You’re driving through Redlands, California, past the orange groves and the standard suburban sprawl, when suddenly a French castle appears on a hill. It’s weird. It’s beautiful. And honestly, it feels a bit like you’ve accidentally crossed an ocean. This is Kimberly Crest House & Gardens, a three-story Victorian masterpiece that somehow survived the relentless march of California modernization.
Most people see the turrets and think "fairytale," but the reality is much more about grit and a series of very determined women.
Why Kimberly Crest House & Gardens Still Matters
It wasn’t actually built by the Kimberlys. That’s the first thing people get wrong. A widow named Cornelia Hill commissioned the place in 1897. She’d traveled the world, seen the châteaux of the Loire Valley in France, and decided she wanted a "petite chateau" of her own right here in the Inland Empire. She hired the Los Angeles architects Oliver Perry Dennis and Lyman Farwell, the same guys who later designed the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
If you look closely at the two buildings, the family resemblance is eerie.
Cornelia spent about $10,000 to build the house and the carriage house. In 1897, that was a fortune. But by 1905, she was ready for a smaller "modern" bungalow, so she sold the estate to J. Alfred Kimberly. If that name sounds familiar, it should. He was one of the founders of Kimberly-Clark—the paper giants.
Basically, the house you see today is a collision of Cornelia’s French architectural dreams and the Kimberly family’s massive wealth.
The Kimberlys didn’t just live here; they transformed the dirt. Helen Kimberly, Alfred’s wife, was the one who looked at the hillside and saw an Italian Renaissance garden. She brought in her son-in-law, architect G. Edwin Bergstrom, to design the terraced gardens, the koi ponds, and the stone stairways that make you feel like you’re in a 16th-century villa.
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It took years. It was expensive. But it’s why the property is now a California Historical Landmark.
The Legend of Mary Kimberly Shirk
You can’t talk about Kimberly Crest House & Gardens without talking about Mary. She was the youngest Kimberly daughter. After her husband died in 1919, she moved back into the mansion and stayed there for the next sixty years. She didn’t just sit in the parlor sipping tea, though. Mary was a powerhouse.
She was the interim president of Scripps College. She ran the local Redlands Contemporary Club. Most importantly, she was a savvy negotiator.
In the 1960s, a 39-acre patch of land next to her house (what we now know as Prospect Park) was at risk of being turned into a housing development. Mary wasn't having it. She made the city a deal: if the community raised the money to buy the park land and keep it green, she would leave her entire estate—the house, the gardens, the furniture—to the people of Redlands when she died.
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The city stepped up. Mary kept her word. When she passed away in 1979 at the age of 99, the Kimberly-Shirk Association took over, and the house became a museum.
Honestly, it’s a miracle the place hasn't been turned into luxury condos.
What to Actually Expect During a Visit
If you’re planning to go, don’t just show up and expect to wander the halls alone. The house is a museum, and it’s treated like one.
- Tours: They usually run on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. You’ll be led by a docent who knows the gossip from 1910.
- The Interior: It’s 7,000 square feet of Victorian sensory overload. We’re talking hand-carved woodwork, original Kimberly-Clark era furniture, and a "mezzanine" level that’s more impressive than most people's entire homes.
- The Third Floor: You can’t go there. It’s used for archives and offices now. Sorry.
- The Gardens: These are the real star for most visitors. They’re open to the public even when the house isn't. The "Shy Girl" statue in the lower garden is a local favorite—she was placed there in 1929 to help Helen Kimberly cope with the grief of her husband’s death.
One detail that often gets missed is the 90-foot magnolia tree. During the holidays, the Kimberlys used to light it up with 6,000 watts of lights. In the early 1900s, that probably looked like a literal beacon from space to anyone living in the valley below.
The "Hell Night" and Fleetwood Mac Connection
The house has a weird pop culture history that the docents might not lead with. In 1981, it was the filming location for the horror movie Hell Night starring Linda Blair. The movie depicts secret tunnels under the house.
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Spoiler: There are no secret tunnels.
It also served as the backdrop for Fleetwood Mac’s "Big Love" music video. If the exterior looks familiar while you’re standing in the driveway, that’s probably why. There’s something about the sharp peaks and the stone walls that just screams "dramatic 80s music video."
Getting the Most Out of Your Trip
Redlands can get brutally hot. If you’re visiting in the summer, try to go as early as possible. The gardens have some shade, but those stone stairs in 100-degree heat are no joke.
Kimberly Crest House & Gardens is located at 1325 Prospect Drive. Note that you have to enter via Prospect Drive off Highland Ave—don't trust some older GPS maps that try to send you up Fountain Ave. There’s a parking lot at the bottom of the hill, and it’s a bit of a hike up. If you have mobility issues, they allow drop-offs at the top, but you’ll want to coordinate that.
The property is nonprofit-run. Every dollar from the tours and the weddings they host goes back into keeping the roof from leaking. It’s a constant battle against time and the California sun.
Practical Steps for Your Visit:
- Check the Calendar: They close for the entire month of August. Don't be the person who drives out there in the heat to find a locked gate.
- Book Ahead: Tours are small. If you just show up on a Sunday afternoon, you might be waiting an hour for the next slot.
- Wear the Right Shoes: No spiked heels allowed inside the house (they’ll ruin the historic floors). Stick to flats or wedges if you’re dressing up for photos.
- Explore Prospect Park: Since you're already there, walk over to the adjacent park. It’s where the Carriage House is located and offers some of the best views of the San Bernardino mountains.
Whether you're there for the architecture, the history of the "Paper King," or just to see where Linda Blair ran away from a masked killer, Kimberly Crest remains the crown jewel of Redlands. It’s a weird, beautiful slice of the Gilded Age tucked away in a corner of Southern California that most people just drive past.