Perris offers several very different points of interest: the expansive Lake Perris State Recreation Area, regional Indigenous cultural history, railroad collections, and recreational facilities. This mix makes it easier to choose a focus for your visit: you can weigh the landscape, cultural sites, or a particular type of activity against one another. The following topics show what makes Perris distinctive for different interests in discovery.
Landscape and Regional Culture
The Lake Perris State Recreation Area covers more than 8,800 acres and features diverse landscapes. This area offers a different perspective on Perris than its museums and recreational facilities: here, the landscape is the focus, rather than a single collection or facility. This makes it possible to consider the natural environment as a distinct focus alongside cultural history and recreational activities.
The Ya'i Heki' Regional Indian Museum presents and preserves the history, culture, and traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the Inland Empire region. The name also carries cultural significance: Ya'i Heki' means “home of the wind” in the language of the Cahuilla people. The museum and its name therefore offer two different ways of engaging with regional culture—preserving history and traditions, and interpreting them through language.
Railroad History from Two Perspectives
The Southern California Railway Museum was moved to Perris, California, in 1956. Its extensive collection includes historic locomotives, railroad cars, streetcars, three-foot-gauge vehicles, and model trains. The range thus spans different types of rail transportation as well as model railroads. On Saturdays and Sundays, during operating hours, rides are offered on an operating streetcar or in a railroad car pulled by a locomotive. This option is not available during special ticketed events. Check the schedule for your chosen day before your visit.
The Perris Depot adds local history to this perspective on railroads. Built in 1892 as a railroad depot for Perris, it is also known as Perris Station or the Santa Fe Depot. Starting in 1974, the depot served as a local history museum for the Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association. The depot and the Railway Museum therefore represent different historical perspectives: the former depot’s connection to local history and an extensive collection of railroad vehicles.
Distinguish Recreational Activities by Theme
The recreational facilities also offer different types of activities. Skydive Perris is located at a private airport at 2091 Goetz Rd, Perris, CA 92570. It has an on-site wind tunnel that serves as an indoor skydiving simulator; visitors aged three and older are welcome. Age and booking requirements may change, so check them before making plans.
Big League Dreams Perris Valley is a 35-acre sports center with two indoor soccer fields. Drop Zone Water Park has two large water slides and a water play area for children called “Lil’ Jumpers.” These offerings differ in focus: indoor skydiving, indoor soccer, and water attractions provide different themes to choose from. Together with the cultural sites and the landscape, they give you several distinct ways to explore Perris based on your interests.
Discover more destinations: Blythe, Temecula, Thermal, Mira Loma, Banning, Indian Wells, Riverside, Rancho Mirage.
Go to the main travel overview: Riverside.
