Civic Clock Tower, Riverside, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Civic Clock Tower stands at the corner of Market Street and 6th Street in downtown Riverside, California. It marks a stretch of the city's civic core where public life, local memory and everyday downtown streets meet. It is an easy stop on foot and a good starting point for exploring the center of Riverside.

The story behind it

Downtown Riverside grew up around its main streets, and this corner sits in an area once served by the city's streetcar system. Streetcars carried people between neighborhoods and the shops and offices of downtown, which is part of why Market Street has long been a place where the city's daily life crossed paths.

The civic center area close by also carries a more solemn story. Ysmael R. Villegas was born in 1924 in Casa Blanca, a neighborhood of Riverside, and served in the US Army in the Second World War. On March 20, 1945, on the Villa Verde Trail on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, he was killed leading his squad against enemy positions. He was awarded the Medal of Honor after his death. Route notes place a bronze statue honoring him in the civic center, and his name is still given to places around Riverside.

What to look for

• Look up at the clock tower itself and notice how it anchors the corner of Market Street and 6th Street.
• Look along Market Street and think of the streetcars that once ran through downtown Riverside.
• Walk toward the civic center courtyard and look for the bronze statue of a soldier honoring Ysmael Villegas.
• Notice how the civic buildings, plazas and street grid around the tower fit together as one walkable district.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 10 to 15 minutes for the tower and its corner, and more if you want to wander the civic center nearby.
• The tower is part of the street scene, so you can view it from outside. Do not count on being able to go in.
• Morning and late afternoon give softer light for photos and cooler walking in Riverside's warm months.
• Downtown Riverside is compact, so combine the tower with the surrounding streets and plazas rather than visiting it on its own.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Riverside passes this corner on foot as one stop of a longer route through downtown. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Riverside is a good fit if the old streetcar days and local legends appeal to you. You reach the tower on foot, hear about the place as you get there and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Riverside Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. takes you through the same part of the city with a detective theme. You walk from stop to stop, get the story of each place from the app and solve a puzzle where you stand. One ticket covers the whole group.