This museum has gotten better and better over the years. My kids and I enjoy the fossils, and seeing the pictures of the extinct native animals. The upper level has many interesting displays, and the lower level is the best! My kids and I spent more than an hour looking over everything down there. This is a great, unique, educational museum.

Nice for a good time with a kids!!!

We could spent only about an hour there as we reached close to 3 and they were closing at 4, the nice lady at the ticket counter didn’t charge my 3 year old as we had only less time. We were able to cover most of the museum in the hour and my 6 and 3 year old found it very amazing and cool. Nice little museum to spent time with kids if you are in Bakersfield and looking for some activities for kids

My 2.5yr old LOVES coming here. Hes obsessed with dinosaurs and they have a good sized dinosaur section. The play room downstairs has lots of fun stuff but a lot of toys have missing/random parts. But a very educational place. Every 3rd Thursday of the month they have $2 day. We never miss it!!

Incredible collection of shark teeth and fossils from the Bakersfield area (plus other artifacts from all over the world). Helps you identify which fossils you have if you dig in the Bakersfield area. Turns out I have a tooth from a hippo-like animal. The curator, John, greeted us and was super friendly and helpful. The customer service here is unbelievable, top notch.

Nice place to take the kids, friendly and helpful staff.

Great displays of local natural history.

Just recently visited for the first time and thought it would be like a normal museum very quiet but to my surprise they had so much to do. It is a older small building but the exhibits are awesome. The employees are very polite and very informative. I loved the bottom level for children. Definelty will be returning.

For the area, actually a very interesting and large space for the kids to explore. We spent about 2+ hours there and the kids saw everything and loved it. Small scale museum, more like really cool discovery zone for children. Bought some fun stuff and went on a discount day so it was only $2 per person!

I took my 5yr old there this afternoon and she loved it. She was really amazed that you can dial a number, put in a code, and it tells you information about the animals. She especially enjoyed the interactive center downstairs.I am giving them 4 stars because we could barely hear the info about the animals so a set of headphones that can be checked out would have been nice. I also wish there were more hands on exhibits my daughter is very much a hands on learner. Hands on exhibits are great for little ones. Over all we enjoyed it and I will definitely be taking her back.

Its easy to overlook this gem of a museum, located in the main part of town on Chester Ave. From the outside it looks just like a regular storefront. Inside, there are 3 floors with everything from Asian & North American animal exhibits to Fluorescent Minerals. Plus many fossils, petrified tree samples, Native American items & a hands-on Science Discovery Center for the kids. Admission is worth it at $4 for children under 18, 5 & under free, students & seniors $5 & adults are $7. There is an elevator.

Awesome museum for kids and adults alike! do yourself and others a favor and give this place a visit.

Very fun and educational for people of all ages. If you or your kid love animals and/or dinosaurs, then I highly recommend coming here. Even with the internet, there is still a far superior charm in visiting an actual museum in person. It is a shame it doesnt get more business. As a community we need to support one another, and should we ever loose this museum, we wont be getting a new one here in Bakersfield anytime soon. Highly recommend the Buena Vista museum, whether you go by yourself or with friends or family.

A lot of items to explore.

Went for my birthday today and it was awsome. The employees were nice.

They have fossils and a canoe. Great place to wonder around.

Great nostalgia, very old, outdated, everything is mostly broken. They could be so much more. No I wouldnt recommend it. They are under construction so I will be merciful. Seems like their living in their old glory days literally.

What a great little museum! The staff is very helpful, provide a thorough explanation of the facility to first-timers. this is a great place to take kids, lots of things to see and downstairs lots of things to touch. Very reasonable ticket prices too!

Nice staff very educational. Jessica seemed to know a lot about the exhibits on display, she was very kind and friendly. Would greatly recommend a visit

Nice little museum but hard to know if there is a distinct path to follow

To think we almost didnt make it to this place the other day. Thankfully we were able to get there and not only see so many wonderful things but also learn so many interesting facts as well. I took all my 7 children there on a school field trip and NEVER would I have been prepared to have such an INCREDIBLE time! From the outside it looks to be very small and I believe that must have a negative affect on the museum, because once inside youre just blown away from all the things this place has to offer. Its 3 stories and the lower part is a kids friendly hands on museum. 2nd floor is all about dinosaurs, sharks and other things. 3rd floor is all about rocks and ancient civilizations. If youre looking for somewhere inexpensive yet intriguing and delightful to bring your entire family then, THIS IS THE PLACE! Not to mention their entire staff and crew were just as amazing!!!! *** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***

Very friendly staff and lots of awesome things to see

If you enjoy history, youll find it here. Its small but has potential. Real looking animals from elephants to zebras and perfect picture setting to capture with family. On the science floor you can play, and learn. Made just for toddle to adult. Gift shop/souvenir our certainly affordable. My family and I enjoyed .

I never knew we had such a place here. I was delightfully surprised by all the displays, especially the preserved animals in the first room to the left, as you enter the museum. I encourage everyone to donate to keep this place open and functioning. The lady at the front desk was very nice and helpful.

Its small, but big on fun. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and theres always something going on. Good place to spend a couple hours!

Friendly and welcoming staff that went out of their way to get us discounts that were available to us. The museum itself is 3 stories with lots of great exhibits. From the street it doesnt look too awesome but inside its a perfect Saturday morning spot for kids 4-Adult.

Absolutely amazing. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Such a, gem, right her in Bako.... Love this place with or without kids. A+

Fun place to visit with kids. Interesting fossils and facts. Our kids ranged in age from 3 to 10 and they all enjoyed it.

I love Buena Vista natural history museum. Its a wonderful edition to Bakersfield and the facinating collection of native minerals a species is an enjoyable feature. There are also dinosaur fossils and many other animal species that can be seen. The staff here are wonderful and the venue is well kept but a little unappreciated, therefore I encourage people to visit it more often. It offers a great learning experience for young and old alike.

Its a wonderful learning experience for all ages!!!!

Very informative and educational. The kids exhibit on the bottom was very fun for both my son and I. All in all great experience.

Lots of interesting things.

Just went here for the first time on Fathers day. Great place, very educational.

All the awesome Animals was so neat to see

This a great place to bring the kids to explore and learn ! My sons love this place, a great place for a rainy day schedule. Lots to see and plenty hands on for the little ones to experience.

Great place to take family. My granddaughter took a field trip with the school, and had a good time. Learned a lot about native wildlife and animals! Tule Elk, coyotes, birds and reptiles are on site!

Awesome exhibits and play area for young children. Swamp coolers are not vented to outside, so they circulate hot damp air indoors. ...sweltering in hot weather.

Loved our tour and interactive explorative learning

Really interesting . Kids could be there for hrs!

Great place. Check it out and check out the isandbox. Amazing!

Great talk about Sharks Tooth Hill

Great place with excellent displays

Always a great place for adults and kids to learn and have fun.

Great place. Alot of educational displays and a great place to take kids! Highly reccomend!

Small place, but extremely amazing.

Lots of fun for the kids. They have a whole downstairs play/hands on area for the kids. And you get in free with a CALM membership

We enjoy it. Ive taken my kids on several occasions and they seem to get a kick out of it each time. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The only draw back is there really is never anything new. For an adult it very much is a once and done sort of deal. Some of the exhibits dont work. It would be more fun if there had some sort of rotation and kept everything working well. If you havent ever been though its worth one trip.

These ladies are amazingly awesome. Its a crying shame that they dont get more business thanks to thenage of technology. If you as a parent want to spend a really good time with your kids and educating them....This definitely is the place for you. It looks like it would be amazing. Unfortunately, I was unable to go in further. It looked like it would have been a blast. So, if you happen to be in this neck of the woods...do yourself a favor and stop in. I stoppes in to ask for directions so I could get a wall charger. The eldest lady asked if I would like to charge for a few minutes. These people and most are volunteers. They could really use any and all donations. I would love to see this business prosper. You dont meet people in this world as kind as they were to me. Thank you ladies again. They didnt ask me to do this...I am taking this upon myself just as a citizen. I implore you, stop by and check them out. Not only would it be an educational experience for your kid(s) but it would be a great blessing to have that time that you will never get back to spend time with the kiddos...even your teens!!! They have live animals and it looks like quite the experience....

This museum is truely a hidden gem, located downtown off chester ave. Once inside youll be amazed by howmuch is actually inside. Each segment is presented with impressive quality and information. So much more to the natural history of our area than most people realize. I would highly recomend visiting. Its a great place to take guests from out of the area. There are also a lot of great restraunts within walking distance to visit before or after.

This museum is truely a hidden gem, located downtown off chester ave. Once inside youll be amazed by howmuch is actually inside. Each segment is presented with impressive quality and information. So much more to the natural history of our area than most people realize. I would highly recomend visiting. Its a great place to take guests from out of the area. There are also a lot of great restraunts within walking distance to visit before or after.

Very nice volunteers and workers! Very clean and organized

Awesome place

Nice for an hour or two visit for local history. This would be especially good for elementary kids. The downstairs kids area is a nice touch.

I had the best experience!!! I would recommend everyone to go and to take their children as well because they have a new play area. Most museums say DONT TOUCH ANYTHING but this museum encourages hands on learning. The learning is endless and they can also give you a tour so you can gain more knowledge and experience about their different exhibits. I was skeptical at first but glad I kept an open mind.

Fantastic learning outing family fun! GREAT STAFF Koral and Britney were so Helpful and Smart!

My son had fun 1St time going its crazy to see all the stuffed animals

Such a great place to visit, my wife and I went with out 3 children they loved every bit of it, the history in the place is outstanding, staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, the sharks and dinosaur bones found in our area are unbelievable

This museum is truely a hidden gem, located downtown off chester ave. Once inside youll be amazed by howmuch is actually inside. Each segment is presented with impressive quality and information. So much more to the natural history of our area than most people realize. I would highly recomend visiting. Its a great place to take guests from out of the area. There are also a lot of great restraunts within walking distance to visit before or after.

Very nice museum... Its a whole lot bigger inside than it looks to be from outside

My boys just love this place

Many great Dinosaur skeletal remains displayed and awesome minerals and rocks in this museum. Great for members of the family to see.

This is a great weekday or weekend destination. The museum has quite a lot to see. Very reasonably priced. Friendly and helpful staff.

Kids loved it

One of the greatest natural history museums Ive ever visited the tour guide was awesome this is a great place to bring children to learn about the resources that Kern County has and also its very Hands-On child-friendly

Really liked it my girls want to come back really good information on all there historical stuff and staff really nice and helpful

Kind ppl.

Nice place to take the kids..

Very interesting museum!

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Nice collection.

Its a really fun place to visit and i just started to volunteer there just last month

Fun place... A lot to do..

Awesome place to take the kids and learn about animals

Very cool museum. Very informative. I learned a couple of things about Kern County that I didnt know anything about.

Very creative museum

We love this place! It is the perfect way to spend an hour with a toddler!

A little small but ok to spend 2 hours

There wasnt much to see or do

Good place to see

Overrated.

Small but really awesomen and the last level is dedicated to kids!

I just love this place so much fun for children and adults alike. The first Saturday of the month is childrens day..

We dig this place we go every few months...recomended. About 2 hours is all you need.

Some many interesting displays! They pack in dinosaurs, anthropology, geology, anatomy, astronomy and lots of animals into a relatively small space. You could spend quite a few hours reading all the info and trying the hands-on items.

It was a little hot for lack of AC, but this museum is full of amazing facts and details about Bakersfield and our county.

Very cool place to learn a lot of things, and it is educational

Many things to look at, but the top floor is always 10 degrees warmer.

Great small place to take the kids

Was in the neighborhood decided to check this place out.. lots of things to see

Small but packed!

Peaceful atmosphere, great employees, interesting exhibits

Good for the family with kids, educational, lot of new informations.

Amazing history

A smaller museum, but still lots to see

Great place for a field trip.

I love this place

Super

Educational

Amazing experience

Great place to spend an afternoon... And DINOSAURS!!!!

Great time