I'd already taken the tour of The Mission Inn in Riverside, California once, in 2015. And normally that would mean I was done with it.
But at Halloweentime this year, the hotel unveiled a series of "Spooktacular" tours that took guests into its underground tunnels—a.k.a. its "catacombs."
The Mission Inn is already kind of spooky—seemingly more like a castle than a California mission—so that made me desperate to get in there.
Fortunately, the tours were popular enough to continue them through the holiday season—so when we came for the Festival of Lights, we arrived early to go exploring in the basement.
When you're in the Grand Parisian Ballroom (a.k.a. the "Music Room"), you'd never know what derelict delights lie beneath your feet!
And you wouldn't find it while poking around on your own—because somebody with a key has got to let you in.
There's a lot of building infrastructure down there (ducts, etc.)—and low-clearance archways, too—so we had to strap on some hard hats before we made our way through the subterranean passageways.
Some open areas are currently used for storage (like for supplies for the multiple restaurants that operate on the property)—but mostly, the walkways are so narrow, it's hard to imagine that they were once open to hotel guests.
In the days before there was air conditioning, they would head underground to cool off...
...and while they were down there, they could get a glimpse at a fraction of Miller's extensive collection of art and antiquities, which would be on display along the so-called "Cloister Walk" (like a "cloistered walk" found in a monastery).
Many of the paintings, including some of Henry Chapman Ford's mission paintings, now hang in the hotel's Spanish Art Gallery.
There have long been rumors about tunnels connecting The Mission Inn with founder Frank Miller's other enterprise, Mt. Rubidoux—but if those ever existed, they've been long sealed off.
Like the inn itself, the circa 1917 tunnels are ornamented, confusing...
...and sometimes bizarre.
It's also a bit drippy, maybe from seeping groundwater or a leaky pipe, so it's good there's no longer any valuable art to get damp down there now. 
In addition to the niches built into the brick walls for displaying art, there are also some distinct "rooms"...
...plus an area carved out that used to display a nativity scene ("La Navidad") for Christmas.
That was one of the more popular features, promoted via postcards (as above).
A decrepit stairwell once led to the Grand Parisian Ballroom up above (in the "Cloister Wing"), but nobody uses it anymore.
One wall is inscribed with "Escritorio de San Vicente," or the desk/office of Saint Vincent.
There used to be statues of saints and even wax figures of Pope Pius X and his papal court (a.k.a. the "Papal Consistory").
And there were alcoves in the catacombs that were dedicated to the various Spanish missions, too.
There aren't any dead bodies, though, making the term "catacombs" a misnomer.
These underground passages are still cool and creepy—officially closed in 1985, although open for occasional tours in the late 2000s. After that, they were deemed unsafe for the public to visit.
The Mission Inn did a bit of work to get them back up to safety code to allow groups back in—and the tours have been wildly popular (understandably so).
A wonderful and historic adventure—and well worth the return visit!
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