The Cheech Marin Center in Riverside: What to Know Before Visiting

The Cheech is a museum and cultural center for Chicana/o/x art, exhibitions, scholarship and dialogue. It opened on June 17, 2022, in a renovated mid-century building that first served as Riverside’s public library.

The building originally opened as the City of Riverside public library in 1964. Its present role focuses on presenting Chicana/o/x art and examining its cultural, social and political context.

The Cheech’s collection includes hundreds of paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures. Artists represented include Patssi Valdez, Sandy Rodriguez, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero and Gilbert “Magú” Luján.

Exhibitions provide another way to engage with the center’s focus on Chicano art Riverside. Admission covers both The Cheech and the Riverside Art Museum, at 3425 Mission Inn Ave.; the two sites are steps apart.

The Cheech is listed as open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PM. The museum’s hours, prices and free-admission programs can change, so check the official site before you go.

Adult admission is $17.95. Tickets are $12.95 for seniors aged 65 and older, educators, college students and children aged 13–17; educators and college students need identification at check-in. Children 12 and under and members of the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech are admitted free. Tickets are nonrefundable.

The Museums for All program offers admission for $1 per person for up to four people when you present an EBT, SNAP or WIC card and photo ID in person at guest services. The museum says the program has no blackout dates or restrictions.

Recurring free-admission opportunities include Riverside Arts Walk on the first Thursday of each month from 6 PM to 9 PM, and First Sundays on the first Sunday of each month from October through May, 12 PM–5 PM.

The museum makes its best effort to accommodate walk-ins during open hours, but you may need to wait if the site is at capacity.

All exhibits are wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchairs are available at both museum sites on a first-come, first-served basis during operating hours, and wheelchair-accessible, all-gender restrooms are available throughout both sites.

The Cheech is at 3581 Mission Inn Ave. in downtown Riverside. From Arlington Inn, Riverside city centre is about 12 minutes by car.

Free visitor parking is behind The Cheech, with entrances on 6th Street and Lemon Street. Metered street parking is available along Mission Inn Avenue. Accessible parking is on Orange Street between Mission Inn Avenue and 6th Street, with accessible spaces at both museum locations.

You can also reach the museum by Metrolink or Riverside Transit Agency services; Riverside-Downtown Metrolink station is about a 10-minute walk away. For a route that combines local stops, consider how to spend a day in downtown Riverside.

The Riverside Art Museum is a natural pairing because admission includes both venues, and the museums are steps apart on Mission Inn Avenue. You can plan time for both without needing to travel between distant parts of the city.

If you’re building a wider art-focused itinerary, the visitor guide to the Hilbert Museum of California Art covers another Riverside museum.

What is The Cheech Marin Center?

It is a Riverside museum dedicated to showcasing Chicana/o/x art and exploring its social, cultural and political impact.

Does admission include the Riverside Art Museum?

Yes. A ticket to The Cheech includes entry to the Riverside Art Museum, whose location is steps away.

Is parking available at The Cheech?

Yes. Free visitor parking is behind the museum, and metered street parking is available on Mission Inn Avenue.

Can you visit The Cheech by public transit?

Metrolink and Riverside Transit Agency services reach the museum area. Riverside-Downtown Metrolink station is about a 10-minute walk from The Cheech.