Mission Inn Museum Presents Cemetery Tour Honoring Fallen Officers

The Mission Inn Museum and Foundation will present a specialized Halloween program featuring dinner at a historic Riverside home followed by cemetery tours telling the stories of people who met tragic ends, including fallen police officers.

The "Tragic Endings" experience begins with dinner and a house tour at the Bandini/Battles house before moving to Olivewood Cemetery for sunset tours. Each evening accommodates only 24 guests across three nights, according to Museum President Jennifer Gamble.

"It is a tragic ending story and it is specifically designed around people that had tragic endings," Gamble said. "Unfortunately, our fallen officers are a part of that group, so we'll be talking about them a lot."

The cemetery portion highlights law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, the person responsible for establishing air traffic control protocols, and others whose lives intersected with Riverside’s history but ended in tragedy. Tours conclude by 7:30 p.m. after visitors watch the sunset from the cemetery grounds.

Entertainment varies by evening, with a Fifth Player performance scheduled for the first night and the "Witches of Housewagon" dance troupe on the remaining two evenings. The dancers previously performed at the museum's events last year.

All tips received during the tours will benefit the Fallen Officers Foundation, which provides support to families of deceased law enforcement personnel.

The tours differ from the museum's regular Olivewood Cemetery programming, which continues twice monthly during daytime hours. The foundation also operates downtown ghost tours during September and October.

The historic Victorian home provides an atmospheric setting for the evening. The combination of dinner, house tour, and cemetery visit creates a comprehensive experience connecting visitors with local history through stories of tragic figures.

More information: Tickets for the Sept. 27, Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 Tragic Endings tours are $75 and available through the Mission Inn Museum and Foundation at (951) 788-9556 or missioninnmuseum.org. Space is limited for the 18-and-older events starting at 5:30 p.m.