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.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.

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!

Beautiful art and very kind, personable, and attentive employees. At the end our guide was…read moreextremely nice and offered a free auction book with pictures of selected paintings and calligraphy of masters.

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!

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.

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.

The museum is free! I believe they have rotating exhibits. This time, they were showcasing the…read moreBuffalo Soldiers. Lovely, educational, and amazing photos and artifacts. It was a little small and limited staffing but I assumed such. Still learning about their resources but the have little events, free tours, and programs for the community.

Ontario Museum of History & Art has some nicely curated local history and art in a beautiful old…read morecity hall building with free admission. The exhibits mix culture, community stories, and rotating art pieces, so it's worth a stop on a weekend outing.

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.

I found out there would be a free event regarding the history and mystery of Turnbull Canyon: A…read moreRoad Unwound. The documentary film by William Ohanesian was shown at the second floor of the museum. The event was interesting and the museum to my surprise was very spacious and has free parking available in 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

Quality interactive kid participation on a community services scale. Lots to see and do for all…read morechildren. Wonderful Staff helped get the time card process rolling. So many displays that tell a story and invite participation! Wonderful! Keep up the great educational work. Thank you The Groeniger's

I was really excited to bring my toddler here because she loves indoor playgrounds/children's…read moremuseums. This place is huge but it is chaotic (I went on a Sunday morning). There were a lot of different areas but it was hard for my daughter to actually do anything because the areas were packed and a lot of the items were missing from the areas due to kids moving them around. That's understandable -kids will be kids- but because there were so many kids the staff couldn't keep up with putting the items back in the designated areas. For example, we went to the "mail room" there was literally no mail in it. We went to the tool/building area and there were literally no tools and not enough building materials to build anything. This was pretty much every area we went to. The amount of kids also made it super overstimulating for my daughter. Normally when we go to these kinds of places it's calm and she is actually able to learn, play, interact etc. Lastly, it's expensive. Normally when we go to these kinds of places an adult is included when paying for a child to enter. Here, you have to pay for an adult and child ticket - so it was 44$ for the both of us. Totally not worth the price when it is so overrun.

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

We enjoyed a spooktacular haunted ghost tour around the Old Town Orange area with Valerie from…read moreHaunted OC tours! It's really more than about ghosts and paranormal experiences. Though, Valerie certainly has done her research by sharing sightings based on interviewing the locals and from her own experiences. We learned a lot about the history of the area and the old buildings that make up the neighborhood. It was surprising to learn there were so many mortuaries in the several blocks around the circle! Along with sharing interesting history and paranormal activity at each place where she stopped, from her iPad she also shared old pictures of what the buildings, shops and people looked like in the old days. Those black and white photos did enhance the spooky creepiness of the stories she shared. There were about 25 of us in our group. Valerie maneuvered us so we didn't get lost or separated, and she made sure we didn't get in the way of non-tour group pedestrians. Her audio was loud enough for everyone to hear. She dressed the part of ghost tour leader, lacy black cape and all, and she made the walk fun with her added theatrics. I highly recommend this tour!

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.