City of Riverside Celebrates America 250 With New Museum Exhibit

Published: 4/29/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 29, 2026

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Phil Pitchford

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City of Riverside Celebrates America 250 With New Museum Exhibit

City sponsored exhibit at Mission Inn Museum features art, artifacts, history

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The City of Riverside, as part of its celebration of America's 250^th anniversary, invites the public to a new exhibit, "Riverside: An All-American City -- A Celebration of America 250," which opens this Friday (5/1) at the Mission Inn Museum.

The exhibit, which will run through Aug. 3, includes art and artifacts that commemorate 250 years of American freedom, as well as the roles the Mission Inn and Riverside have played in the shaping of American history and politics. The exhibit is part of a larger, nationwide observation of America's Semiquincentennial, 250 years after the founding of this nation.

An opening reception is planned for 6 p.m. Friday at the Mission Inn Museum, 3598 Main Street in downtown Riverside.

"The Mission Inn Foundation and all of Riverside joins in this observation because Riverside history is American history, and American history is Riverside history,' said City Councilmember Philip Falcone, whose office funded the exhibit in partnership with the Mission Inn Foundation. "Together these perspectives shape America's past, present, and future."

Among the art and artifacts are a handbell of Paul Revere from Mission Inn creator Frank Miller's expansive bell collection, wooden shields and portraits that adorned city streets to honor the local heroes of the Civil War. There's also a bust of Benjamin Franklin, a relief of Abraham Lincoln, mementos from the Mission Inn's nine presidential visits, and a retrospective of Riverside and the country's elaborate 1976 American Bicentennial celebration.

All are welcome to view this exhibition from different perspectives -- from varying political views, cultural and religious backgrounds, and beliefs of what makes for "a more perfect union." The artifacts, images, and stories present here are small pieces of an overarching 250-year story - a story that is still being written.

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