Welcome to Hemet

Hemet (pop: 74,500) was founded in 1887, predating the formation of Riverside County, and was incorporated on January 20, 1910. The formation of Lake Hemet helped the city grow and prosper, and stimulated agriculture in the area.

The city is known for being the home of "The Ramona Pageant", California's official outdoor play. Started in 1923, the play is one of the longest running outdoor plays in the United States.

Hemet has been named a Tree City USA for 20 years by the Arbor Day Foundation for its dedication to the local forest. The city is home to the Hemet Valley Medical Center, a 320-bed general hospital.

Western Center for Archaeology & Paleontology
Hemet, CA; 951-797-0033; Museum Website;
In 1993, archaeologists uncovered the fossilized bones of mastadons, mammoths and giant sloths that once roamed the area underneath Diamond Valley Lake more than 230,000 years ago. The museum features this collection and other exhibits about natural life many back in those days.

The Ramona Pageant [APR / MAY]
California's Official Outdoor Play
Festival Website;

The Ramona Outdoor Play, formerly known as (and still commonly called) the Ramona Pageant is an outdoor play staged annually at Hemet, California since 1923. The script is adapted from the 1884 novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson. It is held over three consecutive weekends in April and May in the Ramona Bowl, a natural amphitheater in the foothills above Hemet in Riverside County.

The production features cast of more than 300, made up largely of local residents and amateur actors. In the past such professional actors as Raquel Welch, Anne Archer, Jeffrey Meek, Henry Brandon and Maurice Jara have portrayed the romantic leading roles of Ramona and her Indian lover Alessandro.

Hemet Civic Groups:

City of Hemet California
Hemet California COC
Hemet Unified School District
Rotary Club of Hemet
Hemet Golf Club