# Christmas break with kids in Inland Empire, 2026

> What to do with kids in Inland Empire over Christmas break, from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. We read the holiday hours posted by two museums, zoos and play places: two say they’re open on Christmas Day and two on New Year’s Day. Plus three dated outings on Christmas Eve and the days in between.

- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- 2 places’ holiday hours; 5 dated outings
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/inland-empire/christmas-break/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/inland-empire/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/inland-empire/llms.txt

## Open or closed: Dec 24, Dec 25 and Jan 1

- **San Bernardino County Museum**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day Dec 24 and Dec 25: closed (county holidays); New Year’s Day Dec 31 and Jan 1: closed (county holidays). Their page says: “Tue–Sun 9am–5pm” Source: https://museum.sbcounty.gov/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Chino Youth Museum**: Christmas Eve not posted; Christmas Day Dec 24, 25 and 26: closed; New Year’s Day Dec 31 and Jan 1: closed. Their page says: “Wed–Sat 10am–4pm” Source: https://www.chinoyouthmuseum.com/hours-and-prices.html (checked 2026-10-29)

## Christmas Eve

- **Santa photos at Victoria Gardens** at Victoria Gardens, Chaffey Town Square, 12505 North Mainstreet, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. When: Nov 6 – Dec 24, 2026. Time: Book a time on the Victoria Gardens site. Price: Not listed. Santa's set in Town Square runs all season. Book a slot ahead so you aren't waiting in line with a tired toddler. Official page: https://www.shopvictoriagardens.com/holidays2026 (checked 2026-10-29)

## Between Christmas and New Year’s (Dec 26–30)

- **Festival of Lights in downtown Riverside** at The Mission Inn and Main Street, 3649 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA 92501. When: Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (city events through Dec 31; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). Time: Evenings. Price: Free to walk. The switch-on ceremony is Saturday, Nov 21 at 5pm at Orange Street and Mission Inn Avenue, with fireworks after. Arrive by 4:30. Official page: https://riversideca.gov/fol/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Candy Land at Albert S. White Park** at Albert S. White Park, 3936 Chestnut St, Riverside, CA 92501. When: Nov 27 – Dec 27, 2026, Thursday–Sunday. Price: $15 Thu, Fri and Sun; $20 Sat and Dec 18–27; ages 2 and under free. New this year: a holiday light maze, a lit photo trail and a Snowball Arena with soft snowballs, part of Riverside’s Festival of Lights. Official page: https://riversideca.gov/fol/default.asp (checked 2026-10-29)

## New Year’s Eve and Day

- **Noon Year's Eve at Victoria Gardens** at Chaffey Town Square, Victoria Gardens, 12505 North Mainstreet, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. When: Thu, Dec 31, 2026. Time: 11am–1pm; countdown at noon. Price: Not listed. A live DJ, crafts, balloon artists and a confetti countdown at noon. Official page: https://www.shopvictoriagardens.com/holidays2026 (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Festival of Lights in downtown Riverside** at The Mission Inn and Main Street, 3649 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside, CA 92501. When: Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (city events through Dec 31; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day). Time: Evenings. Price: Free to walk. The switch-on ceremony is Saturday, Nov 21 at 5pm at Orange Street and Mission Inn Avenue, with fireworks after. Arrive by 4:30. Official page: https://riversideca.gov/fol/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### What’s open on Christmas Day in Inland Empire with kids?
San Bernardino County Museum (Dec 24 and Dec 25: closed (county holidays)), Chino Youth Museum (Dec 24, 25 and 26: closed) post that they’re open on Christmas Day.

### What can we do with kids on Christmas Eve in Inland Empire?
On the calendar: Santa photos at Victoria Gardens.

### What’s open on New Year’s Day in Inland Empire?
San Bernardino County Museum (Dec 31 and Jan 1: closed (county holidays)), Chino Youth Museum (Dec 31 and Jan 1: closed).

### What can we do with kids on New Year’s Day in Inland Empire?
On the calendar for Jan 1: Festival of Lights in downtown Riverside. Check each one’s own page before you go, since holiday hours can change.

### What is there to do with kids between Christmas and New Year’s in Inland Empire?
Festival of Lights in downtown Riverside and Candy Land at Albert S. White Park. Check each one’s calendar for the exact nights; some close on certain days.

### How do you check these holiday hours?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 29, 2026, and we recheck them in early December and again the week before Christmas. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).