The California Theatre of the Performing Arts is one of the buildings that hints at an older, more glamorous side of downtown San Bernardino. Opened in the 1920s, it belongs to the great era of ornate American movie palaces and live entertainment venues.
If there is a performance during your stay, seeing the interior while attending an actual event is the best way to experience it. Historic theaters make much more sense when the seats are occupied and the stage is being used.
More than a photo stop
I would check the program before visiting San Bernardino rather than simply arriving at the door. Productions and events vary, and access naturally depends on what is happening in the building.
The theater is also useful as a reminder that downtown San Bernardino has layers of history that are easy to miss when you drive through quickly. Look up at façades and older commercial buildings rather than judging the center entirely from street level.
Pair it with downtown
If you have tickets, arrive early enough to see a little of downtown first. I would not promise visitors a perfectly preserved historic district, because that is not what San Bernardino offers. Instead, think of the theater as one surviving landmark within a city that has changed repeatedly.
For architecture fans, theater lovers and anyone interested in 20th-century California, it deserves a place on the itinerary.