The history of Kern County has been preserved in all of its many forms at museums around the county. The crown jewel is the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield, which features the Lori Brock Children’s Museum, the crowd-pleasing Pioneer Village with 70-plus restored historic buildings, and a $4 million interactive exhibit highlighting the petroleum industry.

Enjoy a look at our “Old West” heritage with a visit to the 20 Mule Team Museum at Boron, the Cowboy Memorial at Caliente, or the historic Havilah and Kern Valley museums. The Air Force Flight Test Center Museum and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, the U.S. Naval Armament Museum at China Lake, the Col. Vernon P. Saxon Aerospace Museum at Boron and the Minter Field Air Museum near Shafter will thrill aviation and technology buffs.

The history of Kern’s role in the petroleum industry is celebrated by the West Kern Oil Museum in Taft. Natural history is the focus of the Tehachapi Museum, the Maturango Museum at Ridgecrest, and Bakersfield’s Buena Vista Natural History Museum. The Bakersfield Museum of Art can help scratch that creative itch, while many Kern County communities have heritage displays and historic buildings to enjoy.