous Riverside Mission Inn. This was the choice for my wife's first cousin and his bride. Decent space for the ceremony, surrounded by modern artwork. Maybe room for you and, say, about 100 guests. Beautiful rooftop reception area. It was a lovely evening, the culmination of their 7 years together.

    Scott S.

    Like virtually all art museums are, this is a great location to see a vast selection of the various presentations of art. Located near the freeway, in the heart of downtown Riverside, this art museum is easy to find. There is plenty of street and parking lot parking in the area, so this should never be an issue. One of the great things about Riverside Art Museum is that it is located in this old, house-like structure. Inside, you really feel like you are in someone's home. Just inside the main entry area, there is an enclosed patio area, covered by a glass ceiling. They have a few seats and tables in this room. It's a nice place to sit back and take a breath before or after you explore the museum. This is multi floored structure. Each floor offers a unique and ever-changing array of art. So, you will always find nice and inspirational art to view. Overall, great place!

    Angel M.

    The Riverside Art Museum is located in downtown a Riverside. I love to walk the downtown area because of their beautiful buildings! The ceramic display on the second floor was my favorite. So much attention to detail. See my pictures. My admission was free since I purchased a ticket to Cheech Marin Center. The gift shop had so many different items.

    Architectural features: fireplace and archway
    John S.

    Its merger/partnership with the Cheech space is definitely a plus. they had multiple installations that were interesting and the architecture there is incredible. Apparently it's an old YW or YMCA.

    First time here
    Christina A.

    The Riverside Museum of art is a smaller museum filled with great artist. They had 3 exhibits on display today including one on plants which was beautiful the architecture of the museum it's self is BEAUTIFUL. Upstairs they had a hands on exhibit where you can draw and interact with old school type writers. It's gray for the family something koo fun and fast to do perfect so a summer time outing. Entrance fees includes entrance to RAM and the CHEECH Marin Center for CHICANO ART &. CULTURE Will definitely go back !!!

    Maria E.

    PARKING: Although parking is abundant and cheap in Riverside, there is free parking in the area, if you know where to look. Drive past the museum and turn right on Lemon St. There is free parking there (90 minute limit, I think). That should be enough to see this small museum. ENTRANCE FEE: Pretty cheap at $5. Even cheaper for students, at $3. Not sure about other discounts but don't hesitate to ask. As far as the collection/exhibitions go, there was a lot of work from one specific artist and I had hoped to see more variety. Nonetheless, I enjoyed and appreciated what I saw. A quick way to infuse some art into your life.

    This museum is in downtown and neighbors the other two museums. The two-story building is absolutely STUNNING. Designed by Julia Morgan. The venue is rented out for weddings (excellent background for photos). There is a gift shop to the left of the entrance. There is a area where one can doodle upstairs. The current exhibit, (in)visible threads was a treat to view.

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    6 years ago

    snuck in without paying and im so glad i didnt waste the money. super basic student level photography, not much to see

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    9 years ago

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    15 years ago

    The Youth Ed classes are in such a wide variety. They are bound to have something your child would want to take.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    We rented the museum for an business event and they were awesome. Beautiful venue, kind people, best of the best.

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    11 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Riverside Art Museum

    Is the rooftop accesible via elevator?

    Yes, the elevator goes to the third floor (rooftop) when necessary for museum events and facility rentals.

    Are you guys in person or no?

    We are open to in-person visits to the museum. Our youth classes are in person. Our adult classes will go back to in person in the fall after this last set of summer virtual classes.

    Do you guys accept card payment for entrance to the museum?

    Hi Monique, Yes, we accept credit and debit cards.

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    Review Highlights - Riverside Art Museum

    Located near the freeway, in the heart of downtown Riverside, this art museum is easy to find.

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    The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture

    The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture

    4.7
    (123 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    The art work in this museum is unbelievably amazing! I really admire the hard work these talented…read moreartists really put into their career. Alexa's work was truly fantastic and watching her talent has inspired me to keep working towards my dreams when I nearly gave up so many times on life and she's proven to me and I know to everyone else that the 'impossible' is always 'possible.' I've always wanted to get the chance to meet her because I admire her work so much and want to make her happy. I'm really impressed with her and everyone's passion in the arts. The art in the museum is an inspiration and I value the work here so much. Also special thanks to the ladies at the front desk for being so kind and friendly and I really admire the amazing service they gave me. I definitely recommend this museum to anyone and wouldn't mind coming back again for a visit.

    We got in for free for being Bank of America members. We love the diverse collection and all that…read moreChicano art. The collections were nice but all in all, there is not a ton of things to see. Once you are done with the downstairs, there's not much on the upstairs except for an art center and a few other minor things from his collections. I wish they would expand it at some point, or if there was some sort of discount or benefit for someone else who doesn't bank with Bank of America. Something that keeps the admission price lower.

    Photos
    Park Ave, Riverside
    Park Ave, Riverside
    Retablo in response to the Uvalde shooting.
    Retablo in response to the Uvalde shooting.
    Cheech sculpture greets the visitors

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    Cheech sculpture greets the visitors
    Riverside Art Walk

    Riverside Art Walk

    3.4
    (9 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Decent art walk. I've deff been to much better ones though…read more It's on the first Thursday of every month. Since I'm new to the area, I decided to check it out to see what Rachetside has to offer. The artist lot is pretty small. The vendors at the lot weren't that interesting when I visited. I do appreciate the opportunity to tour several local museums for free though. I enjoyed the metropolitan museum of art and the RAM. Both are very small but offer a few interesting exhibits. Walking around the life arts center was deff the highlight of the night. It was such a cool historic art space for local artists. They also have live music on the balcony, how nice. Actually there was live music in downtown through out the event and quite a few local businesses including bars and restaurants participate in and offer discounts and specials for the art walk. Overall, it is well organized and got a good vibe. I'd say it's worth doing at least once. It was deff nice to see downtown Rachetside getting artistic and lively for a change!!

    If you're in the area or looking for something fun and chill to do on a thursday night, then you…read morehave to come here! Its ONLY on the 1st thursday of each month! There is an outside lot and a building across the street that you can walk around and appreciate and purchase if you're interested. It's almost like a swapmeet but for art. They have a live band playing on the 3rd floor of the building and in the basement theres always some type of performance or show. As you walk through the different booths and rooms, some even let you create art of your own! it's overall a very cool experience to enjoy with family and friends!

    Photos
    Riverside Art Walk
    Riverside Art Walk
    Riverside Art Walk

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    The Center For Social Justice & Civil Liberties

    The Center For Social Justice & Civil Liberties

    4.8
    (4 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    The front architecture of this building is quite striking. It's a two-story building that is in…read moredowntown. Check their website for open hours. The second floor houses the artwork of Mine Okubo. Very vibrant and colorful. Take the time to read the text. Learn about the history.

    My wife and I stumbled onto the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties while we were next door…read moreat White Park for the Riverside Tamale Festival. After stuffing ourselves silly, we stopped in and instantly fell in love with this wonderful community resource dedicated to civil rights education and outreach. There were exhibits about social justice and civil rights, with information about key events and people in the Riverside area. We enjoyed a short film about social justice before walking upstairs. The second floor was a pleasant surprise for me: the entire floor was dedicated to the Mine Okubo exhibition. She was the author and illustrator of one of my favorite books in college, Citizen 13660, a graphic novel about Okubo's experiences as a child in the U.S. internment camps during World War II. She donated most of her life's work to the center after she passed away in 2001 and this is the first exhibition of her art in nearly 40 years. It was a thrill to see her paintings from various periods of her life as she experimented with different styles and techniques; the art depicting life in the internment camp was poignant and beautiful. After we finished our visit, we chatted with the friendly workers, learned about upcoming special events, and started planning our next trip to the center. Highly recommended. Note: the center is only open on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm (including first Thursdays for the ArtWalk and by special appointments). Admission and nearby street/structure parking are free.

    Photos
    The Center For Social Justice & Civil Liberties
    The Center For Social Justice & Civil Liberties
    The Center For Social Justice & Civil Liberties

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    UCR ARTS California Museum of Photography

    UCR ARTS California Museum of Photography

    4.4
    (33 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $

    UCR ARTS is this great museum that focuses primarily upon photography. Based out of university of…read moreCalifornia, Riverside, what this museum presents is the work of very well-known photographers and other artists, as well as some of the student work. The moment you walk into the space you see that is very beautifully architecturally designed. Just near the entrance, they have a very nice spiral staircase that takes you up through the various floors where exhibitions are shown. As you walk farther back into the gallery, there you will find the lower level exhibition rooms. Moving upwards, you can get there via the aforementioned spiral staircase, or they also have a stairwell in the back, if that is your preference. Either way, you'll move through the various galleries and see some great photographs, and some other artistic works. Located right in the heart of downtown Riverside, this gallery space is very easy to find. There's parking all over the area, so that should never be a problem for you. The way admission works as this space is that you walk in, and there will more than likely be a person at the reception desk who will guide you over to the right of the facility There is the reception desk where you'll pay your fee and be given a small little badge to put on your apparel. Then, you're ready to go. Enjoy the showings. Overall, great space. Great place to view some really unique photographs and other artistic works.

    Great space. Extensive photography exhibit. It's nice and quiet, which provides the viewer with the…read morespace and mindset to appreciate and contemplate. My favorite exhibit were the old photographs framed in the intricate frame made of pine cones.

    Photos
    Portable God by Nam June Paik
    Portable God by Nam June Paik
    UCR ARTS California Museum of Photography
    UCR ARTS California Museum of Photography

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    Riverside Art Museum - artschools - Updated June 2026

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