diamond valley lake visitors center

The history of what was found when digging out the Lake. Lots of old stuff from a long time ago. One also learns from the artifacts.

Excellent info on California & area geology. Fun exhibits and videos on natural history and mammoth skeletons. Also local history, airplanes, hands-on stuff. Good for kids and adults. Easy parking. Low cost.

The have a visitor center has a museum that has dinosaur remains from building of Diamond Lake reservoir.

Didn't make it to the lake but stopped by the visitors center. It gives you the history of the making of the lake along with the California aqueducts. It also tells you a lot about the water systems for Southern California. A beautiful place and very well done. The guides know a lot so ask them. No Fee. Open Tues-Sun 10AM to 4PM. Signage is poor so you have to look but they are in some beautiful huge buildings.

This structure is impressive. Seemingly out in the middle of nowhere this architecturally beautiful set of buildings (The Water + Life Museums and Campus) celebrates the infrastructure of water and its central role in the evolution of life and development in California. The first LEED Platinum Museums in the world, the design aims to place beauty and sustainability — an inseparable couplet — at the center of its agenda as an environmental showcase. The 15 acre campus houses two museums – The Center for Water Education and Life – The Western Center for Archaeology & Paleontology. Both born of the construction of Diamond Valley Lake (DVL), the largest man-made water storage lake in North America. Set in the semi-arid Southern California desert near Hemet, and located at the base of the East Dam of Diamond Valley Lake, DVL is an integral part of the California's water infrastructure. NOTE: I took the above description(s) from their website. So many people just don't know this place is here, so I thought some good hard facts would help. :-)Learn about water and the building of Diamond Valley Lake through hands-on exhibits, many of them were broken and in need of repair, which shouldn't be the case. The place looks a little disheveled and could use some care and maintenance. I don't know why the two museums have broken or non-working exhibits. It is shameful really. But the campus is impressive, the docents helpful and there is some benefit from taking in the exhibit.While you are out there, make sure you go to the lookout/viewpoint located at the west dam off Winchester Road and take a look at the vanishing pool of drinking water.