California Citrus State Historic Park

The park is located on the corner of Van Buren and Dufferin in Riverside--turn at the big orange!

This park preserves some of the rapidly vanishing cultural landscape of the citrus industry and tells the story of this industry's role in the history and development of California. The park recaptures the time when "Citrus was King" in California, recognizing the importance of the citrus industry in southern California. 

In 1873, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forever changed the history of Southern California when it sent two small navel orange trees to Riverside resident Eliza Tibbets. Those trees, growing in near perfect soil and weather conditions, produced an especially sweet and flavorful fruit. Word of this far superior orange quickly spread, and a great agricultural industry was born.

In the early 1900s, an effort to promote citrus ranching in the state brought hundreds of would-be citrus barons to California for the "second Gold Rush." The lush groves of oranges, lemons and grapefruit gave California another legacy - its lingering image as the Golden State - the land of sunshine and opportunity. 



                                                                                               

  WHAT TO DO AT CALIFORNIA CITRUS SHP

Citrus Sampling at the Visitor Center/Museum

Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, please visit our museum/visitor center.  You can roam the museum, and we will have fresh fruit to taste on the back patio! Tastings are offered from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Entrance to the museum/visitor center is free, with paid parking fee of $5.   

Guided Groves Tours  

Join us for a free guided tour of the groves where you can learn about California's historic citrus industry and experience the horticultural aspects of a working grove. Our tours are offered Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 11:00 am. Space is limited so please pre-register by calling 951-780-6222 Monday-Thursday or 951-637-8044 Friday-Sunday. Reservations are highly encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome as space allows.  

For the safety of our visitors, volunteers, and park staff, if the temperature is 95 degrees or above, no guided grove tours will be offered. If the temperature is between 90 and 95 degrees, a shorter, modified grove tour will be offered, though staff will be monitoring air quality and may cancel the tour if conditions are too severe.

PLEASE NOTE: The picking of any fruit, flowers, or other materials in the park is strictly prohibited.  There are no dogs allowed in the visitor center/museum.  For more information on park rules and regulations, please click here. 

New Visitor Center Exhibit

Have you been by the visitor center to see our new exhibit Finding Ourselves in the Groves: Stories and Storytellers of Citrus in Inland Southern California?  Check out this recent article to learn more about it, and we hope to see you in the park soon!

Orange you excited to volunteer with us?

Visit our opportunities page for more information!