Jensen-Alvarado Historic Ranch & Museum

Absolutely beautiful ranch and house built in the 1870s in the style of Danish vernacular. The home was owned by Cornelius Jensen and his wife Mercedes Alvarado along with their 10 children. The ranch served as the town's general store, post office, and stage stop. During our visit we got a tour of the home with lots of history. We got to make homemade Tortillas and have a nice cup of cowboy coffee. They also provided us with carrots to feed the horses and other animals. Definitely will be visiting again soon. Check their Facebook page for event schedule.

Only the outdoor portion is open to the public. We knew this and took our small dog. We had a really nice hour exploring, hanging with the animals, and enjoying one another's company. There is a public restroom and plenty of parking.

This hidden gem of historical past in Riverside should be must-see for locals. I didn't know of its existence until my son's field trip.

This museum/ranch is very unassuming as it is nestled in a small housing neighborhood. Once you enter the grounds, it still appears as a typical California ranch property, aside from an open parking lot to allow for public traffic. Not a typical museum as it is very hands-on, from farm/ranch life, animals, home, barn, kitchen tours . A unique experience for kids to understand life on a ranch in California back in the 1860's. My son's school took a recent field trip here and I got to accompany their class. Admission came to $15/person: got to feed the farm animals, make tortillas, make ice cream, do laundry as they had, and receive a full detailed tour of the grounds and the home/museum. The tortillas were made in their outdoor kitchen. The kids experienced how apples were cored and sliced in an old-fashioned way with tools used during this time period. Each student even experienced ranch life from coffee grinding to doing laundry; all that was entailed on a day-to-day basis on a ranch. Our tour guide was dressed in period clothing and she was so detailed in the stories and history of the Jensen family, a family of ten. Kids learned a lot and shared a lot from what they already knew of California history: gold rush, railroad, settlements. We had just enough time to eat a picnic lunch before we had to head back to our campus. Really great experience for kids and adults alike. Definitely recommend this as a school field trip, or an outing for kids/you groups in general. Staff here is knowledgeable and worked well with our kids. Thank you for a memorable field trip, Jensen - Alvarado staff!

A nice place to visit, particularly when camped or staying nearby. Try to visit while a school tour is not scheduled in order to obtain one of the excellent smaller tours conducted by one of the knowledgeable docents. The historic buildings and artifacts will be both interesting and educational.

I took my 4th grade students on a field trip here. It was the most wonderful field trip we've ever been on. So easy! The tour guides were so personable, understanding, and friendly!! There were so many things for the kids to do. We fed donkeys, picked oranges, learned so many facts of the Jensen family and how they lived back in the 1800s, made tortillas, churned ice cream, etc! The day was perfect!! Thank you guys!!! We'll be back next year!

We have taken our class to the Jensen Alvarado Ranch for years, and the students always love it!