Downtown Riverside is walkable: the Mission Inn, Riverside Art Museum, Heritage House, the Municipal Museum, and a good selection of restaurants are all within a few blocks of each other. For the California Citrus State Historic Park and the UCR Botanical Garden — both 3 to 5 miles from the city center — you will need a car, taxi, or rideshare. Uber and Lyft are readily available in Riverside. Bus service exists but is oriented toward commuters rather than visitors, and connections are slow. For a day trip focused on the downtown core, a car is optional; for anything broader, it is the most practical option.