Mission Inn: National Historic Landmark

The Mission Inn is set in historic downtown Riverside (about 54 miles from Los Angeles) and was built in varying stages over the years. Because of this, it has a unique blend of architectural styles which may seem completely off, but somehow seem to blend harmoniously. Many people are under the impression that it is part of the California Mission system, but it is not, although you will see structural elements of the California Missions incorporated in some of the architecture.

So, you may be wondering why Riverside was chosen for the location of this hotel? Here is a little background first: The city of Riverside was formed when a group of Wisconsins came to California around 1870 including a man named Christopher Columbus Miller who built a small boarding house. Soon after that, many wealthy Easterners and Europeans came to Riverside for the warmer climate and by the 1890s, Riverside was the richest city per capita in the United States. Miller’s son, Frank A. Miller, purchased the land from his father in 1880 and made the boarding house into a destination hotel and over the years, he built several wings with varying architectural styles until he died in 1935. In 1977, the hotel was deemed a National Historic Landmark and thank goodness it was as it was on the chopping block to become a parking lot.

Okay now you have the important background so everything will tie together better. When I visited, I took a guided tour (I booked online in advance) which is offered daily by docent volunteers. The tour started in the hotel museum filled with artifacts that Frank Miller collected from his travels around the world. The permanent exhibition features the history of the inn as well as general inland Southern California history. Originally, Frank Miller would keep these unusual finds inside the hotel itself to keep the guest entertained. One item that fascinated me was a beautiful antique clock he brought back from Germany. You will also see an interesting bell with a rain cross on top – Frank Miller developed this, and it would eventually become the city symbol for Riverside.

We then made our way to the hotel lobby which also contains many interesting items that Miller collected over the 30-year construction period. For his "Garden of Bells," Miller collected over 800 bells, including one dating from the year 1247 described as the "oldest bell in Christendom." You can see this famous bell, encased in glass, when you first enter the hotel lobby. Make sure you look for the over-sized painting to the left of the front desk. This gorgeous image was painted by a friend of John Muir’s and is a composite of the beautiful landscapes found in California – not just a single place but of many in the State – it really is stunning!

By the early 1900s, the word was out about this amazing hotel. Famous people, political figures worldwide and even Presidents came to stay at this renowned inn. Paintings of many of the presidents hang on the wall in the Presidential Lounge. President Nixon married his wife Pat in this spot before it became a lounge. You even have the opportunity to see the chair that was specially made for President Taft (you may recall from history that he was an, ahem, rather large man.)

You will notice that the hallways are much larger than most hotel hallways – they had to be wide enough so the large steamer trunks could fit through them. I imagined the people all dressed up with their large steamer trunks (filled with fancy clothes of the time) walking through these corridors!

Just outside is the St Francis Chapel which is a very popular venue for weddings. The inside looks like a small European cathedral with large, stained-glass windows made by the famous Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1906. The 18th century alter piece inside was bought by Frank Miller from a marquis in Mexico and it is absolutely exquisite.

Just outside the chapel is a staircase designed to look like the one at the Statue of Liberty. The detail on it is beautiful. This just goes to show the different architectural elements that Frank Miller incorporated into his hotel. I loved finding these little details within the bigger picture.

Various large rooms are also rented out for functions such as corporate events and wedding receptions. The Galleria Room for instance showcases, you guessed it, a collection of beautiful original paintings adorning all of the walls. The Court of the Orient draws from an Asian influence. An interesting piece inside this room is a Buddha statue that was salvaged from a temple in Japan that was destroyed in an earthquake. The Rotunda is six stories high and was the wing where Frank Miller hosted a worldwide peace conference with many dignitaries from various countries in attendance.

Near the outside pergola close to the main entrance to the lobby are several items of interest. The first are a couple of once-functioning cannons from the 17th and 18th centuries. But the most interesting are the two gorgeous macaws, Josephine and Napoleon. Frank Miller had macaws at the hotel since the beginning and our guide even shared a funny story that one bit Albert Einstein when he was a guest at the hotel. Apparently, the bird didn’t realize the importance Albert Einstein would have on world history. Next to the birds stands a bronze statue of the marketing mastermind Frank Miller.

Fun fact: the current owner’s daughter, Casey, was a winner of Cupcake Wars and owns Casey’s Cupcakes on the premises. I went inside and saw the beautiful creations but kept my willpower! Which reminds me, there are also seven restaurants and lounges on the premises if you would like to dine or have a refreshment after your tour.

Sometimes it was hard to believe The Mission Inn is still a functioning hotel, but it is indeed a beautiful hotel at that with 238 guest rooms, including 27 suites. Plus, if you want to get away from the hustle of Los Angeles and still learn about California history and see some interesting architecture (and a little of its glamour), this is an excellent place to visit. I’m excited for this Christmas season as I’ll be coming back and doing a blog post about the Festival of Lights – The Mission Hotel adorns itself with five million (yes million!) lights – so stay tuned for that this coming December.

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