Visit Award Winning Museums in Bakersfield

Anytime you visit (or live) in a town, you should take the time to get to know its history. In Bakersfield’s case, the history is as rich as the oil beneath its surface. There are multiple museums that showcase the city’s rich history.The Buena Vista Museum of Natural History houses original fossils found in the foothills of Bakersfield. Visitors will be awed by the remains of Triceratops and other dinosaurs, rare ancient artifacts from Native Americans, a life size interpretative Yokuts family area, a display of petrified woods, and a hand on discovery zone for kids.The California Living Museum (CALM), also known as the Bakersfield Zoo, focuses exclusively on native animals and plants. You’ll get the opportunity to see animals including reptiles, black bears, birds of prey, and even Gizmo, the squirrel who starred as Hammy in DreamWorks’ animated hit Over the Hedge. Tickets are 9 for adults and 5 for children above 3 (under 3 are free). While you’re there, be sure to check out the CALM gift shop to take piece of the Living Museum home with you.The Kern County Museum is a 16 acre expanse encompassing 56 historic exhibits. You can walk through old jails, see the inside of authentic log cabins, and stroll through the one room school house into town. Don’t miss the award winning Black Gold: The Oil Experience exhibita hands-on experience that includes a stimulated travel under the sea to learn how oil is formed and recovered.Kern County provides 64 of California’s oil production. The West Kern Oil Museum pays tribute to this rich contribution. The WKOM collects, preserves, and interprets the oil history of California. Covering eight acres, the 11 buildings on the premises represent an old-time oil company camp.