The Kern County Museum is a

history museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...

located in

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Its main focus is the history of

Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...

. Pioneer Village, located on , contains over 50 original buildings from around the county, related to life in the late 19th century. Other features include: Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center, Black Gold exhibit, and Neon Plaza. The museum is accredited by the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. One of the most recognizable structures at the museum is the Beale Memorial Clock Tower, located on the lawn in front of it. The clock tower was originally constructed in 1904 in the center of the intersection of 17th St. and Chester Ave. It was destroyed in the 1952 earthquake and rebuilt at this site in 1964.

History

In 1929, a letter in the local newspaper from the local Lions Club asked for historical documents, photos, and information related to Kern County's past. Thousands of pieces of information were donated to the Kern County Chamber of Commerce in response.Kern County Museum History
Kern County Museum. Accessed: 05-25-2010. In 1941, by a decree from the county, the Kern County Museum was founded. However, the outbreak of World War II delayed the opening until 1945. It was placed in a small corner of the

Kern County Chamber of Commerce Building The Kern County Chamber of Commerce Building is a historic building in Bakersfield, California. Located adjacent to Sam Lynn Ballpark and the Beale Memorial Clock Tower, it is a part of the Kern County Museum. The building is considered one of th ...

located on Chester Ave, next to the

fairgrounds Fairground most typically refers to a permanent space that hosts fairs. Fairground, Fairgrounds, Fair Ground or Fair Grounds may also refer to: Places Canada * Fairground, Ontario, a community United States * Fairground, St. Louis, a neighbo ...

between the

Kern River The Kern River, previously Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfiel ...

and Garces Circle. The popularity of the exhibit quickly grew, as well as the amount of space needed to showcase it. By 1952, the museum had grown large enough that the Chamber of Commerce used the entire structure for the museum. The museum continued to grow. The old fairgrounds adjacent to it (the fairgrounds moved to its current location in South Bakersfield on Union Ave) became the site for Pioneer Village. Later, there were other additions to the museum, which included Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center, and Black Gold exhibit. The museum is a member of the

North American Reciprocal Museums The North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) program is an affiliation of arts, historical, and cultural institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and El Salvador which offer reciprocal benefits to qualifying members of other part ...

program.

Exhibits

Pioneer Village

Pioneer Village is a collection of over 50 historic building related to Kern County's history. The various buildings are from all around the county. There is almost one of every type of building from the time period, including: one room schoolhouse, church, photography studio, train station, hotel, courthouse, and assay office. Oil equipment, including a wooden oil derrick, as well as a pumping unit (with 6 wooden pumps) are located in the village. The buildings are arranged to simulate an actual town. Also in the collection are assorted neon signs, which were collected from around the county. Those signs are being restored and put on display.

Black Gold

Black Gold is an exhibit which describes Kern County's oil industry. It was created in 2002, and occupies with an additional surrounding the exhibit. According to the museums website, some the highlights include, “simulated travel under the sea in a diving bell to learn how oil is formed, an exploration into oil discovery, recovery and its transformation into many products we use today, and the many dangers of asphaltum mining straight from the mouth of an old-timer.”

Neon Plaza

Neon signs for the county's eateries, retail stores and service shops have been restored. The outdoor display area is used for company gatherings, private parties, nonprofit fundraisers and other galas.

Other exhibits

The main building contains rotating exhibits. It is housed in the old Chamber of Commerce building built in 1929. It is the only historic building original to its location; all others were moved later (although the Beale Memorial Clock Tower was rebuilt in front of the museum in 1964). Currently the museum has over one million objects. Most are rotated through the building according to theme. The Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center is a children's museum located on the grounds of the Kern County Museum. It was opened in 1976 and was designed to offer hands-on experiences for children. Like the main building, its exhibits also rotate. The center has three exhibit rooms, each one showcasing a different exhibit.Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center
. Kern County Museum. Accessed: 05-25-2010.

References

External links

Kern County Museum
{{Authority control Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Museums established in 1941 Museums in Kern County, California Open-air museums in California Tourist attractions in Bakersfield, California Buildings and structures in Bakersfield, California Petroleum museums