Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science

Bakersfield, United States

4.2

13 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 661-324-6350
Website:
www.sharktoothhill.org
Address:
2018 Chester Ave, Bakersfield, CA, 93301
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.7 miBakersfield
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Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Bakersfield) 08:16 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We are in a 20, 000 sq ft building with 16, 000 sq. ft of exhibits. Within the exhibits areas are many treasures from Kern County and the World. Local Fossils from Miocene Epoch (14 million years ago), including many rare, one of a kind and impressive fossilized specimens found on Shark Tooth Hill just Northeast of Bakersfield. Additionally, there are African, Asian and North American animals mounts, gems, minerals, significant collection of Petrified Woods, a Native American interpretive life size family dwelling area representing the local valley tribe the Yokuts and over 2000 sq ft of mind stimulating hands-​on science activities within the Oh Zone. The Oh Zone is an interactive Science exhibit area designed with children in mind, but has something for all ages to enjoy. BVMNH is the only museum in Central Californian that has Anatomy, Astronomy Anthrop

History

Established in 1995.

We are celebrating it 14th year of operation. The museum began at CALM with 800 sq. ft. and a small display of local fossils. Today we are in a 20, 000 sq ft building with 16, 000 sq. ft of exhibits.

Meet the Manager

Koral H.

Manager

Our Executive Director Koral is the lifeblood of our museum. Come by and and say HI!

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13 reviews of Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Bakersfield, CA
This place is really neat! I’m not really interested in archaeology, but there is some really cool stuff to see in here. There are a few exhibits that are really hilarious, like a Jurassic Park one where someone loaned out some of their toys and a Jurassic Park VHS tape.
The staff is great too! They are super nice, and really enthusiastic about the museum. They give you a laminated info page with QR codes you can use to call up a recording that gives you information on certain exhibits too.
All in all it’s a fun way to spend an hour or two, and it’s definitely something that would be awesome for kids.
Place rating: 5
Bakersfield, CA
I am really impressed! I just left and I was completely surprised by how much was there. It is an older building and doesnt have much curb appeal and when you walk in you dont realize it has several exhibits on the first floor, second, AND basement! The staff is super friendly too! We will be coming back with our niece and nephew.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Family friendly museum that focuses on animals and indigenous people local to the area, dating back 15M years! Full articulated fossils from the Miocene era, when Bakersfield was under the sea! Museum staff are very personable and welcoming. They also run Paleo Digs to Sharktooth Hill and in my opinion, provide the best dig experience! Knowledgeable docents, ever ready to help in technique and identification, homemade cookies, and after dig dinner gathering, can’t wait till we come dig again! I hope others will discover this hidden gem.
Place rating: 5
San Bruno, CA
This is a really cool museum. It may not look like much, but when walking around looking at the big cats and all the shark teeth and artifacts, I really soaked it all in.
The thing I really like about this museum is I get a real sense of family atmosphere. Cora and many of the docents are never too busy to answer questions.
The museum also hosts a fossil dig once a month where you are able to dig up 15.5 million year old fossils and shark teeth at shark tooth hill. There are a couple of docents out on the site where they can help you identify what it is you find. You are able to keel all you find unless it is a full skeleton or something along those routs. Did I mention the home made chocolate chip cookies that made by Cora and brought to the site.
I have dug with the museum 4 times, and each time I dig, I always find something new and exciting.
No this is not the smithsonian, but it is a great place to stop by and meet some cool people, and learn some cool stuff about what Bakersfield used to be like way back in the day.
Place rating: 5
Mariposa, CA
We loved this museum! It’s perfect for a younger child! And perfect for grandparents to join or take the kids. It’s just the right size for a group that wants to see a lot but not be overwhelmed. We took my four year old son and my grandparents. My son was so excited about everything! They have dinosaur exhibits, sharks, animals, Indians, rocks all right at your fingertips, literally! My grandparents enjoyed it because it was fun, informative and because of it’s smaller size they could keep up with my little one! There were lots of comfortable chairs for them to sit in when my son wanted to spend a lot of time at a particular exhibit.
The person that greeted us upon our arrival just made us excited to be there! She was so energetic, fun and friendly! She was knowledgeable and just made you want to go in there and have a great time. And we did have a great time! My son is already asking when we can go back!
Place rating: 5
Bakersfield, CA
Great museum considering it’s small size. It has three floors with very great exhibits. I definitely recommend it if you’re into rocks and minerals. They even have a little gift shop with neat things.
Place rating: 4
Bakersfield, CA
So after a few visits here I have found that the street view does not do this place justice from what they offer inside. This museum has lots of great stuff for the kids to check out and learn about. The staff first off is very inviting and welcoming as soon as you walk in. The museum is currently trying to afford being able to purchase and update their building.
Of the 4 floors they have there is bound to be something that will intrigue each member of your family. My son loves the info about the sharks and upstairs the stuff about dinosaurs. My daughter loves the geology area. They both love the Oh! Zone in the basement. This is the area where kids are allowed to touch and play with everything! They have a big sandbox to dig for dinosaur bones, large foam blocks to build the biggest towers, microscopes to check out the small things, and light boards to look at bones from X-​ray film.
I really hope more people visit and increase the activity here. They are only open Thursday-​Saturday and occasionally Sundays but call ahead of you want to visit.
A side note: if you have a membership to either CALM or the Kern County Museum your membership gets you into this museum for free as a reciprocal zoo/​museum!
Place rating: 1
Bakersfield, CA
Today is June 10, 2015 my summer school age children went here for a field trip. I was told when I arrived to have all my student stay outside and I can come in to pay so I don’t forget. I have been here before and they have not had this policy before. After a bit we started our tour the man doing our tour yelled at our students and generally rude. He was easily agitated by children and our kids are pretty well behaved 1st-​5th graders and their was on 13 kids all together. The kids did like playing 0n the bottom floor but for the rest of the tour I wouldn’t recommend. Years ago we had a totally different experience.
Place rating: 3
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Three floors, stuffed animals, shark jaws, and dinosaur bones! Not amazing, but it’s a fun little stop for a road trip!
Place rating: 2
Henderson, NV
It is hard to rate this museum. I understand that this museum probably operates on a limited budget so can’t afford fancy displays. I think they are trying but it just isn’t that great. Sharks, minerals, dinosaurs, taxidermy and a little Native American thrown together. No overly exciting displays. Norhing really caught my attention. Just a kind of blah little museum.
Place rating: 5
Bakersfield, CA
My son has been to summer camp at BV Museum for two years now & has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Very friendly staff and teachers, helpful and brotherly teenage helpers and lots of fun hands-​on activities! Frequently, when my son and I are talking science or geology, he’ll have something interesting and factual to share, then tell me, «We learned that in science camp.» Check them out! and be sure to check out their new paint job :)
Place rating: 5
Merced, CA
While the building is very lacking (especially the top floor and the poor A/​C), the museum has AMAZING exhibits and they really need to find a building that lets them display it all correctly.
The Native American recreation was top notch; the geological (aka rocks and gems) exhibit was excellent; the wildlife area (aka the stuffed animals) was awesome.
This is NOT just for kids!
Place rating: 4
Bakersfield, CA
You’ve GOT to visit Allodesmus! Buena Vista Natural History Museum at present resides on Chester Avenue in Downtown Bakersfield. The highlight of the collection are the many Miocene epoch fossils collected from near-​by Sharktooth Hill, the world-​famous Mecca of the Miocene for paleontologists.
Allodesmus is the Ur-​sea-​lion, the 10,000,000 year-​old ancestor of today’s pinnipeds! So, if you love Sea World… Allodesmus presents himself to us here at BVNM as a nearly-​complete skeleton. A five-​star fossil if there ever was one! BVNM is a young and struggling institution. So pay them a visit! If you are traveling through, there’s Jerry’s Pizza on the other side of Chester, a short three-​blocks or so to the south, as well as several other convenient offerings. And if you need to get inked, there’s a tattoo studio a little bit to the north! Who says Bakersfield is boring? ;)
The Miocene collection highlights the fact that long, long before the time of Paris Hilton there was an ocean where much of western Kern County now stands. Thus it gives you an interesting side-​perspective for any trek to Yosemite or Sequoia National Parks. Yosemite Valley is a «recent development.»