This place truly exceeded my expectations. It is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The Mojave has…read morelots of places that fit that description. So when I made the drive to the visitor center I was blown away by the nice, friendly, informative setup. There is a large parking area right next to the 24/7 operating borax strip mine. It has a really nice visitor center with museum style exhibits, photos, historical information, and a theater which shows an educational film. There are friendly, knowledgeable volunteers and a nice little gift shop with lots of free pamphlets too. The top of the visitor center is a large observation deck from which you can view the huge operation. Nice photo ops here. Not a short drive but really glad I came.

This is a very interesting spot especially if you're a Baby Boomer. Remember Borax and the 20 mule…read moreteam from the Death Valley t.v. show? This working Borax mine is located near Boron, CA. We dropped in on the way home after a Vegas getaway. There's a huge overlook of the pit where mining operations are ongoing 365 days a year 24x7. We walked around taking pictures. Then went inside the visitor center where we were greeted by Jim a volunteer. He suggested we watch a 15 minute video which we agreed to. Afterwards Jim continued answering any questions we had. He's a retired employee hired in 1962. He had plenty of knowledge of the mine which started underground but now is a humongous pit. Located in the parking lot is an original 20 Mule team wagon set that was used in Death Valley hauling borax out. Very neat. The visitor center has a gift shop and restrooms are located outside. Before we got out of the car I suggested to hubby we spend no more than 10-15 minutes but we actually spent 80 minutes total time. If time permits on your road-trip, swing by.

The Boron Aerospace Museum holds a rich history of the aerospace industry from WWI through Space…read moreExploration, and more... The displays are amazing, don't miss the F4 Phantom and DRAKEN J35 parked right out front! It is a fun place to visit

Wonderful museum with interesting historic artifacts and exhibits. There is so much to look at that…read morea future trip should be made. Museum is free so make a donation to help support it after signing the log book. Bill is extremely knowledgeable and has so many stories to tell. The lovely photographs of the desert flora and fauna in the back room were taken by him. He is usually there Wednesdays but was filling in for someone on the Monday we were there. I learned so much from this place! I did not know that the mule teams were used only for a short period of six years from 1883 to 1889. Who knew also that the "twenty mule teams" actually consisted of eighteen mules and two horses and each animal served a specific role? I found it fascinating that the three sets of mules closest to the wagons (Pointers) were trained to jump over the chain during turns to keep it tight. This maneuver is called the "Dance of the Mules" and is amazing to see on videos of the modern replica mule team. There is a working animatronic display of the twenty mule team in the back room which someone had built. When turned on, the wagon wheels spin and the mules' head and ears move. An interesting newer exhibit of two movies that were filmed in Boron, " The Carpetbaggers" and "Erin Brockovich," can be found in the middle room of the museum. The front room of the museum has various historic displays of nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century life in the area. A working bell communication system from the mine occupies this space. There is even a permanent wave machine used in beauty parlors of the past with electrodes and wiring for hot curlers. I can almost smell the burning hair! There is also a visitor center at US Boron nearby that should be part of your museum visit. It is closed on Mondays, which is the day we were in the area, so there will be a definite return trip soon to explore that.

Fun displays for all ages and many interests! We went with…read moreour young kids and had a great time. The petroglyph exhibit is really detailed, and there are a lot of natural history exhibits, also. There's a small but lovely desert garden outside, and a lot even saw a rabbit enjoying the shade from the hot afternoon sun!

Packed full of interesting exhibits and extensive info on nearby petroglyphs, this small museum…read morerecently enlarged its gift shop. Other new additions include a garden area as well as a sculpture garden. During the Petroglyph festival this November, an arrowhead maker was on hand. The museum also sponsors docent led hikes on China Lake Naval base to see an extensive collection of ancient petroglyphs spread along Little petroglyph trail, 1.5 miles of non stop native American rock art down a dry creek bed. You need to be in pretty good shape to manage the rocky trail and go through a fairly extensive security check to gain access and early sign up is required, but we all agreed the hike was worth it. The docents at the museum are very helpful and run a movie on the petroglyphs on request.

Awesome place! This place is free to enter and has a lot of time capsule items. Prices are…read morereasonable and I would absolutely recommend checking this place out if you are in the area or passing through!

Great little museum. Right across the street from the Barstow Park. Really nice people in the…read morestore running the museum. I'm impressed as to the collection indoors and outdoors. Very educational. Really great little stop if you have young kids learning about Route 66.

Don't just make a Barstow stop on the way to Vegas to go to the restroom or to get fast food; check…read moreout the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center... 4 stars!!!! Learn all about the satellite ground station located in Fort Irwin, CA that tracks and communicates with interplanetary space missions at this visitor center. Located in the second floor of the historic Harvey House at the Barstow Amtrak Train Station, the visitor center offers interactive exhibits to learn how the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tracks and communicates with interplanetary spacecrafts. Not just kids, but also adults can find this center a worthwhile stop in Barstow. As a bonus, you can also learn about the historic Harvey House as well as visit the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum, all during the same stop.

Wow I didn't think much of this place until I got home to read the brochures and went online…read more Goldstone is one of three complexes around the world known as the Deep Space Network (DSN) that provides the ability to communicate with spacecraft! This is on the top floor of the Amtrak train station in Barstow, Ca. There work is within the two-way robotic spacecraft communication and radio astronomy. The Goldstone Deep Space Network Visitor's Center is OPEN Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm with no cost to visit and no reservations required. They are closed on Federal Holidays. Historic Harvey House (Casa Del Desierto) 681 North First Avenue, Barstow, CA 92311 The main Harvey House entrance faces South toward the Railroad Tracks and this is located on the second floor. This is a road that is not traveled by much traffic.

At first glance, one might see a little shack, but this donation-run museum houses an interesting…read morecollection of pieces from the mining era and beyond, including a modest display on an archaeological search for wreckage of a Northrop YB-49 flying wing in the Mojave Desert. The friendly gentleman overseeing the museum that day was showing people a vial of gold his friend had just found recently in the desert. There's all sorts of things here. Out back are old, mining tools and machinery that really cool to look at up close. They don't look very maintained, so be careful splinters and such.

We tried calling several times and no one ever answers the phone there. We showed up today on a…read moreMonday and the sign said they are open Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. Have they ever heard of an answering machine? From the street, it looks like a tiny museum. I don't remember their hours; but if you try call on the weekends, maybe the ghost in the living ghost town will finally answer.

Myself and my children aren't your normal Museum people. I usually don't care for museums but we…read moreall loved the Victor Valley Museum. The outside is very attractive. The decor on the hour side of the building drew me in. They even have a Joshua Tree in the very front. Pros: Lifelike replicas of animals found in the high desert A variety of things to explore: animals, cameras, geological artifacts, displays that can be touched, and information about prominent people in the community. They have a map table where the map consistently flips to show different things. The woman at the front was extremely friendly, helpful, and patient. There's a playroom (queue the parents with children across multiple age ranges). There's a scavenger hunt to keeps the kiddos interested and interacting. You can get reduced admission if you have an ebt card. Plenty of free parking. They have a well-kept, clean facility. They have a sheet with writing prompts near the end of the displays. Great for homeschooling and/or checking to see what your kiddos learned. Cons: I had to leave. They wouldn't let me stay overnight...just kidding! It may be far for you to drive to if you aren't local. In speaking with the woman at the front, she advised me that some displays change roughly every six months! It's awesome because they have wonderful displays.

Wonderful museum for families. With ebt card or wic card, it's a dollar entry and children under 3…read moreare free. The museum is split up into several topics. There is an animal exhibit, early years in the high desert, cowboys, the military and stones. They also have a small pretend city with a firestation, market and bistro. Theres costumes to play dress up and there's a magnetic wall to play on. Theres puzzles and books as well. The day we went, there was an event going on with vendors, food trucks and performances. It was great to learn about all kinds of things while also having a lot of playful fun.

A local small art museum filled with diverse, amazing, & unique artwork by talented local artists!…read moreWorth a quick 15-30 minute visit if you are in the area. Free admission! Parking is unique and is along the middle of the street as well as the sidewalks. It's great to come here every few times a year and see new and fresh exhibits. We always come back because of that! The place is well-taken care of with friendly staff and a lot of side events go on as well! Make sure to research if they are open and ensure they are not in the middle of constructing/preparing new exhibits. Always feels good to appreciate the local arts!

Art was nice and the museum itself, however the cafes wrap included a nice piece of plastic within…read morein. Disappointed

I had a lovely time at the Desert Discovery Center! It's a small but beautifully maintained museum…read morefocusing on local animal and plant species. They are active in maintaining some of the only remaining members of endangered species of fish, turtles and tortoises. There are great educational exhibits and a wonderful garden outside which includes a pond of endagered fish and turtles. The staff, especially Natia, were super helpful and spent a lot of time explaining the exhibits. AND....there's the second biggest meteorite ever found in the USA! An absolute must. You can also take advantage of the hiking on the nature trail outsude the museum. Educational. And, there is a gift shop. Free parking and admission.

Closed - This place has a lot of potential but still appears to be closed (although there is no…read moresignage indicating it is closed until you look inside the building through the fence, the signs from the road show "open"). The grounds are not maintained & covered in trash and broken glass. The trail & picnic area would be nice otherwise. Disappointing because there's so little to do in Barstow.

A small yet mighty museum! Includes artifacts, information, gift shop and book time experience…read moreinside the Joshua cottage. On our visit the book title was; Wolf & Isha Make the Land, illustrated and animated by Sage Romero. Can be found on the California Department of Water Resources website. Beautifully illustrated! Quite a few objects that used to be on display are in the process of being returned to the Chumash, Tongva, and Luiseno ancestors. I look forward to seeing the new exhibits that include the Native peoples input. My favorite part of the museum was the brightly painted artwork on the ceilings. So vibrant!

Seems like there is not much of it at first but when I walk in your greeted by the friendly…read moresecurity guard, after you pay the $3 entry fee you're free to guide yourself into the museum where there are crafts, tools, art, recipes , plants. Deep knowledge given by a beautiful young lady that's from a local tribe about culture and history. This place feels like it's loved and cared for. I purchased this scarf as a souvenir. It's a treasure and deserves to be celebrated more.