Kern County Museum
Kern County Museum
4.5
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
400 within 3 miles
Attractions
90 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
280 reviews
Excellent
172
Very good
83
Average
20
Poor
2
Terrible
3
Richard S
Angmering, UK787 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
We went with friends from Bakersfield who are members of this 'working' museum. It is a real gem that tells the story of the history of Bakersfield. We never knew about the Bakersfield sound, being second only to Nashville. The hostory of the railroad, the oil and the people.that built this city.
Written December 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BFtime
Fillmore, CA35 contributions
Jan 2022
We only had time to visit the Museum’s Pioneer Village on the day of our visit. The historic buildings (exterior/interior) were displayed with care in a peaceful village setting . Information on the history of each building was displayed in front of each building, and made the visit even more enjoyable. There are also other areas to visit within the Museum for the whole family to enjoy. We will be back to visit again in the future! The Kern County Museum is definitely worth a visit!
Written January 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sultan A
Kuwait City, Kuwait645 contributions
Feb 2022 • Friends
Amazing museum and worth a visit cost $10. It takes you back to the 1800s and 1900s era, how people lived in terms of their migration to Bakerfield, their homes, their clothes, their tools, their furniture, their jobs, and their means of transportation. The museum is outdoor and built in the shape of a replicants neighborhood. Walking around the museum, you feel as if you are living in that era. It takes two hours or more to complete it.
Written February 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike Post
132 contributions
Feb 2022
This is a great venue but shows signs of insufficient maintenance and poor artifact curation. Many active displays were "out of order" and some things had no explanations at all. Tires on the old cars going flat.
Written February 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
35745JohnK
Bakersfield, CA187 contributions
Feb 2020
Oil is a big part of Kern County and the Black Gold Exhibit is the star of the museum. Nicely done throught donations of time and materials from the local oil industry. The old wooden drilling rig shows how far we've come. The artifacts laying all over inside and out tell the evolution of the industry. You can spend half a day here easily. All the old buildings on the property tell a story as well. The whole place is for rent for events. Lots of neat places to explore. Go and enjoy!!!
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phyllis W
4 contributions
Sep 2020
My daughter and I had a great time seeing the historic homes/businesses and oil industry exhibition displayed at the Kern County Museum. I thought the way it was set up, where you view the exterior of structures while peaking inside through window viewing areas, was very clever. During the current pandemic times, it is a great place to visit, since all activities are outdoors.
Written November 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mswisshelm
Bakersfield, CA36 contributions
I'm surprised how many people never go to the Kern County Museum...unless Brews or some other event is taking place there. It's a terrific place to take your cranky kids during their school breaks. The Pioneer Village historic homes are fun to go through, and the Lori Brock children's museum always has fun things going on for the kids. I believe they even have summer day camps.
My absolute favorite time of the year is Christmas when they do the Lamplight tours and the Christmas tree exhibition in the hall. I always look forward to this event to start off my holiday season.
There's also a safe Halloween event that has really grown over the past few years. It's almost a do-not-miss event in Bakersfield.
Overall, there's always something going on here. Just check out their website http://www.kcmuseum.org/
Oh, and the museum store has some great gift ideas like local cookbooks.
My absolute favorite time of the year is Christmas when they do the Lamplight tours and the Christmas tree exhibition in the hall. I always look forward to this event to start off my holiday season.
There's also a safe Halloween event that has really grown over the past few years. It's almost a do-not-miss event in Bakersfield.
Overall, there's always something going on here. Just check out their website http://www.kcmuseum.org/
Oh, and the museum store has some great gift ideas like local cookbooks.
Written February 11, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam R
Austin, TX8 contributions
The Kern County Museum doesn't sound great from the outside, but it is actually quite interesting. The homes and buildings are well kept, and the Black Gold Experience offers an excellent history of California Oil.
Written June 16, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveler4k
Beverly Hills, CA1,701 contributions
Jun 2012 • Friends
Basically this is a VERY interesting museum. It consists of a group of buildings, somewhat unspoiled - including historical homes, a log cabin, an Elk Lodge, old movie theater (showing "Black Gold," illustrating how Kern County made billions of barrels of oil and still does), general store, dentist, hospital, doctor's office, a hotel, barber's shop, train cars, oil derrick, courthouse, jails, an adobe, old gas station and so many buildings that I cannot even list.
The buildings are all authentic and carefully brought to this location (from other areas where these buildings existed) to recreate a "town like" feel and you really feel like you are back in time. Yes, you can see the inside of them and they are just as they would have been when they were operational.
The historic "green" house photographed in this review near the entrance needs an "appointment" as it does not have Plexiglas as you walk through it. I would have liked to have seen it and was told if you contact the museum ahead of time you can actually get in!
I truly enjoyed walking around this "ghost town." It was part museum (world class) and part town! The coolest part is that it was almost completely empty as no children from the county attend field trips there (sadly) and not many tourists in Bakersfield. I am so glad my friend took me here.
All in all, I saw MANY highlights Bakersfield had to offer but this was by far the best one. Enjoy, because I sure did!
The buildings are all authentic and carefully brought to this location (from other areas where these buildings existed) to recreate a "town like" feel and you really feel like you are back in time. Yes, you can see the inside of them and they are just as they would have been when they were operational.
The historic "green" house photographed in this review near the entrance needs an "appointment" as it does not have Plexiglas as you walk through it. I would have liked to have seen it and was told if you contact the museum ahead of time you can actually get in!
I truly enjoyed walking around this "ghost town." It was part museum (world class) and part town! The coolest part is that it was almost completely empty as no children from the county attend field trips there (sadly) and not many tourists in Bakersfield. I am so glad my friend took me here.
All in all, I saw MANY highlights Bakersfield had to offer but this was by far the best one. Enjoy, because I sure did!
Written July 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
its_rosie
Saint Anthony, MN47 contributions
Jul 2011
You'll balk at the admission price ($10- initially seems pretty steep), but OMG, it was so worth it. If you like early American history, are an architectural snob (i.e., the sight of old Victorian mansions makes you swoon), you will think you've died and gone to the good place. Here are some of the good and not-so-good points:
PROS: Really extensive collections of early American memorabilia, neat interactive exhibits, wide variety of businesses are represented (you're not just looking at old houses, there's an adobe, a church, a dentist's office, a school house, etc.). If you fill out a little survey at the end of your visit, you get to pick a neat little gift from a variety of different things, which was totally fun! The Black Gold exhibit was very thorough and was in a THANKFULLY air-conditioned building.
CONS: It's not their fault, but Bakersfield is so hot it will crush your soul. There's not much in the way of tree cover, so shade is scarce and wind even more so. If you go in the summer, be prepared to SWEAT A LOT! There were tons of bugs, spiderwebs, and flies both inside and outside of the structures. They really need to get some volunteers to wipe away the cobwebs and see to the water damage before it becomes irreparable.
All in all, I was completely surprised at how much my daughter and I enjoyed our visit. This is the first time we have ever spent two hours at any kind of "historical or cultural site." YES, it's really amazing!
PROS: Really extensive collections of early American memorabilia, neat interactive exhibits, wide variety of businesses are represented (you're not just looking at old houses, there's an adobe, a church, a dentist's office, a school house, etc.). If you fill out a little survey at the end of your visit, you get to pick a neat little gift from a variety of different things, which was totally fun! The Black Gold exhibit was very thorough and was in a THANKFULLY air-conditioned building.
CONS: It's not their fault, but Bakersfield is so hot it will crush your soul. There's not much in the way of tree cover, so shade is scarce and wind even more so. If you go in the summer, be prepared to SWEAT A LOT! There were tons of bugs, spiderwebs, and flies both inside and outside of the structures. They really need to get some volunteers to wipe away the cobwebs and see to the water damage before it becomes irreparable.
All in all, I was completely surprised at how much my daughter and I enjoyed our visit. This is the first time we have ever spent two hours at any kind of "historical or cultural site." YES, it's really amazing!
Written July 4, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’m turning 19 this coming up March and around this August coming I’m planning on taking a lil personal trip to California to visit a friend. I don’t know much about California don’t know much about airports and I’m just wondering would it be a great or smart idea to go by myself (don’t really have anybody to bring with me) but I’ll be 19 couldn’t I get my own hotel, plane ticket and everything I need for this trip together by myself. And is it safe
Written January 8, 2019
I think as long as you have a valid ID and credit card you would be fine to stay at a hotel. California is safe but since you will be by yourself I would suggest to think carefuly where to go and the time. But the place and time matters when you are by yourself specially at a state you don’t know.
Written January 9, 2019
I’m turning 19 this coming up March and around this August coming I’m planning on taking a lil personal trip to Bakersfield California to visit a friend. I don’t know much about California don’t know much about airports and I’m just wondering would it be a great or smart idea to go by myself (don’t really have anybody to bring with me) but I’ll be 19 couldn’t I get my own hotel, plane ticket and everything I need for this trip together by myself. And is it safe
Written January 8, 2019
Hello devbat if by chance you make it to Bakersfield. I drive for Lyft and would gladly arrange something. I know the area well so could offer whatever advice you need. As far as safe goes and Jana W hit it on the money. There is also a hotel right beside airport even.
Written January 11, 2019
Showing results 1-5 of 5
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing