Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre

A must see! Unbelievable out door play with new actors and incredible music has been rewritten and stills stay true to its roots dating back to 1929! Set in the foothills of the mountains with a new sound system and rewritten script makes California’s official play very entertaining! Plenty of good food and drinks!

I just got back from seeing the revised Ramona play with my family. It was a beautiful play in a gorgeous amphitheater. We all had a great time and I would recommend anyone in the area to attend. Just beware of the some of the ladies working in the gift shop that we encountered during the 30 minute intermission. We made an honest mistake of bringing in drinks (I even looked around for a sign about beverages before walking in). They were extremely rude to us. After walking back outside I noticed that the sign was facing the wrong way. It left a bad taste in my mouth but fortunately the second half of the play helped take my mind off it.

Ramona Pageant —
Pageant background and motivation to see it–
Visit Rancho Camulos Museum in Ventura County, California. This is where Helen Hunt Jackson stayed to learn of rancho life before writing her 1884 novel, Ramona. This is why both the pageant and book rancho adobes resemble the Camulos adobe. In 1910, director D. W. Griffith came to Rancho Camulos to film his silent film, Ramona, on location. Mary Pickford played Ramona.
The first director of The Ramona Pageant in 1923 was Garnet Holme, who went on to direct the first Bracebridge Christmas Dinner Pageant in Yosemite’s Ahwahnee lodge in 1927.
Read the novel, Ramona; a wonderful story based on actual events during a time in California when native Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Americans were in conflict with each other; mostly related to land «ownership». The book that I read included four illustrations by N. C. Wyeth who depicted the words of the book with great fidelity.
Two hours before the play starts, there is very good food, entertainment, and the museum to enjoy. One of the 360 actors, Gregg Wilder, took my wife, Vickie, and me on a «back stage» tour where we met other actors and some of the many crew members who make the event happen. The Pageant is a community and multi generation family event; fifth graders start to get involved as Rock Indians; hiding behind rocks on the hill until their time to appear. Rattlesnake safety is taught.
Mixed with the main plot are colorful musicians, singers, and dancers; some of which you would see at an Indian Pow Wow. I am always drawn to drumming circles.
Bring something soft to sit on; most of the seats are concrete. Prepare for sun and heat; the open upper A Section seats see shade first. Bring your camera. Thank you to all of the people and animals who make this delightful and educational extravaganza possible.

What a great hidden place! I’ve lived in Hemet for 4 years and this is my first time at the Ramona Bowl, a California Historic place. We came here to see the Ramona Pageant and it was awesome! I HIGHLY suggest it. Perfect weather. They only have it for 3 weekends in a year. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. The play is 3 hours long with a 30 minute intermission. Before the show, they have concessions and a gift shop you can check out. They also have a mini museum of The Ramona Pageant over the years. Raquel Welch was Ramona in the 50s! The story of Ramona was beautiful and just makes me a little teary thinking about it now. The price is great for residents of Hemet and if you’re not a resident they are pretty good too. They have a shuttle in the parking lot that will take you to the front but we just walked. Yes, your butt can get tired from sitting so I suggest getting the seat pads. I think they are only 3 dollars. They also have other shows throughout the year (Zorro in August!) that we will check out.
Please come here! You won’t be disappointed!

90^th year of continuous play Ramona. Went for the first time last weekend. LOVED the spectacle of it all. yes, it’s warm. Isn’t it great we live in Southern California? The husband and I enjoyed delicious carne asada tacos and a cold one waiting for the show to start. The little museum and gift shop are cool, retro and are full of interesting things. The setting is magical; the history awesome and the Ramona story is still relevant today. Treat yourself and go. It’s only on 3 weekends a year. Suggestion for improvement? Perhaps take tickets in more than one location to move the crowds a little faster… that’s it!

The Ramona Bowl, Home of the Ramona Pageant for over 80 years, is an institution for the area. The Ramona Bowl and the history of the pageant make it a wonderful venue. I have seen the pageant several times and it always a well run and clean facility. Please see this one here if you ever get a chance.