Claremont, CA Road Trips

1 Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, 1175 W Baseline Rd (at the Webb Schools: enter campus at main driveway, check in at security kiosk and show photo ID), ☏ +1 909 624-2798. (updated Dec 2018) 2 John R. Rodman Arboretum (at Pitzer College). (updated Dec 2018) 3 Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College (the Benton), 120 W. Bonita Ave. W-Su noon-6PM; Th noon-10PM. Pomona College's sleek art museum, adjacent to the Village, houses a collection of approximately 20,000 items, including Italian Renaissance panel paintings, indigenous American art and artifacts, and American and European prints, drawings, and photographs. Free. (updated Dec 2023) 4 The Village (adjacent to and west of the Claremont Colleges). A popular collection of street-front small stores, boutiques, art galleries, offices, and restaurants. (updated Dec 2023)

Candlelight Pavilion. Offers dinner and a professional live stage musical. City Hall, 2nd Street at Harvard Avenue. Sit down to a game of outdoor chess at the boards built into the tables on the lawn. Claremont Colleges. Take a stroll through the five connected campuses of the Claremont Colleges. There are frequent events, including talks open to the public most weekday evenings at 6:45PM at the M.M.C. Athenaeum and the Scripps Presents series. Memorial Park (Yale Avenue and 8th Street). Memorial Park offers free concerts and family movies during the summer. 1 Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, 1500 N. College Ave., ☏ +1 909 625-8767, fax: +1 909 626-7670. Daily 8AM–5PM; closed New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Gardens showcase native California plant life. Adults $8, students and seniors (62+) $6, children aged 3-12 $4; under 3 free. Laemmle Theatres Claremont 5, 450 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 909-621-5500. 5-screen movie theatre in the Village, screening mainstream and independent films. $7-10.

Like many college towns, Claremont has ample fast food and cheap eateries, as well as nicer, more upscale restaurants. 21 Choices, 817 West Foothill Blvd., ☏ +1 909-621-7175. Su-Th noon-10PM, F Sa noon-11PM. Offers a rotating selection of base frozen yogurts (be sure to sample each one before choosing!) that can be customized with candy mix-ins. A second location is at 460 West 1st Street. (updated Apr 2016) Some Crust Bakery, 119 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-621-9772, [email protected]. M-Sa 7AM-6PM, Su 8AM-1PM. Over-sized, decently priced, and mouth-wateringly delicious, the rotating cookie selection brings customers in hordes. The bakery's impressive cakes are on display in a rotating refrigerator rack in the main entryway. Patty's Mexican Foods, 1332 N Towne Ave, ☏ +1 909-625-9160. Fast food Mexican with homemade tortillas. Saca's Mediterranean Cuisine, 248 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 909-624-3340. M-Th 11AM-8PM, F 11AM-9PM, Sa 11AM-8PM, closed Su. Sandwiches, salads, falafel and hummus. Buca di Beppo, 505 West Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-399-3287. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Eclectic decor and authentic cuisine, family style portions. $10-20. (updated Apr 2016) Aruffo's Italian Cuisine, 126 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-9624. Exquisite Italian cuisine in a convivial yet intimate atmosphere. The appetizer bread is a sure winner, and you can't go wrong with any dish. The chocolate creme brulee is a special treat for dessert. Viva Madrid, 225 Yale Ave, ☏ +1 909-624-5500. Tu-Su 5-11PM, closed M. An authentic Spanish tapas bar and restaurant with great food.

The Back Abbey, 128 North Oberlin Ave., ☏ +1 909-625-2642. Extensive beer and wine list with sitting indoors and out, slightly pricey. Also known for their burgers. $6+.

1 Hotel Casa 425, 425 W 1st St (in the Village expansion off of Indian Hill Blvd), ☏ +1 909-624-2272. High end hotel with 28 rooms built around a small courtyard with a fire pit. $210+. (updated Mar 2020) Motel 6, 840 S Indian Hill Blvd (off the I-10), ☏ +1 909-621-4831, [email protected]. Pet friendly $90+. Claremont Lodge, 736 S Indian Hill Blvd, ☏ +1 909-626-5654, fax: +1 909-399-5973. Located right off of I-10. Clean and affordable. $70+. Doubletree Hotel Claremont, 555 West Foothill Blvd (from the I-10, take Indian Hill Blvd north for 2 miles and turn left on Foothill Blvd.), ☏ +1 909-626-2411, fax: +1 909-624-0756. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. $140+.

San Bernardino Freeway Interstate 10 connects Los Angeles to Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio), through East LA, Claremont, Ontario, Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino. Claremont is only accessed from exit 47 ("S Indian Hill Blvd"). & Foothill Blvd serves as the section of the Old Route 66 through Claremont as a local east-west local road. Foothill Freeway Claremont is accessed via Towne Ave (exit 50) and Baseline Rd (exit 52). 1 Flixbus, (bus stop) Claremont Transit Center at 282 E 1st (bus will board at the very first bay inside the Claremont Transit Center (furthest west of the bays); the Transit Center is one block east from the Claremont Metrolink Station), ☏ +1 855 626-8585. Connects Los Angeles and Anaheim to Las Vegas and Phoenix through Ontario and Barstow (updated Jun 2018) 2 Greyhound & Cruceros-USA, (Bus stop) Montclair Transit Center & Metrolink Station at 5060 Richton St (Transit Center along Richton St between Central & Monte Vista Ave, north of I-10), toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Greyhound operates along Interstate 10 (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Phoenix, Tucson & El Paso); I-10/I-15 (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Barstow & Las Vegas). Tickets are not available for purchase at this stop, however; they must be bought in advance online or at the nearest full-service station in San Bernardino or Los Angeles. (updated Apr 2016) Las Vegas Shuttle, (Bus stops) Shell at 747 S Indian Hills Blvd for going to L.A. or Norms at 807 S Indian Hills Blvd for going to Las Vegas, ☏ +1 702 642-0007.

The best way to explore Claremont's charming downtown (called "The Village") is on foot; it is a reasonable walk from the local Metrolink station. However, getting around the rest of the town often requires a car.