Melo Villareal
Bucket List: 15 Best Places to Visit in Bakersfield, California, USA
Bakersfield has a rich history with oil, agriculture, and country music. This legacy is evident in the city’s modern attractions, such as the Big Red Barn and Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace. Visitors can learn more about Bakersfield’s deep past by visiting the Kern County Museum and the Bakersfield Museum of Art.
Sequoia National Forest
Bakersfield is blessed to be within distance of the notable Sequoia National Forest. The impressive is known for its dramatic landscape, diverse nature, rugged foothills, and some of the world’s largest trees.
The forest includes designated wilderness areas, such as the 95,000-acre Domeland Wilderness. This national park is a popular destination for hiking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and camping. The park is open year-round and accessible via the Kern River Canyon.
Hart Memorial Park
Hart Memorial Park, Bakersfield’s crown jewel, is one of Kern County’s oldest parks, established in 1929. The park covers 370 acres and includes two lakes and three canals. After County Supervisor John Hart started the project, Hart Memorial Park was renamed in the 1940s.
The park offers a range of recreational activities for locals and visitors, along with amenities to ensure a comfortable visit. The park has disc golf courses, a children’s playground, picnic facilities, and public restrooms.
Location: Hart Park, Bakersfield, CA 93308
California Living Museum
The California Living Museum provides a home to injured animals native to Kern County. The museum, nicknamed CALM, aims to educate the local community through hands-on experience. CALM cares for more than 200 animals, including red foxes, mountain lions, and black-tailed mule deer.
Visitors, including young children, can view natural exhibits such as black bear and birds-of-prey open-air showcases, ride the park train, and visit the Reptile House and its collection of snakes, lizards, frogs, and invertebrates.
Location: 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93306
Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science
Established in the early 1990s, the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science focuses on paleontology, geology, and anthropology. The museum has a collection of marine fossils from Sharktooth Hill and fossils throughout Kern County.
Most of the fossils were originally exhibited at the California Living Museum, but as the collection grew, the fossils had to be moved to a new location. The museum offers guided tours through skeletal remains, a replica of a triceratops skull, exhibits about the Miocene Period, Native American artifacts, and rare rocks and minerals.
Location: 2018 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Bakersfield Museum of Art
The Bakersfield Museum of Art, formerly known as the Cunningham Art Gallery, was founded in memory of Marion Osborn Cunningham. The museum is a fine arts museum with four galleries and aims to inspire and engage audiences with hands-on experiences.
The museum’s permanent collection consists of works by the Kern County community for the past 60 years. Collections are regularly changed to ensure visitors see something new every visit. The BMoA holds creative workshops, classes, and programs to engage and inspire future artists.
Location: 1930 R Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Kern County Museum
Established in 194, the Kern County Museum features the history of Kern County through preserved artifacts displayed in 56 historic renovated buildings. The land occupies 16 acres, and the historic buildings range from homestead cabins and general stores to jail cells.
The museum features a variety of exhibits, including Native American, agriculture, mining, and railroad collections; an extensive collection of textiles and clothing; archaeological collections; tools; vehicles; structures; furnishings; and firearms. The museum holds special events, educational programs, and guided tours for children and adults.
Location: 3801 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
The Park at Riverwalk – Kern River Parkway Trail
The Kern River Parkway is a nature preserve that connects with The Park at Riverwalk and runs along the Kern River. The Park at Riverwalk is the largest municipal park in Kern County, established in 1976 and covering 6,000 acres.
The Kern River Parkway Trail is a bicycle trail, although walking and running are permitted. Other trails within The Park include horseback riding and jogging/walking trails.
In addition to its stimulating activities, The Park at Riverwalk is a popular spot for family gatherings, picnicking, and children running around and playing.
Location: 11298 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA
Central Park at Mill Creek
Central Park at Mill Creek is within walking distance of the Bakersfield Museum of Art. It was formerly an irrigation canal, later converted into a linear park with a paved path lined with benches and manicured landscaping.
A stroll through Central Park offers visitors a scenic view of the Mill Creek Bridge. Local residents often visit the park to enjoy the serene atmosphere in the shade of the trees. Children can enjoy the playground on the park grounds and see the ducks and geese on the creek.
Location: 500 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Lake Ming
Lake Ming is a man-made lake primarily used as a sailboat, motorboat, and water-skiing lake. It was formed in 1959 by the Kern River County Park Dam and named after Kern County Supervisor Floyd Ming. Families with children can enjoy the outdoors at Lake Ming, with park amenities.
This includes a children’s playground, picnic facilities, public restrooms, and ample parking. A pedestrian and bicycle trail connects the lake to other parks and a 28-acre campground on the lake’s western side.
Location: 13375 Lake Ming Road, Bakersfield, CA 93306
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area
The Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area is a popular camping destination with views of Lake Evans, Lake Webb, and Buena Vista Lake. Visitors can fish and sail at moderate speeds on Lake Evans, or jet ski and waterski on Lake Webb.
Swimming and fishing are allowed in all three lakes. Within the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area is the Buena Vista Campground, which offers more than 100 campsites with lakefront views. RVs, trailers, and tents may be set up.
Location: 13601 Ironbark Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93311
Panorama Park
Panorama Park is a premier hiking destination in Bakersfield, largely because the city has few other hiking trails. The park offers pedestrian and bicycle trails for local residents and visitors to spend a day outdoors.
The Panorama Park Loop, locally known as “The Bluffs,” is a popular hiking and cycling trail that leads to scenic overlooks offering stunning views of the city. The entire loop is a 2-mile hike that connects the park to the rest of the Panorama Vista Preserve.
Panorama Park is essentially linear, but its popularity stems from low-impact recreational activities such as hiking, cycling, and horseback riding.
Location: 901 E Roberts Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93305
Yokuts Park
Yokuts Park features extensive green space where children can play. It is a local favorite where families can picnic under the trees or at the picnic tables. There is a playground for children of all ages and squirrels for them to chase.
Location: 4200 Empire Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93309
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace is a popular music venue named after Buck Owens, a country music singer, songwriter, and member of the band Buckaroos. The venue is known for hosting multiple performances each week, most of which feature contemporary and country music.
In addition to being a live music venue, Crystal Palace is a museum of Owens’ career memorabilia and of Kern County’s rise in western music. There is a restaurant in the Crystal Palace that serves American cuisine and comfort food.
Location: 2800 Buck Owens Boulevard, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Murray Family Farms – Big Red Barn
The Big Red Barn is the flagship location of the Murray Family Farms. This fully operational farm is family-friendly and offers on-site activities for visitors. Murray Family Farms is a great place to visit and shop for fresh produce. These include apples, blackberries, citrus, melons, pumpkins, strawberries, and tomatoes that the Murray Family Farms has cultivated for over 20 years.
The farm includes a petting zoo where children can get close to animals. Some animals in this petting zoo include ducks, sheep, chickens, geese, pigeons, tame goats, and horses.
Children and adults can also tour the farm in tractor-driven hay wagons across fields of citrus and roses, along rows of ripe peaches, apricots, and apples, and through butterfly gardens and mazes.
Location: 6700 General Beale Road, Bakersfield, CA 93307
Camelot Park
Camelot Park is a family-friendly amusement center and a popular venue for birthday parties. A park is affordable for those seeking thrilling rides and attractions, such as go-karts, bumper boats, and mini golf.
Location: 1251 Oak Street, Bakersfield, CA 93304
How to get there
Bakersfield is accessible via land and air. The nearest airports to Bakersfield are Meadows Field Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Visitors with private aircraft can land at either Meadows Field Airport or Bakersfield Municipal Airport.
Bus services serving Bakersfield include Greyhound Lines, Flixbus, Amtrak, International Bus Lines, Kern Transit, and Tufesa. Amtrak Trains also serve Bakersfield.
Chennai Express and Airport Valet Express have scheduled shuttle services from LAX. Golden Empire Transit provides the local city-wide bus transportation.
Check out our list of cheap Bakersfield hotels and resorts via Agoda and Booking, or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
Also read:
