The Mission Inn in Riverside California, built over a sixty year period beginning in 1876, is a living museum full of priceless art and antiquities. It has two onsite chapels, one is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and has glass works designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1906 for a chapel in New York.
Many Della Robbia style ceramics from Italy,
are on stunning display throughout the property.
The Inn is a National Historic Landmark which you can tour on your own or with a docent. The art and artifacts overflow the spacious Inn and there is a museum with more art across the street that can also be toured.
Ten US presidents have visited The Inn,
and there is a presidential lounge dedicated to them.
The mission style interiors are comfortable and spacious, but the most amazing spaces for me are all the inner courtyards which are like beautiful outdoor rooms full of whimsical artwork and constant surprises.
Exploring is great fun as everywhere you look you find precious art and artifacts.
The clock tower has a glockenspiel with full size rotating figurines that is a replica of the original built in Nuremberg Germany in 1709.
The Inn has over 400 antique bells. One from Nanjing China dates from 1247 and is the oldest bell in Christendom.
Cheers to you from the fascinating and fun Mission Inn in Riverside California~
Fascinating and beautiful! Thanks for sharing Cindy 💛🙏💛
Beautiful post Cindy 😀
I would like to share your post at Twitter, but your sharing connection only share to WP and not to your blog.
Oh dear. I will see if I can refresh the connection. Sorry about this and thank you for trying <3
You are a master! These photographs stun, far more so than what the wandering, distracted eye can focus on. (Mine, I mean). What a treat to have these images in preparation for a visit there. Thank you, Cindy.
Oh my gosh, are you going to visit? I am happy. I want to hear what you think. And where else you are going to go. There is always so much to see. I am so grateful for people like you who want to look. Be well my friend and thank you.
What beautiful and unique architecture!
It is a whimsical hodgepodge that manages to be utterly charming.
What a truly stunning and amazing place.
I am happy you see it as I do Mary. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and this makes the experience of discovering it, fun.
Was für eine eigenartige Stilmischung !
Ja, in der Tat. Wunderlich.
BEAUTIFUL!
I’m not sure what else to say? Your photos are wonderful. What a gem!
I can easily see a fancy dress ball with gowns designed by Resa. How magical that would be.
Very magical!!!
<3
Very interesting place, Cindy. Looks very peaceful as well.
Yes indeed peaceful. The courtyards provide so many venues for privacy and relaxation.
What a marvelous adventure. Your photos are exquisite, Cindy. I felt I was there with you….
I wish you were Rebecca. You are a wonderful travel companion! <3
Sehr schöne Fotos. Wolfgang
Vielen dank mein lieber Freund Wolfgang.
It holds some amazing history Cindy, it would have been a treasure to look through 😀
It is great fun to explore because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Very Beautiful
Merci beaucoup mon ami <3
what a fascinating place Cindy, thank you for sharing.
Leslie xoxo
Happy you enjoyed and it indeed is fascinating, which is why I want to go back and see all the stuff I missed!
please do share it with us, Cindy…
Awww, thank you for your kindness. I will, with love <3
What a beautiful place! Your photos are stunning. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Thank you more Lynette, for your kind appreciation <3
As I scrolled through and read this post, all I could hear inside my head was “Wow! Wow! Wow!”
Awwww, you make me happy I posted. Thank you & cheers too!
That’s good that it works both ways.
Thank you.
What a gorgeous place. Such exquisite detail. I have seen the original glockenspiel in Nuremberg.
I have too. Hate to say it, but the original is better.
Thanks Cindy for sharing. Looks like a wondetful, interesting place of some great creative workmanship!
Yes, it definitely is. The best word to describe experiencing it is surprising.
What a wonderful virtual getaway you just gave us, Cindy. It is such a stunning place. I love all the detail on the outside of the building. Yes, it’s a lot, but it makes it feel whimsical to me. I’m happy you took time to share this with us. Hugs on the wing!
Hugs back to you sweet lady <3
Looks like one could spend hours going over all the details… thanks for sharing this fascinating and uncommon hotel/museum, Cindy!
Thanks for your kind appreciation Eliza. We are going back. They apparently have this amazing Christmas light display, and there is so much I still haven’t seen….(This is the story of my life!)
A good way to live. 🙂
It’s one way to live, and the best I can do <3
Thanks for the tour of a beautiful place Cindy
Thank you more for joining me!
Another delightful tour, Cindy. Thanks. –Curt
You are fun to tour with Curt!
🙂
Thank you for this wonderful tour Cindy! I’m living vicariously through you!🤗
That’s quite nice thank you & I do the same with you!
Just WOW! History, art, architecture, and beauty all in one. The glockenspiel clock must be one of the treasures of the Mission Inn. Thank you, Cindy!
Thank you Jennie for such a thoughtful comment. The glockenspiel is wonderful, but I couldn’t possibly include all the wonders waiting in this amazing place. It truly must be seen to be believed.
I’m not surprised to hear you say that, Cindy. I can imagine that your wonderful photos can’t show it all.
<3 <3
That is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
Wow, I wasn’t expecting that degree of opulence! I’d need to spend an entire week there just to see everything without going into sensory overload.
Beautiful artwork but I must say, looking at that gorgeous blue sky was such a treat.
Dear Cindy,
The shots of the inner Innis awesome. 🙂
Thank you. It is so wonderful to hear from you. Hope all is well with you my friend. Heading over to see what I haven’t seen recently from you
What a beautiful place, on my list!
Yay! I want to hear your impressions <3
Looks so beautiful, Cindy! A different world 🙂 🙂
All these parallel worlds, happening at the same time…..
I love that clock. I am fascinated with the oldest bell. Wow.
Love all these shots. ❤
The biggest thing for me, is this is Riverside. This is a place I always just drove past fast. Shows you how much I know.
Hey. Better late than never…
<3 <3
Looks fantastic from the inside too. There are many things to explore here.
There are so many things left to explore which is like life at it’s best <3
It is fascinating and absolutely breathtaking!
Thank you & love to you Linda <3
What kind of atmosphere does the Inn project? From the beautiful photos it looks like serene, calming old-world charm… Is that the case? (The Cloisters felt like that to me on every visit) Is it bustling with activity? Do different areas project different atmospheres?
What a nuanced question. Thank you for it. It was not bustling with activity when I was there. It is a large piece of property. It was very easy to be alone, in very many seemingly magical places. The only humans that tended to appear in more remote shots were housekeepers taking breaks. Originally, the owner, collected antiquities en mass through travel, and set them up by theme and rooms. I loved coming across the Anne Rice suite. I could well imagine her feeling at home here. It had that sort of feeling for me, like gothic New Orleans with a Catholic Mission era twist. Just a big surprise to me.
Whoa, I love sanctuaries, especially in the middle of a bustling city, that transport me to another time/place/state-of-mind! Not too many of those available. Do you have a photo of the Anne Rice Suite? Do they let people peak inside unoccupied Suites?
In my first post on The Inn, the third photo from the bottom is the entrance to The Anne Rice Suite. It has a cupola in the ceiling and is two levels. Very nice! See:
https://cindyknoke.com/2019/11/02/mission-inn/
I see now what you mean: You can easily imagine Louis and Lestat emerging from there…
Exactly! They would be perfectly at home here.
A beautiful place!
It is, just so different, one person’s artist pursuit, and it is quite amazing.
🙂
Stunning, Cindy, just stunning. I am so glad I can ‘see’ these places through you.
I am grateful I met you.
Me too (she says with a strong nod and huge smile!) 🙂
<3 <3
This is really interesting. It looks like a nice place to spend the day–or several!
We spent one night. Not enough. They light the whole place up for Christmas. We are going back to see the lights, and all the other stuff.
Definitely a stunning place. Love the outdoor architecture!
I basically never knew this place was here, so it was a surprise to me.
If I ever have a chance to travel to California, I will – inspired by your post today – definitely visit the Mission Inn, Cindy!
That makes me happy Peter. Thank you. And I think you will be very happy when you do <3
WOW! Truly an awesome place, which I would love to visit someday!
The biggest deficit with me is I lived near here all my life and never knew about it. Live and learn.
What a place!
Yes indeed <3
Ein fantastischer Ort liebe Cindy. Wünsche Dir eine frohe Zeit…
Du bist ein nachdenklicher Mensch, Ernst. Danke und sei gut mein Freund.
How beautiful and intriguing. There is so much on display, I can see why you would need to go back.
Hi my friend! We are going en famille to see the Christmas lights. I hear they put on a spectacular display. It will put us in the Christmas spirit. Hope all is going well with you <3
🙂 🙂 🙂
What an amazing place, Cindy – and how wonderful to know of the della Robbias there. I love the dR tondos in particular (eg #3). How fortunate the family were so prolific that their work has travelled so well!
Thanks much & very pleased you enjoyed. I love the Della Robbia’s too. They are just so beautiful and uplifting and you find them everywhere at The Inn. Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful week.
liebe Cindy, das ist echt beeindruckend, finde ich, möge es eine gute Woche werden, Klaus
Danke, dass du so ein liebenswürdiger Freund bist und gut, mein Freund.
hab eine gute Zeit
<3 <3
Ahhh….MIssion Innpossible Part II. Superb as always, my friend!(♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡♡♡♡♡
You have such a knack for clever wording. You are a wordsmith (♡ ὅ ◡ ὅ )ʃ♡♡♡♡♡
Aww…thank you for your kind words.
(⺣◡⺣)♡
<3 <3
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Beautiful pictures from Cindy Knoke of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California.
You are such a lovely friend Patricia <3
I’ve been looking forward to seeing the inside of the Mission Inn, Cindy, and your photos certainly didn’t disappoint. What a stunning place! How I love that architectural style — the balconies, courtyards, tile, and artwork. Thank you for sharing it with us here!
Thank you more for your thoughtful appreciation Debbie & have a wonderful week <3
Thanks for the tour Cindy. It’s nice but not my style. I love the exterior and courtyards.
I love inner courtyards too. They bring the outside in. We have one at The Holler.
How nice to have one where you live!
Gorgeous subjects well photographed.
Thank you Derrick & have a wonderful week!
Beautiful, and a ‘Comfort’ too. Bonus.
Indeed <3
Looks like a wonderful place!
Ten US presidents? The place is nearly a western White House. Impressive, one way or the other.
What a magnificent architecture!!
And 400 antique bells.. Wowwww… To manage such a grand place is beyond my imagination.
I am going back to see The Holiday lights. They had cranes and scaffolding on site and I hear the lights are spectacular. It must take a an army to light up the entire Inn!
Enjoy your time Cindy, and we we will be waiting for some more wonderful pictures!
Smiling. So kind & so appreciated Deeksha. Be well my friend.
I know, and the big question to me is why had I never heard of it until now. I’m making up for lost time though, we are going back to see the holiday lights which I hear are spectacular.
That might honestly be the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen: every inch is full of detail, and both the exterior and interior is extraordinary.
Thanks much! I am happy you see it like I do. We are going back to see The Holiday lights.
I look forward to those pictures!
So appreciated. Be well.
You too!
<3 <3
Cindy, your photography is simply beautiful!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Once again, here is more beautiful photography from Cindy Knoke!
Friends like you are why I so love blogging! Thank you Charles. You are very kind.
Good one!
My story;
https://wp.me/pb2uFu-6q
Merci beaucoup!
Fascinating architecture Cindy. 💛
Thanks & happy you enjoyed!
If you did not say it is in California I never guess that. The architecture is so eclectic that it can belong to Europe, Latin America or somewhere else. Beautiful!
Yes, it especially reminded me of the beautiful and creative architecture and design one finds in the colonial cities of Mexico.
What a great place. I love the cozy seating area in front of the fireplace.
It’s perfect for a rainy day isn’t it.
Such a treat to view these gorgeous photos. What a beautiful place. <– Total understatement.
Thank you, Cindy! ♥.
Awwww, what a lovely comment! Thanks so much Niki & cheers my friend <3
So gorgeous! My older kid interviewed for grad school at UC Riverside…and if he’d chosen that instead of U of Chicago, I’d make a trip out there to visit him and tour this place. 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely week, Cindy! <3
I think your child made a good choice, even though I am a biased UCSD grad, U of C is my mother’s alma mater and she is still quite loyal. Still, it would have been quite nice to stay at The Inn whilst visiting. Cheers to you Teresa and thanks for stopping by.
Stunning, Cindy!
Merci beaucoup mon ami <3
🥰
What a fascinating journey Cindy, definitely a place that I could lose myself in, and your pictures are a credit, brilliant with color and really detailed.
Thanks for sharing.
Your comment makes me happy I posted. Thank you for your kindness <3
So very beautiful….Stunning workmanship…Your images Cindy as always highlight everything and take me to places I probably won’t visit in person…Thank you 🙂 x
Awwww thank you so much for such a lovely comment Carol and be well my friend <3
My pleasure, Cindy…Hugs x
💞
I never would have guessed this was in California – looks more like a European location (like Spain from my distant memory).
It does look like Spain doesn’t it, which makes sense since Spain built all the California missions, but this one definitely outdid itself!
So beautiful! It feels like you could spend days there and only see half of all the amazing works!
Exactly how I feel and why I plan to go back!
So beautiful😸Pawkisses🐾😽💞
Hugs back to you and cheers too <3
A lovely visit through your lens.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoying my posts 🙂
((Hugs)) from a chilly autumn – amazing how time flies.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving Jules and thanks so much for stopping by. We are having an epic rainstorm at The Holler, two inches in several hours and it is still coming down. Such good news for the land of fires. Hope you have a peaceful holiday my friend and cheers to you <3
Now some of that rain is needed for the Australian fires…
Once your rain stops things will fast forward in the blooming department!
Beautiful photos and tons of history. Thank for you sharing.
Have an awesome day!
Will
Thank you very much & lovely to meet you.
Did you take any meetings in the presidential lounge? (lol) 🙂
So happy to be retired and no longer having ANY meetings especially presidential ones!
Looks like it has just dropped out of a fairy tale 🙂
Yes! This is exactly what it feels like, especially at night.
😀
One for my bucket list, Cindy. I love Mission architecture especially if my family had been there. So many to visit, so little time. Wonderful photographs.
I love mission architecture to and you are so right, so much to see, so little time <3
Absolutely stunning!
Hugs and thank you Joey ♡
exquisite photographs
Thank you. I look forward to getting to know you.
FANTASTIC PHOTOGRAPHS CINDY ON SUCH A GREAT CRAFTSMAN, CHINA
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
Thank you for your kindness my friend & all the best to you ♡
I love the look & feel of the presidential lounge. Let’s meet there for drinks, shall we? 😉
Oh, please yes, shall we!
I love the Mission Inn… I’ve been during the day in the summer and at night at the holidays… thanks for these great photos. Now you make me want to visit again!
I haven’t seen it at night during the holidays. I know it is magic. I want to see it.
Wow, it looks like they’ve taken the best ideas and art from all over. I’d love to visit.
When you visit to sing (note I did not say if), you must let me know so I can come hear you and give you tips on where to go and what to see.
The architecture is amazing! Thank you for the beautiful tour, Cindy!
So happy you came along Amy. You make it more fun!
Thanks for sharing this place with us, Cindy. x
Thank you more for your kind appreciation & be well my friend.
Wow! This looks like history of another time just wraps you up into another world! Really liked the outdoor seating areas too, Cindy; comfort another era! 😊
It is magical isn’t it. So happy you enjoyed and let me know. Cheers to you Felipe.
It’s amazing how much beauty there is to still see on Earth, so glad you shared it with us! 😊
We will never have enough time to see it all and that is how it should be. The earth will always hold on to her mystery.
Yes! So very true, and yes, so very comforting I think too ❤️
Wonderful,many kisses from Romania
Visa versa 2UX2 in gorgeous Romania <3 <3
I look forward to welcoming you in Romania
I so look forward to meeting you and Romania. Thank you <3
That looks a really great place to spend a little time in.