Main Gallery

maingallery: Main Gallery

Originally the offices of the Kern County Chamber of Commerce, this Spanish-style building, designed by Charles H. Biggar, was completed in 1928. At one time, it housed elaborate displays of Kern County's agricultural and industrial products set under blue ceilings and amid ornate columns. The linoleum on the main floor is original to the building.

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HISTORY:
In 1941, the county established the Kern County Museum, and three years later the first exhibits were opened to the public in a corner of the first floor. Later the museum occupied the basement and then much of the rest of the building until the 1952 earthquake. During the rebuilding of government offices that followed the quake, the Chamber of Commerce moved out and the museum took over the entire structure. The Main Gallery of the museum currently houses a variety of permanent and changing exhibits covering the history, natural history, and culture of Kern County. From here visitors can enter the outdoor portion of the museum that focuses on the development of the county since the middle of the 19th century.


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