Louis Robidoux Nature Center

Louis Robidoux Nature Center Is located in the heart of the Rubidoux area of Riverside, two miles southeast of Limonite Avenue.

Named after a Frenchman born in St. Louis Missouri in 1796, the Louis Robidoux Nature Center is host to several annual events, such as the Pecan Festival, the Butterfly Festival and the Turtle and Tortoise Exhibit Day. The center is on an authentic Native American site, home to the Tongva Tribe hundreds of years ago. Directly outside of the nature center visitors can find genuine Tongva artifacts, such as a worksite for women and slicks and mortar.

The Louis Robidoux Nature Center contains a wealth of information. Their educational, hands-on displays are always changing, offering visitors something new almost every time they visit. Although continuously changing, topics often include Native American history, native mammals, birds and reptiles, basic astronomy, the environment and much more. The center also has a small children’s book and video library. Live animals can be found in the museum, such as a great horned owl, an opossum, snakes, tarantulas, toads, various species of fish and snails.

Children’s day camp programs are offered in the summer, winter and during spring breaks, as well as year-round environmental education and interpretive programs, exhibits and trails. Craft classes are available to adults, such as pine needle basket weaving and coiled native weaved medallions. Programs are also offered to private groups, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Many hiking trails wind around the beautiful Sunnyslope Creek, while a few others lead to the Santa Ana River, Schroder’s pond and Burnt pond. Several educational bridges, with native animal footprints painted on them, are scattered throughout the park. Small beaches can arbitrarily be found that groups use to take water samples, determine flow rate of the creek and calculate temperature.

In the Santa Ana River bottom live many plants and animals. In the riparian zone live sycamore, oak and willow trees, wild grapes, arundo (resembles bamboo) and a plethora of other species of vegetation. Raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, owls, bobcats, lizards and hundreds of different species of birds are indigenous to the area.

Public hours are Saturday 10AM -4PM. Groups can make reservations for tours Tuesday through Friday. Birthday parties can be held at the nature center and include a hike, a craft, a live meet and greet with animals and a tour of the museum.

You can pick up a park brochure at the Riverside County Park District Headquarters, or you can drop into the park and check it out.