Urbita Hot Springs
| Company type | Amusement park and leisure attraction |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tourism, Recreation |
| Founded | 1880s |
| Fate | Closed in 1939; site redeveloped as Inland Center mall in 1966 |
| Headquarters | San Bernardino County , United States |
Area served | San Bernardino County, California |
| Products | Sulphur baths, boating, carousel rides, zoo attractions, dance pavilion, plunge pool |
Urbita Hot Springs was a notable geothermal attraction and leisure park situated in San Bernardino County, California, positioned between E Street and Colton Street, on the site where the Inland Center mall currently exists.
History
Initially utilized by native inhabitants, Urbita Springs became a favored destination for settlers by the 1880s. Originally named Midway Springs due to its location halfway between San Bernardino and Colton, the area was characterized by indigenous willows and cottonwood trees, with additional plant species introduced later via rail transport. The term Urbita, meaning "small city," was first designated for a nearby development created in 1899. By 1905, a school was established at the intersection of H Street and Adell Street within Urbita.
During the 1880s, Urbita was one of several hot springs in San Bernardino County developed into resort destinations, alongside Arrowhead Hot Springs, Harlem Hot Springs, and Rabel Hot Springs. The San Bernardino Valley Traction Company operated a streetcar line servicing the springs, while an affiliated firm managed the construction of the bathhouse and surrounding parklands. In 1901, ownership transferred to A. C. Denman Jr., who may have enlarged the property's lake.
Spanning 15 acres, the amusement park primarily served working-class families and featured sulphur baths, boating activities, a carousel, and a modest zoo housing snakes, llamas, and raccoons. Amenities included a dance pavilion and a plunge pool measuring 50 by 100 feet, along with 100 changing rooms and 40 porcelain soaking tubs. The venue also hosted hot-air balloon exhibitions in 1911 and accommodated the National Orange Show convention in 1918.
At one point managed by the Pacific Electric streetcar company and home to the Urbita Lake Railway, the location was renamed Pickering Park in 1924. Economic hardships from the Great Depression combined with drought conditions resulted in its closure in 1939. However, the Urbita Springs Ballroom continued operations into the 1950s. Eventually, as land was parceled out for commercial and residential use, the wetlands dried up.
By 1960, the amusement park had fallen into neglect and became overrun with vegetation. In 1966, the former site of Urbita Springs Park was redeveloped for the Inland Center shopping mall. During the 1980s, periods of unusually heavy winter precipitation caused subterranean water to reemerge unexpectedly throughout San Bernardino, including basements and public structures near where the springs once flowed.
Water profile
The thermal water originated from about underground. A 1915 federal survey described Urbita Hot Springs—located roughly one mile south of San Bernardino—as a recreational area centered around artesian wells producing warm water. This supply fed a swimming plunge pool, bathing tubs, and a small lake. The warmest well discharged approximately per minute of mildly sulphur-infused water at around . Similar to waters from Arrowhead and Harlem springs, it contained low mineral concentrations but included minor amounts of sulphur and iron that caused staining on enameled bathtubs. These thermal springs were associated with a tectonic fault situated at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains.
See also
- De Sienna Mission Hot Springs
- California Winter League with the Urbita Stars
- Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round (originally from Urbita)
- Redlands Line