Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Closed - formerly antiques retail
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1890 · Victorian-Era Commercial Architecture · Bath House Legacy · Riverside Downtown History
The building housing At the Villa dates to approximately 1890 and was originally constructed as a bath house serving the Riverside community. Located one block north of the renowned Mission Inn, the structure represents late 19th-century commercial architecture typical of Riverside's downtown district.
The building was later converted to retail use, eventually housing an antiques store called At the Villa. The shop specialized in vintage furniture, decorative items, and antiques, serving collectors and interior design enthusiasts. The proprietor described various paranormal phenomena occurring within the space.
The antiques business has subsequently closed, and the building's current use is uncertain. The structure remains standing as a historic building in Riverside's downtown, preserving its original architectural character.
Paranormal activity at At the Villa centered on object displacement phenomena. The antiques store owner reported that objects would move on their own accord without human intervention. Items would disappear from their original locations, only to reappear later in entirely different spots within the shop.
A distinctive phantom scent of perfume would manifest throughout the space without identifiable source. This olfactory phenomenon appeared episodically rather than consistently, suggesting either environmental triggers or residual haunting characteristics.
The building's paranormal activity is attributed to multiple possible causes. Historical context suggests the space may retain residual energy from its 19th-century use as a bath house. However, staff and the proprietor suspected a more recent spirit, possibly connected to a woman who died violently in a car jacking in the mid-1990s. The proprietor acknowledged uncertainty about the haunting's source, noting it could relate to either the building's elderly history or the more recent violent death.
When asked directly about paranormal phenomena, staff would laugh and share personal experiences, suggesting the phenomena were real enough to the workers despite their lightness of tone. The activity was consistent enough for staff to have developed familiarity with the manifestations.
Notable Entities
View the historic building at 3563 Main Street, one block north of the Mission Inn. The structure dates to circa 1890 and housed an antiques store. The building remains standing but the antiques business has closed.
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