The Kimberly Crest House and Gardens

This French château-style Victorian mansion is a registered California Historical Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The house’s namesake comes from philanthropists and prominent public figures, Helen Cheney Kimberly, her daughter Mary Kimberly Shirk and Mrs. Kimberly’s husband, J. Alfred Kimberly, who is also a legacy to 19th-century industrialism and entrepreneurship in the form of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.  

In 1963 there was a community effort to raise money to match a Federal grant to purchase Prospect Park (a 39-acre botanical park east of and adjacent to Kimberly Crest) for the City of Redlands.  To motivate support for this worthwhile project, Mrs. Shirk promised to give her home to the “people of Redlands” if the needed money was raised – and the incentive worked, with the park being acquired in 1968.   

The following year the Kimberly-Shirk Association was formed, which to this day still maintains responsibilities overseeing the upkeep, maintenance and care of Kimberly Crest House & Gardens property. When Mary Shirk passed away in 1981, the Association acquired the home and opened it to the public.  

Today, the organization stands to share the beauty of the estate with visitors, educate visitors about the history and significance of the events, people, objects and culture of Kimberly Crest, and to inspire others through the vision Mary Kimberly Shirk had in leadership in education, philanthropy, community and human values.  

Here's a pro tip from Metrolink employee Emerald M: If you take the tour, you'll get a cookie!