The Kern County Museum was founded in 1941 and serves more than 85,000 people each year, including 19,000 school children, from its 16-acre site north of downtown Bakersfield. The museum features 57 historic buildings and exhibits, many in relocated structures, an award winning hands-on oil exhibition, and the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center for youth eight and under.

The museum is consistently recognized for providing some of the most outstanding educational programs in the state of California, such as Native American Life, and Living History Day: Frontier Life in Kern County. In addition, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions and special events in an effort to achieve its mission. The museum is one of only 748 museums in the nation accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Kern County Museum provides a stimulating destination for generations to share experiences in an engaging, educational, and historically rich setting. In doing so, the Kern County Museum has acquired a distinguished record of service.

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The Kern County Museum features over 50 historic structures and exhibits depicting the history of Kern County, California, and the West set amid 16-acres of beautiful grounds. Interpreted exhibits include the Lopez Hill House, the 1898 Southern Pacific Locomotive, and the 1910 Fellows Hotel. Guided tours of the Lopez Hill House and Howell House are offered daily.
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The Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center opened in 1976 to offer hands-on museum experiences for children. Current exhibits include Kid City, Lewis and Clark: Journey Across America, and Art Safari.
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The 9,640-square foot exhibition and surrounding 2.3 acres present a complete overview of how oil is created, different methods of discovery and extraction throughout history, and the changing role of industry workers and their families. This participatory exhibition features a variety of learning environments for audiences of all ages.

Readers of the The Knot have named the Kern County Museum one of the Top Ten Reception Sites in Central California. We're the only one in Bakersfield to be recognized! To learn more about having your wedding at the Kern County Museum, check out the Rental Opportunities section of this website.

 Tour the Howell House and Lopez Hill House!

Guided tours offered daily!

 


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