San Bernardino, nestled in a scenic valley against the backdrop of the San Bernardino Mountains, welcomes visitors with an eclectic selection of museums and performing arts venues. The city itself, which dates from 1810, bears the signs of the diversity, including American Indian, Mexican and Spanish influences, that has shaped Californian culture. Travelers can take advantage of San Bernardino’s location near some of Southern California’s most grandiose natural attractions.
The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, on California State University’s San Bernardino campus, features an extensive collection. Its ancient Egyptian holdings include sculptures, jewelry and an elaborate coffin lid, while the contemporary collection features work from Andy Warhol and Leonard Baskin. The San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum, in the historic Sante Fe Depot, contains exhibits on regional history and gives guests the opportunity to ride a 1927 steam locomotive. Visitors to San Bernardino also can visit the site of the world’s first McDonald’s, which now houses a collection of McDonald’s memorabilia.
The California Theatre of the Performing Arts has hosted stars from the golden eras of vaudeville and Hollywood and served as the site of Will Rogers’ final stage performance. Constructed in 1928 in downtown San Bernardino, the theater continues to host a full schedule of concerts and musicals. The San Manuel Amphitheater, a seasonal concert venue that benefits from views of the San Bernardino Mountains, is the largest amphitheater in the United States. The downtown Fox Theater, built in 1929 and fully restored under the ownership of American Sports University, hosts independent productions in an authentic, 1930s setting.
San Bernardino’s Arrowhead, a geological formation on a mountainside north of the city, provides a not-to-be-missed photo op and figures prominently in local history. In American Indians believed the formation commemorates an epic cosmic battle and saw significance in the fact that the Arrowhead’s point indicates the location of Arrowhead Springs. These hot springs lured travelers since the early 1800s and hosted a succession of resorts. The most famous of these, the Arrowhead Springs Hotel, welcomed celebrities like Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy. The historic hotel, closed at the time of publication, is included in an ambitious city of plan to renovate the property as a multiuse residential facility and tourist attraction.
San Bernardino County covers more than 20,000 square miles and contains some of Southern California’s most renowned natural areas. The Mojave National Preserve spreads over 1.6 million acres and presents visitors with a wonderland of canyons, volcanic formations and a phenomenon known as singing sand dunes. Joshua Tree National Park, named for the iconic trees native to the area, comprises a wild expanse of epic rock formations and stark scenic grandeur. For outdoor enthusiasts who prefer a little more greenery, the San Bernardino National Forest spans nearly 680,000 acres and contains the epic Rim of the World Scenic Byway.
