Armory to Brewery

If you're at Fairmount Park today, you may notice this large historic building behind me. This is the former Riverside National Guard Armory, built in 1959. For decades, it served as a military training facility before eventually sitting vacant, becoming one of Riverside's most underutilized historic landmarks.

But that's about to change.

Earlier this year, the City of Riverside approved a long-term lease with Thompson Brewing Company, a local Riverside business, to transform the Armory into a destination brewery, beer garden, and community event space. Instead of tearing the building down, the city chose to preserve its history through what's called an adaptive reuse project—giving this iconic structure a brand-new purpose while keeping its historic character intact.

The project is also part of Riverside's larger vision to revitalize Fairmount Park and reconnect residents with this incredible community space. Along with improvements throughout the park, city leaders hope this becomes a place where families, friends, and visitors can gather for events, live music, great food, and of course, locally brewed beer.

Construction and tenant improvements are expected to take about two years, so if everything stays on schedule, the brewery could welcome its first guests around 2028.

It's another example of Riverside preserving its past while investing in its future—and I can't wait to come back when the doors officially open.

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