Welcome to the Beautiful City of Redlands. A Big Town with a Small Town Feel.
Redlands – known in 1900 as “The City of Millionaires” and later as “The City of Beautiful Homes” welcomes you! Founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1888, Redlands is a quintessential “big town” with a “small town” feel. For much of its history Redlands was the “Washington Navel Orange Growing Capital of the World” with the citrus industry as the main focus of its economy.
Through the years the economy may have changed, but that special feeling of community in a small town hasn’t. This is clear as you take a look around Redlands. Tree-lined State Street is still comprised primarily of beautiful historic buildings and locally-owned shops and boutiques. Some of its most famous buildings, like A.K. Smiley Public Library, a Moorish-style library built in 1898, and the Redlands Bowl, built in 1930 and home of the oldest continuously free outdoor concert series in California, are merely steps from historic downtown.
Just to the west, one can stroll through the Smiley Park neighborhood, filled with turn-of-the-century bungalows as well as landmark homes. With a short drive, one can cruise by some famous homes, like “America’s Favorite Victorian” the Morey House, on Terracina Boulevard, see the stately homes of Olive Avenue, and Highland Avenue, the “Butler Belt” so known because at one time that was the most dense population of homes employing butlers in the City! You can visit Kimberly Crest House and Gardens, a home museum featured on the A&E Network’s series “America’s Castles” and don’t miss a walk through Prospect Park, just next door.
Redlands’ parks are perfect for picnicking, and are designed with this in mind. While you’re at it, the beautiful campus of University of Redlands, founded 1907, is worth a seeing.
–Nathan D. Gonzales
Archivist and Head of Special Collections
A.K. Smiley Public Library
