Rialto Historical Society

Soul Seekers travels to Rialto, California to investigate the original Rialto California Church. This church is now used as the Rialto Historical Museum. People claim that the place is haunted by a little girl named Christina and a number of other apparitions have been reported. While filming, they capture a lot of great evidence and Matt is weighed down by the spirit that inhabits that old church. They also learn that some spirits follow them from place to place. Smart elementary school talks about Christina and some evil that lives in this church/museum or that might follow them. Can soul seekers agree or deny the ghosts that are said to happen at this historic site?

The first Christian church built in 1906 was the last of the three original churches in Rialto. The other two (both now gone) were the First Methodist Church and the Congregational Church. When the congregation moved to a new location in 1964, Dr. Merlin Hendrickson purchased the church to save it from destruction. She donated it to the Rialto Historical Society in 1972 and asked that it be named the Kristina Dana Hendrickson Cultural Center for her 11-year-old daughter, who died of leukemia. The property is now owned by the City of Rialto and managed by the Rialto Historical Society. The headquarters and museum of the Rialto Historical Society is located in a former church school building next to the old First Christian Church, now known as the Kristina Dana Hendrickson Cultural Center, at the corner of Riverside Avenue and 2nd Street. The museum has exhibits depicting a delightful turn-of-the-century home, a citrus exhibit and packinghouse, a military display with medals and uniforms, and an early 20th-century doctor’s office with medical equipment. There is also a collection of Jean Adams paintings, an aerial view of the historic Rialto, a library of genealogical information, and a series of maps tracing the growth of the Rialto from 1892 to 1929. Don’t forget to check out this place in Rialto too.

History buffs should not miss the Rialto Historicalia Society, an organization responsible for the conservation of several buildings in the Rialto. The historical society also strives to showcase the local remains of the Rialto area, and thus the organization’s headquarters doubles as a museum. If you’re in town on a Wednesday or Saturday, you’ll get a fact-filled tour with friendly and knowledgeable local volunteers. Housed in a former parochial school, an artifact of the era in its own right, the museum includes a treasure trove of historical artifacts among its permanent exhibits. These include delightful renderings of turn-of-the-century homes, as well as a doctor’s office and packing room. For those interested in military history, there is a special display of medals and uniforms, and there is even some historical art on display. If you are ever in need of home renovation, click here.