For more than a quarter century, the idea of creating a museum dedicated to Redlands history has been a goal shared by local historians, preservation advocates, and community members. On Saturday, October 24, that long-awaited vision is scheduled to become reality when the Museum of Redlands opens its doors to the public for the first time.
The grand opening represents the culmination of a 26-year effort to establish a permanent institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of a city whose identity has been shaped by citrus agriculture, education, architecture, commerce, and generations of residents.
Located at 1 North Center Street, the museum occupies the renovated and expanded former Redlands Daily Facts building. Its transformation gives new purpose to a location already associated with documenting community life. Where a newspaper once helped record the events of the day, the museum will preserve the broader history of the people and institutions that shaped Redlands.
According to the City of Redlands and A.K. Smiley Public Library, the opening celebration begins at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The program will feature music from the Redlands Fourth of July Band and remarks from invited dignitaries. Visitors will also receive commemorative keepsakes, including a pin and a postcard featuring a watercolor depiction of the museum building by Pasadena artist Joseph Stoddard.
The museum will become part of the Special Collections Division of A.K. Smiley Public Library, joining the Lincoln Memorial Shrine as the second museum managed by that division.
That relationship is particularly significant because the library has long served as a guardian of Redlands history. Its Heritage Room maintains historical photographs, maps, documents, oral histories, and other records that help researchers understand the city's development.
Redlands emerged during Southern California's great citrus expansion in the late nineteenth century. Orange groves helped build the city's economy and supported the construction of many of its distinctive homes, schools, churches, and civic institutions.
As the region developed, Redlands changed from an agricultural center into a modern community with universities, hospitals, businesses, and expanding residential neighborhoods. Yet reminders of its earlier identity remain visible throughout the city.
A dedicated local museum offers an opportunity to connect those different periods of history.
For longtime residents, historical exhibits can preserve memories of neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions that have disappeared or changed. For younger generations, the museum can explain how familiar streets and landmarks came to exist. Visitors from outside the community will gain another reason to explore Redlands beyond its restaurants, shopping districts, and historic architecture.
The economic implications extend beyond museum attendance. Cultural attractions can encourage visitors to spend additional time in a community, benefiting nearby businesses while strengthening the city's reputation as a destination for heritage tourism.
Perhaps the museum's greatest contribution, however, will be educational. Historical collections allow students to move beyond textbook descriptions and examine the physical evidence of the past. Photographs, objects, and personal accounts can reveal how earlier generations lived, worked, and responded to challenges.
The Museum of Redlands will offer free admission and is scheduled to operate Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The opening marks an important milestone, but it is also a beginning. As new generations contribute their experiences to Redlands, the museum can become a place where the city's continuing story is collected, examined, and shared.
A community's history is never finished. On October 24, Redlands will open a new place dedicated to remembering where it has been while helping future generations understand where it may go.
Event information: Saturday, October 24, 2026, ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m., Museum of Redlands, 1 North Center Street. Free admission. Museum information: Museum of Redlands.