Small museum of local history and wildlife. Area known for previous mining activities which is represented here. Occasionally, a local artist is invited and you have a little art show. Some displays for kids like stuffed. animals and rock samples. Also, a meeting place for local astronomy club.

Volunteers from VX-9, doing yardwork

Nice little museum. Plenty of adorable stuffed desert animal plushes for the kids, and they feature very interesting exhibits.

The Maturango Museum is one of the greatest resources available in Ridgecrest. They have a wonderful permanent exhibit about the history of Ridgecrest, and they have art exhibits constantly rotating out for people to enjoy. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the area, the museum is beautifully maintained, and they have wonderful education programs as well. If you are ever in Ridgecrest, I highly recommend making the Maturango one of your first stops.

Fabulous Museum! Nicest gift shop and people. Plan at least half hour for exhibits.

Nice gift shop. Very nice staff. Just small mueseum

This is a great little museum. Lots of local exhibits and local artists.

Very good museum in Ridgecrest. Ancient and current history as well as fine art.

Disappointed went to star party and sky was so cloudy. I know you cant control the sky but cancel it so we dont drive from Bakersfield

Love the gift shop and kids also enjoyed the exhibits.

Great experience. Thank you.

This is an enjoyable museum if staying in ridgecrest, you shouldn’t miss it

Nice little museum mostly focused on ancient people of the Indian Wells valley and geology. Nice friendly staff.

Very interesting presentation about the people who created the petroglyphs. DNA evidence of 13,000 years of unbroken ancestry.

Hospitality for foreignersGood place to know ridgecrest

I went to hear a concert. It was wonderful. I had not been to a concert in a long time. My husband used to play the violin in the community orchestra. Since he passed away, I had lost my interest in going to concerts. Now I have a renewed interest and want to go to more concerts.

Lovely museum dedicated to the area around Ridgecrest California and the mining industry, the wildlife, and local art. Great little gift shop, also. The entry is extreamly reasonable: $3.00 65 and older, $5.00 14-64, children and military are free. Perfect place for a cool afternoon.

Interesting museum that touched the natural history and mining history of the region.

A small museum but very educational for this region.

Great little museum! Must visit if in Ridgecrest.

Very interesting with artifacts and pictures from all historical eras from dinosaurs to 1900 mining and prospecting. Indian history and current taxidermy animals.

Our children were on the USS hornet for 7 days and 6 nights they had a wonderful time and learned a lot about history of the USS hornet.

Cool place to take the family! Learn about our high desert and all the life that has and still does live here. They have a great gift shop too. Museum is free for locals ok n sunday.

This place is a desert gem! The staff is great, too!

I went there to learn about the region...

Good to reach with a car, eady to find, nice poctures and animals to see, good describen

It was okay. I like the expansion. It looks like they are still working on adding more. The largest part of the museum is the gift shop.

A nice set of displays of the Coso Rock art, and good descriptions of the extensive mining in the area.

Only went to buy jewelry. Ended up becoming a member to get a discount on the jewelry I bought, which is usually local or from the Southwest. Go see for yourself and check out the displays. Keep going back!

Neat little museum. Has a small interactive area for the kiddos.

Loved it lots of fun for all ages highly recommend for families

If youre interested in the Mojave Desert, this is the place to visit...

We were the only ones there and felt unwelcomed as we were constantly ushered around while they moved furniture. I had found art to buy but got disgusted and just left. Hopefully an isolated experience.

Fam loved it. Its been a long time since Ive been and its much improved. Docents were super nice.

Full of interesting geology and zoology from the region. Great displays, and a few interactive exhibits. The gift shop is worth a look, and there outside exhibits are interesting, if its not too hot.

Love to see all the animals and be able to get close to them, plus learn about their way of life. My grand kids love to be there and learn about them.

They beautiful local arts exhibits, amazing classical musician concerts, kids time with turtles? and bugs. They do a lot of work. It is wonderful how many classy and educating events they put on.

Annual Petroglyph Festival (free) was the best! I went on the tour ($45) of Petroglyph Canyon which has the highest concentration of petroglyphs not just in the US but in the entire WESTERN HEMISPHERE - absolutely stunning! Access is restricted because the area is on the China Lake Naval Base (you have to be escorted). There are also more comprehensive tours of the canyon during the year. I will definitely go back!!!

Opportunity to hike on petroglyph tour. 90% of staff and guides are Volunteers! awesome place & people! also enjoyed the xeriscape gardens.

I love being able to hang and poke at this location...and to see the turtles!

Nice place!

1st Timers I enjoyed it very much.

Art exhibits, animals, spiders and snakes of the area with an excellent gift shop. Inside and outside fun activities for children!

Wonderful desert museum. I love the exhibits, and especially the labyrinth and other outdoor experiences.

The museum shop also works as visitor information center for Death Valley. Nick was great! We got a lot of information sheets and recommendations about hotels for our tour to Death Valley. Additionally, we got WiFi access there. The museum is a nice addition.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff made the visit awesome

If you live all things desert, or just want to learn, nice little museum.

Well stocked gift store. Wonderful out door displays. Small museum inside but has lots of information. Also has artist studio were you are able to purchase.

The museum is small. Near the front door they have a large selection of pamphlets relating to hiking and recreation in the area. Not all the pamphlets are helpful. There are two sides of the museum, a small museum for the area which is somewhat run down, and am art gallery with local art. The outside of the museum has a small park with local plants and sculptures.

Kids always have a good time here. We attended the Light Show and the volunteers did a fantastic job putting it together. The museum is a fun experience and a great way to learn about the Indian Wells Valley.

Attention to detail keeps you askibg more questions which they are happy to answer

Nice museum, small but packed with interesting exhibits and some activities for kids (microscope, puzzle, outside maze). Great learning experience for kids and adults.

Clean and great staff. Cute and fun to learn all the history

Awesome local museum and tourist center.

Staff was vulgar, except for the lady behind gift counter, the others were talking explicitly about orgasms and other more explicit things while we there with our child, so we walked outside and tried to enjoy the outside where there were bloody tampon applicators.I recomend pioneer museum or calm in bakersfield.

I consistently have fun here! My grandson loves exploring the childrens area!

I came to the museum to see the silk paintings of Jeanne Miller in the gallery. The show was amazing and the rest of the museum is artfully curated and informative.

Not free. Informative and yet fun. Lots of geology and taxidermy.

For years this place has gotten more and more interesting inside and out.

Its a really well thought out museum of desert life

Super cool and informative about the local geology and ancient people

SOOOOO Cool! Very informative!

Great gift shop

Nice museum ! Small ; I rereading exhibits; great gift shop andtonsof information about the area.

Located at walking distance from city hall, makes a cool morning walk.

Like the place and people that work there are super helpful and knowledgeble

Its very interesting and a very great learning experience for kids and adults alike and theres homemade stuff in there

Nice place and real nice people!

Loved it great service, excellent exhibits for both kids and adults.

Went for a class. I really enjoyed it!

Excellent! Id live there if I could.

Excellent information and displays of local wild life and heritage.

Very helpful...very kind ...love history

The exqnsion shuld incude a better musum with udate informmation and google maps for local attractions in the desert

Gr.art show.gr.hats.cant wait for tour.

Nice place to checkout

Very helpful and knowledgeable personnel

Nice little museum and gift shop

Very interesting.

Interesting place.

Great place

Great exhibits

Worth the stop

Great Gift Shop!

Very interesting

Interesting place to visit, historic too!!

Great kids programs

Excellent

Awesome, the littles had a blast

Amazing!