Published: October 29, 2026
Bear with Us!
Museum of Riverside Announces “California’s Grizzlies” Exhibition
Riverside, CA – The Museum of Riverside is pleased to announce the opening of our latest “mini-museum,” California’s Grizzlies: The natural and human history of our iconic state animal. On view now at the Orange Terrace Community Center, this tiny but powerful exhibition brings to life the history of these incredible bears in our state.
Learn what makes a grizzly bear a grizzly bear with sections explaining their diet, behavior, and sheer size. Stand toe-to-toe with a life-sized grizzly silhouette. Compare your paw, err … hand size to that of a grizzly and feel a replica of their fur. There’s even a gigantic replica skull on display!
Observe grizzly bear behaviors with a video section showing off these bears’ lives. The video also explores their local history. Grizzly bears were once common across California, including Southern California. In fact, one of the last grizzly bears killed in the state met its end in Orange County.
The exhibition further explores this complicated human history through maps and historic illustrations, iconic imagery, and the local story of one of America’s last pioneers. While western explorers had a contentious relationship with grizzlies, local Indigenous peoples have lived with the bears as part of their environment for millennia. Learn how to say “grizzly bear” in native languages and discover how meaningful these bears were to our local tribes.
Sadly, and despite the fact that the grizzly graces our state flag, these bears no longer roam California. All is not lost, however, and this exhibition reminds us of the awesome impact these bears had and continue to have. Experience California’s Grizzlies on view now at the Orange Terrace Community Center!
About the Museum of Riverside:
The Museum of Riverside, a department of the city of Riverside, holds a large multi-disciplinary collection relevant to the history, culture, and natural science of the region. The Museum has a proud history of exhibitions, programs, and publications foregrounding local and regional achievement. Sites include the downtown Riverside main museum, Heritage House, Harada House, and the Harada House Interpretive Center. All sites except Heritage House are temporarily closed for renovation or rehabilitation. Heritage House is open for guided tours Friday through Sunday, with advance registration required via Eventbrite. The site closes annually after the last weekend in June and reopens the first weekend following Labor Day.
The Museum of Riverside is grateful to stand on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Cahuilla, Gabrielino-Tongva, Luiseño, and Serrano peoples. The Cahuilla, Gabrielino-Tongva, Luiseño, and Serrano continue to live and thrive in Southern California.
To learn more, visit www.riversideca.gov/museum
