The Bakersfield Museum of Art celebrating its 70th Anniversary was truly such an honor to attend;…read moreand what an unforgettable evening it turned out to be. From the moment you step inside, the space feels like pure magic: vibrant, lively, and brimming with creativity in every corner. The evening unfolded beautifully with a delicious dinner catered by Bord A Petite, an open bar flowing with ease, and a thoughtfully curated silent auction featuring artwork selected by curator of exhibitions and collections Victor Gonzales alongside executive director and chief curator Gilbert Vicario. And the décor? Absolutely dreamy. Thousands of balloons were transformed into whimsical sea creatures all floating jellyfish and playful octopuses that created an enchanting, underwater fantasy throughout the space. I was so wrapped up in the moment: laughing, exploring, and enjoying the evening with my sister and her friends that I barely took any photos of the artwork itself... which just means you'll have to experience it firsthand.

We are members so we love the bakersfield museum of art!!!…read more We most recently went on a Wednesday after having lunch at centro Cali brewery around the corner. It was lovely to be one of the only few people in the museum. They always have great bakersfield and kern county focused exhibits. This time we saw bakersfield standards exhibit which was such a lovely look at all the things that make the valley and its history and culture unique. It made me proud to be a valley girl.

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.

Very Fun Place to visit if you haven't already try it out. It's great priced and you'll enjoy with…read morefriends and family for sures.

I recently visited the Museum of Illusions and had mixed feelings about the experience. It was fun…read moreoverall, especially if you enjoy taking pictures. There are several photo-friendly illusion setups that make for some cool and creative shots. We bought the bundle deal and also visited the Upside Down House and the Giant House. While those were interesting to see, there still wasn't much to do at either location besides taking pictures. One thing I really appreciated was the front cashier--He was very nice and welcoming, which made the check-in experience pleasant. However, I don't think the visit was quite worth the price. It felt a bit too expensive for what it offers, especially considering the bundle included all three exhibits. The experiences are fun for photos, but they're fairly short and limited in activities. For the amount you pay, it would be nice if there were more interactive things to do or more areas to explore. Overall, it's a good spot if you're really into taking fun illusion photos, but if you're expecting a longer or more activity-filled experience, it may feel a bit overpriced.

California Botanic Garden was absolutely beautiful! I loved exploring the different trails…read morethroughout the garden. There was so much nature and wildlife to enjoy along the way. We got to see bunnies, rabbits, turtles, and so many different types of birds. It was such a peaceful and beautiful experience being surrounded by nature. Whether you're looking for a relaxing nature walk, want to explore the trails, or enjoy a nice hike, this is a great place to visit. I definitely recommend coming here if you love nature and wildlife!

Claremont, CA This…read morebotanic garden has grown on me. There are so many varieties of California native plants and they do have a nursery that is usually open a few days a week but is closed for Summer and reopening in October, 2026. What I love about this property is the sprawling amount of walkway to take a nice walk. You'll find enough shade along the way but many parts are not shaded. The pathways are decomposed granite, concrete and or asphalt so it's like hiking in nature but without the dirt road or elevation gain. I also really love that it's not crowded here. It's also smack dab in the middle of nature so you will occasionally see wild animal poop on a path, cracks that have not been repaired, but none of that really bothers me. There are plenty of benches along the path and a restroom on one side of the property so plan accordingly. They used to have a nice gift shop here and novelties like hats, t shirts, children's toys, books are now displayed in a small outdoor kiosk near to where you check in. California Botanic Garden is a member of the American Horticultural Network of Gardens (AHS). So if you have an annual membership at one of the participating Gardens associated with AHS Gardens you automatically have access to visit all of the gardens in network, unlimited visits for no additional charge. It is nice being a member at one garden and having access to visit hundreds of gardens. Currently, 380 gardens participate in this Network throughout parts of United States and Territories of U.S.A., Canada, and Cayman Islands. https://ahsgardening.org/ahs-garden-network/ I copy and pasted the exerpt below from AI but it has been a treat to see the blooms and how they change color, specifically Native California Buckwheat which can be seen along many hills and roadsides in California. To observe how the plant changes and matures in different seasons is quite fascinating: "Native California Buckwheat flowers start out white (or pale pink/creamy) and transition through shades of orange, cinnamon, rust, and deep red-brown as they age and dry out into summer and fall. Flower Color Changes Fresh Blooms (Spring): Tiny clusters open up as bright, clean white or pale pink. Aging and Drying (Summer): As the weather heats up and soil dries, the petals shift into rusty orange, copper, and tan. Late Season (Fall/Winter): The spent flower heads mature into deep rust-red and chocolate brown tones across the hillsides." I truly enjoy seeing the change of colors on each visit, they are so bright and vibrant! Look for it, and you will find a lot of beauty in the varied California native plant foliage and blooms on this property. Visiting seasonally gives the best picture. For example, The 1000's of large Matilija poppies which resemble a crinkly giant sunny side up egg just finished peak bloom a few months ago. They will be back!

Came in for their recent block party with the wife and had a blast! They were celebrating the…read moreopening of their new expanded campus, and it is a seriously cool (and huge) brutalist building that is so filled with art and carefully designed that you feel like you could shuffle around corner after corner seeing new things for eternity - and I mean that in a good way. I found myself so taken with the new building that I ran out of time to see the original building's new exhibit...I guess I'll have to come back ;) With this new addition, I think this place might just have become my single favorite art museum in LA. This museum is impressive, fascinating, and super well curated. I also love how they put on a great event here to show off the new digs and let us LA people in to see it for free! By the way, we loved that strawberry paleta too! A great (and tasty) relief for that hot day. Much appreciated, and can't wait to come see what they do for their next exhibit!

In the (many) years since the last time I was in LA, my list of things to see and do down here has…read moreonly gotten longer and longer. Yet, during that time, checking out LACMA has always managed to stay right near the top, just after eating in KTown. What can I say? I guess I'm just a connoisseur of food and culture...heavy emphasis on the former, far less on the latter. After all, as much as I appreciate museums and art, a big reason for wanting to come here was to also get our prerequisite IG photos of the Urban Lights display like everyone else! Since my gf's friend bought our tickets online for us, I can't really speak to the price or the process. However, what I can say is that buying tickets in advance is highly recommended so that you can lock in your preferred entry time slot, rather than taking a chance on whatever walk up slots are left when you get here. Similarly, their parking lot can fill up quickly, especially on weekends, but there are alternatives nearby. The surrounding streets offer spaces, but most of them seem to have time limits/meters. Otherwise, there are several other parking lots nearby, including a large one a half block away at the Petersen Automotive Museum that we parked at. Now, in all, LACMA is made up of four separate buildings/pavilions filled with exhibits and pieces from a variety of movements, periods, and artists from around the world, whether it be American, European, Latin, Egyptian, Asian, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Abstract, Surrealist, Pop Art, Picasso, Monet, Diego Rivera, Andy Warhol, and so much more. The artwork here also extends beyond just the physical, as there was even a live trio performing with a violin player, a singer, and a bicycle riding performer. I don't know if it's just me, but that felt pretty rare to see. Given how art is largely subjective, everyone will feel differently about LACMA's specific exhibits and pieces, but I think it's objectively safe to say that their overall collection of artwork is rather impressive. With so many different distinct styles curated together, there's so much to see and potentially something that speaks to everyone. What's more, the physical museum itself is great - a little congested in certain areas as guests milled about, but I definitely like how modern it felt and how it stretches over Wilshire (kind of cool to stand there and watch all of the cars passing below). Despite how big and spacious this place is, though, there were times inside the main building/gallery where it felt really hot and stuffy, so a bit more A/C would've been nice. Even though we spent a good chunk of the day wandering through so many of their halls and exhibits, I'd be lying if I said we got to see (and appreciate) everything that LACMA has to offer. My favorites were the pieces by Monet and Picasso, as well as the Pop Art wing with Warhol's pieces. However, I'm still kicking myself for neglecting the outside area and the very thing we came here for - the Urban Light display! Pretty horrendous on my part (I just wanted to see in the car with the A/C on blast), but at least it's accessible 24/7 to the public without needing to buy a ticket, so we can always correct that mistake the next time we're in LA. Which, hopefully, won't take nearly as long again.

I've been to this library since I was in elementary school. It was one of my favorite places and my…read moreall time favorite library. It was a lot different then. Very kid friends with awe sensory activities and book reading groups. I recently started school. I enjoy a different scene from my warm bedroom especially now in the summer. Studying at this library is not as pleasant as it used to be. It smells really bad in specific areas due to many homeless people. They take up all the study tables and quiet corners. Most of them sit for hours on their phone. Some Sleep for hours. It's not as quiet as other libraries but it's quiet enough to study my online classes. I'm a bit disappointed with how the remodeled. It feels more modern than homie which is no issue just not my vibe. I don't remember the library staff allowing homeless people in when I was a kid unless they looked somewhat well kept and with better hygiene. Anyways if it weren't for the homeless people and smell this library would still be my top favorite. I prefer the signal hill library now but still Billie Jean is a close way from where I live Oh and signal hill library is open on Mondays! Which is great because I study everyday of the week. I don't mean to be mean towards homelessness people. I agree there should be more done but one reality is that not all of them care to work and most are doing drugs. I can see that being of conflict in assisting them with stability. Nevertheless, I will always remember the good memories I had at this library. I practically grew up here.

I call it the Disneyland of botanical gardens. ;) I am a member of the Huntington, and have been…read morecoming for years. It is my absolute favorite Zen spot in the world. I no longer live in the state, but visit every few weeks and make sure to visit the gardens every time. I've painted these gardens over the years and will continue to do so. My favorite gardens are the Rose garden, the Japanese garden and the Chinese garden. This is the perfect date spot as well as a perfect place to walk in the morning amongst nature before the day gets too hot. The children's garden will entertain the littles and they even have a water feature on the hot days. The art pieces throughout the museums are not only beautiful but historical and should not be missed. There is a great coffee shop to grab a cup for your walk and a great gift shop at the exit. There are a couple of quick food options as well. Parking is plentiful- but make reservations! Verdict: perfection- everyone must visit this lovely land at least once in their lifetime.

This was hands down one of the best out of nowhere experiences I had in a long time and it…read morecompletely blew my mind. Not just was it one of the coolest free things to do with a lot of content to be seen. I so glad I stopped in.

Terrific museum. There are two small buildings, one that offers rotating exhibits and the other, a…read morepermanent collection. I liked how the art was hung, as it was eye level and good lighting. The volunteer staff were very friendly and helpful! One suggestion for the room with the rocks, please have placards made that inform us what the rock is, and where it was found. Looking forward to returning and see more art.

If you are in Bakersfield and looking for something to do, I highly recommend stopping by to learn…read moreabout the city's history. Caution: It gets really hot in Bakersfield, so it might be a tad hot. Make sure to hydrate, wear comfortable clothes, and shoes because you will be walking around looking at the exhibits. There are a few indoor exhibits, but the majority are outside. Tours are self-guided, which is a plus because you can freely explore the grounds and village in the back. There are a few indoor exhibits that feature the vehicles used in the past for multiple purposes, and also a barn that includes memorabilia from old bars that our ancestors enjoyed in Kern County. Definitely a cool concept filled with lots of artifacts from the past. What a great day to enjoy a fun blast from the past!

A MUST-SEE! If you're in Bakersfield, you love architecture, and appreciate the growth of a city,…read moreyou need to see the Kern County Museum. The best introduction to a region is learning of its history. I stopped by as I told my Mom this is a highly-rated experience and gem of the community! Turns out, it is. Kern County Museum is an immersive outdoor experience set up as a community or town where you go from houses to buildings to barns, exploring what life was like when people lived in the olden days. We spotted a hotel, doctor's office, schools, courthouse, and so many more buildings. All the structures are well-maintained and have descriptions in front of them. You're even allowed to go in some of the buildings! My favorite was a the spooky Mason Lodge! We spent a while enjoying the stories and significance of these locations which led to the development of a well-known Central California city! Kern County Museum even has a research center, mini art gallery, and children's discovery center. The facilities are clean and well-kept. There's an indoor section to the museum with background on Native American and war-time culture in Kern. My Mom and I came during a week day, we saw several parents bring their children to explore the museum. There's plenty of parking and room to move around. As an educator, i highly recommend checking this out! It's also perfect for field trips!