Top 15 Things To Do in Pomona, California

Pomona's sightseeing tours condense a surprising amount of Southern California history, art, and landscape into compact, walkable neighborhoods and scenic short drives. From murals and midcentury architecture to the storied stretch of Route 66 and the leafy college quad, tours here reward curiosity: they move at a human pace, favor discovery over spectacle, and pair perfectly with short outdoor side trips into the nearby foothills and parks.

Pomona’s proximity to Puddingstone Reservoir and several managed recreation lakes makes it a quietly effective base for boat rentals—kayaks, paddleboards, small electric boats and family pontoons are the bread-and-butter options. Whether you want a sunrise paddle, a lazy pontoon cruise with a sunset, or a quick fishing run to a quiet cove, boat rental in Pomona is approachable, family-friendly, and seasonally vibrant.

Pomona sits at a practical intersection: a historic downtown threaded with bike-friendly streets, quiet residential corridors that spill into foothill trails, and easy access to longer paved routes that connect to the greater Los Angeles basin. Renting a bike here is less about a single scenic signature ride and more about options—cruiser and commuter rides through tree-lined neighborhoods, electric-assist exploration for a gentle push up into the Puente Hills foothills, or mountain-bike shuttles to nearby singletrack. This guide focuses on what to expect when renting in Pomona—terrain and access, seasons and conditions, and the practical decisions that make a rental the foundation for a great day on two wheels.

Pomona’s walking tours stitch together a patchwork of old citrus‑grove grit, mid‑century storefronts, public murals, and an anything‑goes arts scene. These walks are short on alpine drama but long on texture: restored theaters and artisan storefronts, pocket parks and surprising public art, plus neighborhoods that tell the story of a Southern California city at the foot of the San Gabriel foothills.

Pomona’s bus tours are an unexpected study in layering: citrus-era industrial relics sit beside college quads, neon Route 66 signs wink at contemporary street art, and the San Gabriel foothills loom like a drifting promise beyond the I-10. This guide focuses on the bus-based experiences that stitch these textures together—short city loops, Route 66 nostalgia runs, and curated multi-stop cultural circuits—delivering practical advice and atmospheric context for travelers who want to see Pomona from the slow, social comfort of a coach or shuttle.

Pomona sits at a crossroads—where the Los Angeles basin gives way to foothills and where citrus-era streets meet a modern, growing cycling culture. Bike tours here blend urban riding, quiet residential connectors, and quick access to rolling country roads and singletrack in nearby hills. Expect short, punchy climbs, approachable gravel, and loop options that suit families, road cyclists, and e-bike explorers alike.

Pomona sits at the braided edge of suburban Los Angeles and the rising San Gabriel foothills, and it rewards e‑bike riders with a rare combination: calm residential streets, lively arts-and-food stops, and quick access to gravel and paved loops that climb into chaparral-scented foothills. Whether your ride is a relaxed towpath circuit around Puddingstone Reservoir, an urban exploration through the historic downtown, or an assisted climb toward the Claremont Hills trailheads, e‑bikes expand mileage, reduce strain on steep grades, and deliver more hours of effortless discovery.

Up in the little airplanes that circle Pomona, the city loosens into a map of patchwork orchards, freeways and foothills. From short scenic hops over the San Gabriel foothills to discovery flights and intro lessons, airplane experiences in Pomona deliver a rare perspective on Southern California: intimate, wide-open, and shaped by the wind and light. This guide organizes practical planning details, the kinds of flights you’ll find, seasonal visibility notes, and what to pack so you can book with confidence and savor the sky.

Pomona is an urban angler's gateway: a place where stocked lakes, slow-moving river stretches, and easy-access parks meet the foothills that hold trout and bass. This guide focuses on shore and small-craft fishing options around Pomona, seasonal patterns to plan around, and the practical skills that turn a casual outing into a memorable catch.

Pomona sits inland amid the San Gabriel Valley, a surprising staging ground for surfers who trade the citrus groves and low, urban hills for dawn drives to Southern California’s legendary coastline. While Pomona has no shoreline of its own, its location makes it a pragmatic base for day trips to a wide spectrum of breaks — from soft, learner-friendly beach breaks to long, classic point rides and exposed reef peaks. This guide focuses on the surf experience accessible from Pomona: how to plan drives to the coast, what to expect by season and swell, where beginners can take lessons, and how experienced surfers can chase bigger winter groundswell while still making smart logistics choices for a day or weekend out of town.

Pomona compresses surprising visual variety into a small, walkable footprint—historic college quads and arboretums, an energetic arts district bristling with murals, quiet citrus-era neighborhoods, and foothill vistas that frame the San Gabriel Mountains. Photography tours here move easily between intimate architectural details and wide, pastel sunsets. This guide focuses on purposeful tours: sunrise composition strategies at the Arboretum and nearby ridgelines, mid-day street-art walks with layered textures and portrait backdrops, and night photography around neon signage and the restored Fox Theater.

Pomona's stand-out SUP scene centers on placid reservoir water framed by inland foothills, a surprising urban-edge playground where flatwater paddling meets local park culture. Expect wide vistas, easy launch points, and a short drive from Los Angeles surface that makes hour-long escapes feel like full-day resets. This guide focuses on stand-up paddleboarding options—calm morning sessions, sunset tours, fitness paddles, and family-friendly routes—plus nearby activities to extend your day on land.