Remember as a kid losing a baseball in a tree? Well, there are no shortages of baseballs or trees through this December at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield. Tis Clock Tower Holidays through December 29, and this festive season you will find the museum’s Main Gallery occupied by tall evergreens filled with curious ornaments — everything from baseballs to shopping receipts. This year’s theme is “My Favorite Things,” and depending on the tree decorator, “favorite things” ran the imaginatively eclectic and wonderful gamut. Visitors got their first look during the opening reception on Nov. 19 — a night of gazing at wondrous tree works of art and equally splendid holiday wreaths created by local artists. There was plenty of delicious food, beverages, a silent auction for the wreaths, and a contest to decide which artists had created the most award-worthy displays. This year’s “Over The Top” winner was “Nightmare Before Christmas” — a tree designed by Denise Kobdish that featured ghouls and goblins that conveyed a surprisingly festive mood. More

Drop in on summer camp at the Kern County Museum, and you might spot what looks like a giant lizard trying to escape the watery confines of an undersized aquarium. While the lizard will continue to grow, there is no chance he will escape. In fact, when the museum staff eventually drains the water from the aquarium, the giant lizard will shrink to its normal, less than a foot, garden-variety size. Yet, there was a lesson to be learned for these campers, ages 5-11, about the value of perceiving the world around them. It turns out the lizard was made of polymers and when introduced to water it expanded through absorption over time. As such, it was a good demonstration to kick off the summer camp’s theme for the week, “The Original www: The Circle of Life.” Camp teacher Doreen Adam explained that the week of June 29-July 2 was an examination and celebration of how human senses play a role in our perception of the world. More

Camp was never like this. Imagine being thrilled about washing clothes by hand, concocting your own medicine and endlessly cranking a handle to get butter. Not only did dozens of students from Valley Oaks Charter and Bakersfield High School perform those tasks — they asked to do it. It was all in the name of education at the annual Living History Camp/Frontier Life in Kern County Day — held at the Kern County Museum from March 30 — April 2. During the first three days of the week, students from Valley Oaks were immersed in learning how to live frontier style with help from their teachers, museum staff and docents. They had to perform the unglamorous tasks, such as washing clothes by hand, and also learn why pioneers did it that way — same story for concocting home remedies, branding, coring apples, churning butter, wool carding, embroidering, oil papering windows, rope making, cooking, candle making and more. But on April 2, the fourth day, students became teachers, when approximately 1,000 county students came to the museum for Living History Day: Frontier Life in Kern County.

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Historic Lopez House is once again on solid ground. At approximately 7 a.m. on Jan. 5 several strong men with even stronger equipment set about the task of lowering the 100 year-old house onto its concrete and wooden skirt foundation at the Kern County Museum. Using house jacks, rails, shovels and lots of elbow grease, crews from Cen-Cal Construction finished placing the former residence of long-time Tejon Ranch manager J.J. Lopez onto its permanent foundation approximately five-and-a-half hours later. The Lopez family, from the Castile region of Spain, has been a part of California history since the 1700s. In 1795, Lopez’ grandfather, Stephano, hauled hides, olive oil and tallow from missions and haciendas in southern California to the ships and brought back manufactured goods to the Los Angeles area. J.J. Lopez came to Kern County in 1874 and at age 21 was hired to manage the Tejon Ranch sheep operations by General Edward F. Beale. He eventually managed the ranch and was a consultant until his death in 1939. Lopez had the house built on California and Chester avenues in 1909. The home was purchased by Otis Coppock and moved to the corner of Rosedale Highway and Calloway Drive in 1953. Arlin and Lavern Hill purchased the home for $8,000 in 1966. After Lavern Hill died in 2005, the house was left to her children Glenda Rankin, Dianne Sharman, Arlin Wayne and Harvey Hill. In 2007, following their mother’s wish, they donated it to the museum. The house arrived at the museum on April 20, 2008. More

It cannot be said for sure whether visions of sugar plums were actually dancing in their heads, but visitors attending the Opening Reception of Clock Tower Holidays at the Kern County Museum on Nov. 20 had the theme, "Visions of Sugar Plums," on their minds. More than sugar plums, this was a "sweet tooth’s" delight. There were sweets hanging, intertwined and balanced on holiday trees, the sweetest wreaths you would ever want to see and tables lined with edible cakes, cookies, gingerbread trifles and on and on and on. This, the sixth year the museum has presented its annual celebration of the holidays, is possibly its sweetest. Each year local artists and designers are given the challenge of uniquely decorating holiday trees and wreaths to match the museum’s theme for the season. Last year it was "Movie Magic" featuring cinematic scenes, props and so forth giving the museum’s Main Gallery a Hollywood feel. This year they have woven favorite treats, sweets, festivals, parties and even history into their creations to capture the essence of the theme Visions of Sugar Plums. While the creations await the loving approval of future visitors, the melding of visions and taste buds could only be realized at the reception. Attendees spent $25 each to get an eyeful and a mouthful of sweets. The reception featured long tables of gourmet desserts and entrées prepared by some of the county’s finest restaurants, bakeries and confectioneries. Just before the doors opened to visitors at 5 p.m., Christina Burubeltz from the Country Rose Tea Room was adding a dusting of sugar snow to the gingerbread trifles. More

Neither rain or threat of rain could keep a small army of young children from their appointed rounds at the Kern County Museum on both Oct. 30 and 31. Those were the nights for the museum’s 25th annual Safe Halloween. Spending $8 a ticket gave each child (with a parent or guardian) the chance to trick-or-treat off the streets and in the safety of the museum grounds. A project of the nonprofit Kern County Museum Foundation, Safe Halloween bills itself as Kern County’s premier trick-or-treat experience. Surrounded by all the rustic, pioneer structures that have served families settling Kern County in the past, the antique setting makes it sort of like “Trick-or-Treat Meets Back to the Future." Among the fun for children were over 30 local service club and business operated trick-or-treat stations, a carnival, costume contest, food and beverages. Approximately 4,400 children and parents took part each night as their brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles have over the past 24 years. Sponsors included Kern Family Health Care, Diane S. Lake Family, KERO TV23 and Azteca America Kern County 42 and Groove 99.3 FM. More

Nowadays, you do not see many fourth-graders jumping in to help Dad build a split rail fence around the homestead, mold adobe bricks or lift heavy logs into place to construct the family home. Those were tasks left to the early pioneers who settled in Kern County, but on Oct. 16 a new generation of fourth-graders was learning how it was done during the third annual California History Day at the Kern County Museum. More than 600 students, parents and faculty from schools all over the county dug theirs hands into the mud, lifted rails into place, even sampled sauerkraut getting a feel of what life must have been like for those early residents of Kern. "We discovered how expensive it was for local schools to make field trips to California’s missions to experience the state’s early history," said Jackie Brouillette, the museum’s education manager. "We knew the museum had the resources, so we thought why not have more affordable California History Days right here in Kern County to let even more local students experience what those pioneer days must have been like." While not intended to provide a complete history, California History Day does support the state history curriculum standards and provides concrete learning experiences students will remember for years to come. More

Many of today’s pre-teen students never grew up hanging clothes with wooden pins, churning butter or panning for gold. The Kern County Museum takes them back in time, eight times a year with one day interactive "California History Day" and "Living History Day" events, to see how and why it was done. The latest such activity, Feb. 28th’s Living History Day, attracted approximately 800 grades 3-6 students, parents and teachers from Kern County and even as far away as Visalia. "We are in our fourth year of providing this hands-on history experience you cannot get in the classroom," said Jackie Brouillette, the museum’s education and volunteer services manager. "Students get to do things they will remember, such as churning butter and panning for gold. We want to inspire and have them remember what they learned here, so it helps when discussions of early American life come up in the classroom weeks down the road." Docents in historic garb of the day are everywhere. It is a collaborative effort with Valley Oaks Charter School teachers and students and volunteer students from Bakersfield High’s CEO Academy working side-by-side with museum staff and volunteers to lead tours, provide information and demonstrate frontier life. More

As it has for many years, the Kern County Museum invited visitors to step back in time on Dec. 1 to celebrate the holidays the way it was done during 19th Century. One hundred old-fashioned lanterns lit the way for visitors who attended the 3-8 p.m. event, known as Holiday Lamplight Tours. “More than 3,000 people attended, and I was really happy to see members of families who have been attending for years now bringing their own families,” said Assistant Director Jeff Nickell. “Our goal for over 20 years has been to help local residents enjoy the holiday season in a fun, exciting way, while teaching them about Kern County history and the Old West.” New this year and actually pointing the way to the museum’s extensive historic vehicle collection was a refurbished neon light “Entrance” sign that was a familiar welcoming for visitors to the landmark Bakersfield Inn when Union Avenue was the north-south highway for motorists traveling through the central valley. More

November 15 was not the Academy Awards, but it was a pretty creative, red carpet affair that drew about 200 visitors to the Kern County Museum to see a history of movies told in trees. That is right — trees. The event, an opening night reception for “Movie Magic,” featured holiday trees decorated by local artists to reflect famous motion pictures in history. It is the signature exhibit for the museum’s Clock Tower Holidays, which runs through Dec. 30 and will also include “Lamplight Tours” on Dec. 1 and “Cookies at the Clock Tower” on Dec. 16. Opening night guests paid $25 each to get the first peak and tour of the exhibit, while savoring catered hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages. The displays were awe- inspiring. Designers have turned holiday trees into cinematic displays of such movies as Harry Potter, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean, Babe, Toy Story, The Grinch That Stole Christmas, Star Trek and more. Keeping with the movie motif, wreaths were decorated to highlight such movies as Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, A Christmas Story, Star Wars and A Tribute to the Academy Awards. More

What do you get when you gather several children together at the Kern County Museum and have them paste two pictures opposite each other on drinking straws, and then have them rub the straws furiously, back-and-forth in their hands? You have the children putting a "spin" on the museum's summer day camp, of course. The children who did the spinning during a one week summer day camp said the experience was "fun," and they learned something, too. "Because the brain processes faster than the eyes can keep up, the two pictures spinning together appear as though they are one image," said summer day camp teacher Stephanie Davis. The day camps which began on June 11 and conclude on Aug. 17 offer age-appropriate sessions featuring entertaining and educational adventures with science, history and geography. During the week of July 9-13, younger children were experiencing Kitchen Science, while the older campers were learning the ABCs of Science -- Astronomy, Biology and Chemistry. All of the sessions feature interactive activities which are so engaging they make the campers want to know, "why?" More

It was mid-morning on July 10 in Bakersfield. Cars and SUVs were wedged everywhere there was a place to park. In some cases vehicles were double- parked next to an old, modest-appearing house on the corner of Rosedale Highway and Calloway Drive. Dozens of people were milling around outside, checking out a photo display that was set up in one section of the front yard before going inside to see rooms of antiques dating back to the early 1900s. Then, Huell Howser and his camera crew arrived, officially putting a stamp of importance on this day. Howser, who writes, produces and stars in his own nationally-syndicated, public television, documentary series, "California's Gold," came to Bakersfield to include the J.J. Lopez House in a future episode. Why would the Lopez House interest Howser? More

"I have a compressor rated at 200. How do I tie it into which sections? You have to have a lot of math and science training to figure out those kinds of engineering questions." South High School juniors Terri Guinto and Noor Saba nodded their heads in mild amazement as they listened to Occidental of Elk Hills, Inc. Engineer Kimberly Thomas. Thomas was one of dozens of professional experts who assisted 335 Kern County high school students seeking career information on Feb. 23, Engineering Day at the Kern County Museum. "You may have a great system already in place," Thomas continued, "But you are constantly making it better by doing research. That's why I love being an engineer."

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Strange, wonderful things started happening at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16. Visitors who entered the museum's main gallery for the Once Upon A Time exhibit reception, came face-to-face with a tall, upside down pine tree, so beautifully decorated that it seemed natural as a center piece for a buffet amply supplied with delicious hors d'oeuvres. Patrons, who paid $25, were treated to a sneak preview of the designer-decorated holiday trees and wreaths that are on display through Dec. 30. As visitors toured the long hall filled with trees reaching to its high ceiling, they could be seen craning their necks, stepping back to admire, smiling and sometimes shaking their heads in wonder. That is because every tree had a story to tell. The exhibit theme, Once Upon A Time, inspired local artists and designers to creatively decorate each tree based on a popular children's storybook. More

Day campers at the Kern County Museum went through a week of musical madness from July 17-21. It is not a permanent condition, just a temporary state of joy induced through careful planning and expert execution. Music Madness was the theme of the half day camps, at which a couple of dozen campers, ages 5-12, dealt with everything from making their own maracas to finding the whereabouts of a mythical character named "Maraca Joe." Music Madness was the fifth of six, summer, half day camps offered by the museum. The sixth, Science Magic, takes place the week of July 31-Aug. 4 All of the camps have been sellouts. In addition, the museum and the California Living Museum (CALM) are combining forces for two weeks of full day camps on July 24-28 and Aug. 7-11. On those dates, campers will be at the museum all day, spending half the day having fun and learning with museum staff and the other half doing the same with CALM's crew. More

Sometimes the lure of seeing how people live in another state or country draws the curious to visit areas far flung from Kern County. There is another school of thought that because we live in the county maybe we are too close to realize how much we haven't seen here. Subscribers to that theory and those that just admire art and photography will appreciate "Images of Kern: Invitational Exhibit 2006" which is on display through March 12 at the Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield. The exhibit, which celebrates the works of local artists, went on display Jan. 19. Museum Director Carola Enriquez came up with the concept as "a wonderful opportunity to showcase Kern County through art." More

Visitors had a sneak preview of what the Kern County Museum had planned for this year's Clock Tower Holidays during a special Gala Reception on Nov. 17 inside the museum's main gallery. Tickets were $25. Included in the festive evening was the annual lighting of the Beale Memorial Clock Tower, a preview tour of the designer decorated holiday trees and wreaths, music and delicious foods and beverages from different lands. Called "Joy to the World," the exhibit went on display the next day to the general public and runs through Dec. 30. Visitor hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and 12-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission prices are $8 adults, $7 seniors ( ages 60+) and students (ages 13-17), $6 students (ages 6-12), $5 children (ages 3-5). Children younger than 3 are admitted free. Parking is also free. More

Ever stop to think about the apple you are eating? How about what happens to what dinosaurs leave behind? Attendees of the Kern County Museum's, Aug. 8-12, "Cool Science" day camps know the answers. And the 5-12 year-olds learned much more, too. Let us start with the apple. In volunteer docent Dale Hopwood's "Kitchen Science" class, each of the 5-8 year-olds was given a ripe, delicious red apple. Their task? While eating the apple, they had to write. Eating an apple, it seems, is a science. Across the hall, children in the 9-12 age group were learning about the science of geology. Ismael Sanchez from the Kern County Mineral Society's Mineral Mites Club brought dozens of samples of rocks, minerals and fossils from his collection to share. More

Probably most people would consider recycling necessary but probably not fun. More than 500 children discovered that recycling can be fun when they attended a June 21 event at the Kern County Museum arranged just for them called “Summer Fun Day: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” For starters, they got in a for a reduced admission price of just $3 that included lunch, bounce houses, slides, games, crafts, music and art. And, oh yes, they learned about recycling, too. "It all came about as a result of a grant we got from Target Stores that permitted us to charge lower admission prices provided we supplied an educational program for the under served children in our community," said Education and Volunteer Services Manager Jackie Brouillette. More

Visitors to the Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield, have the rare opportunity to see some of the most famous wildlife paintings by the artist known as "Audubon of the West," Andrew Jackson Grayson. The exhibit, which opened April 29, explores western bird life through Grayson's art. It is on loan from the California Exhibition Resource Alliance and will be displayed in the museum's main gallery through June 20. At the time of his death in 1869, Grayson was the most accomplished artist of ornithology in North America. More

If you never imagined there was a way baskets could be woven together with photos, you might be surprised by what is on exhibit through April 17 at the Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield. It is called "Images from Native Life," and the museum has found a thread that connects both together in a creative and educational way. "Images from Native Life" delicately and aesthetically intertwines actual Native American Indian baskets with photos of Chukchansi Yokuts Indians who practiced the craft of basket weaving in the pioneer days of Kern County. More

Tom Moore is glad he bought a $15 rocking chair a few years ago because today it is worth $3,000-$5,000. Clara and Larry Gilbert are sorry they cleaned two brass, Persian urns, costing them a chance to earn $3,600. Those were two of the real life stories of fame and fortune uncovered on Jan. 6 at Bakersfield's Kern County Museum, when hundreds showed up to have their collectibles valued by Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers & Appraisers. The world famous company has been shaping fortunes and breaking hearts since 1793. Traveling from Los Angeles, Bonhams & Butterfields' expert appraisers set up shop in the museum's main gallery where they greeted and gabbed with a pilgrimage bearing prized possessions perceived to be precious. More

Never ask the Kern County Museum, "When is a good time to celebrate the holidays?" "Time" is the reason for celebration and the holidays provide the opportunity for the museum's current exhibit, "Nick of Time: Times and Timepieces" on display through Dec. 30. Walking through the museum's main building in Bakersfield, visitors are immediately awestruck by nine uniquely-elaborate holiday trees rising high into the recesses of the hall's 20 foot ceiling. As if creating a natural stencil on the walls surrounding the hall are two dozen holiday wreaths which have been meticulously decorated, as well. One constant stands out. Look closely and you will see they all have a connection with the theme — "time." More

It is for children of all ages, it is back and the Kern County Museum says it is better than ever. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly refurbished Lori Brock Children’s Discovery Center at the museum in Bakersfield took place on Sept. 25. Visitors witnessed the remarkable difference new paint, carpeting and sound-proofing had on the center’s overall interior appearance. Children reacted enthusiastically to updates of the theater stage, the already popular children’s exhibit, “Kids’ City,” and the introduction of the brand new, educationally-interactive “Lewis and Clark: Exploration and Discovery” exhibit. More

Children, ages 5-12, spent June 7-11 on "safari" without ever leaving the Kern County Museum grounds. Museum staff created activities and visual experiences that gave the children a feel of far away lands and times in the first of six week-long, themed, summer day camps called "Summer Safari." “It's a blast but educational, too," said Jackie Brouillette, museum education and volunteer services manager. "History and Space will be part of the program, plus a chance for the children to take tours of different museum exhibits to learn about the past. One day of the week, we take the younger children to meet with their older peers who teach them what they have learned during their week at the museum. It's educational, but our philosophy is children learn best when they don't realize they are being taught. It is their vacation. So we make sure it is fun for them." More

If one had somehow awoken from a deep sleep on May 22 at the Kern County Museum, it would have seemed like they had been transported back to a time when the frontier was untamed and everything seemed to be cooked in a pot over a camp fire. Once a year the museum invites visitors to relive the Old West in what can be described as a day in the life of those who settled the frontier — the cowboys. Known as the Western Heritage Festival, the museum became home to dozens of 21st Century cowboys who still carry on the traditions of their counterparts from the 1800s. More

If you can’t imagine what it was like working hours in hot fields by day and living in a small metal shack at night, there is a chance to at least get a glimpse of what it was like from now through October 31 at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield. A fascinating new exhibit called “Settle in Kern! The Immigrant Experience,” opened April 1 in the museum’s main gallery. More

It is amazing how some great moments in history were captured by photographers who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Many of those memorable events from The New York Times Photo Archives will be on display, January 22-March 21, in an exhibit called Great Moments in Time at the Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield.

"How many photos are we talking about," asked museum Curator Jeff Nickell. "Well, let me just say they arrived in four 200 pound crates."

Among the treasures in those crates are Alexander Gardner's famous 1862 photograph of Abraham Lincoln visiting the Antietam battle site during the Civil War. Prominently displayed will be Jesse Owens' immortal sprint to gold at the 1936 Olympics; candid shots of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan; the Wright Brothers historic 1903 first flight; the 1937 explosion of the Hindenburg; the 1963 Civil Rights March and Cesar Chavez' 1969 UFW demonstration. More

Every parent knows the joy toys can bring to children. Through January 4, the Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield, is offering families a chance to look back at the toys that were entertaining children in decades gone by in the “Joy of Toys” exhibit. The exhibit includes historic and retro toys from the museum and local collectors. Joy of Toys is the official kickoff for the museum’s Clock Tower Holidays and is on display in the main gallery which is festively decorated with trees and wreaths originally created by local designers and artists. More

November 16 was a double celebration day for the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield. It marked the one year anniversary of “Black Gold: The Oil Experience,” the museum’s popular, entertaining and educational interactive oil exhibit. Museum officials also took the opportunity to dedicate three time capsules that will not be opened until the year 2103. More

Valley Oaks Charter School in Bakersfield has figured out a way to take a trip back in history without using a time machine and is more than willing to share the experience with other students three times a year. Collaborating with its neighbor, the Kern County Museum, the two present Living History Day at the museum, where students of today become teachers of yesterday. More

Children had fun. Merchants, government agencies and community organizations were creative and giving. Security was outstanding. And the Kern County Museum Foundation came out a big winner, as a result. It was the annual “Safe Halloween” at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield on October 30 and 31, sponsored by Blue Cross of California and KGET-TV. The foundation calls it “Kern County’s premier trick-or-treat experience,” and it is also its biggest fund raiser of the year.
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It may not be easy to make sense out of a sentence that reads, “Museum set to seal time capsules with a Christmas tree,” unless you were actually there to see it tested. On October 13, Elco Manufacturing Company delivered the Christmas tree to the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield. Only it wasn’t a tall, evergreen covered with pine needles. No, it turns out Christmas tree is a term used to describe a piece of oilfield equipment configured of twisted pipes and valves, standing about seven feet high and weighing close to a ton. More

Week long summer adventures for children have been a sellout at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield since they were announced three months ago. Children ages 5-10 are challenged daily from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in a summer camp atmosphere where themes change weekly and activities are fun and educational. In three weeks, they have learned about and experienced “Frontier Life,” “Oceans of Fun” and “Color My World.” Still to come are “Mad Science” and “Around the World in Five Days.” More

Two days of watching ropin’, ridin’, and ranchin’, brought the crowds out to the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield on April 5 and 6. It was the fourth annual “What A Cowboy Knows” cowboy festival that also featured country and western singers, poets, story tellers, Old West shootouts and shooting competitions. More

Everyday can’t be the Fourth of July for children, but they have found plenty of reasons to celebrate holidays, cultures, crafts and even natural phenomena at the Kern County Museum this summer. Since June 14, the museum, located at 3801 Chester Avenue in Bakersfield, has presented three-day children’s workshops at least bi-monthly for youth ages 3-10. In July there were three. More

Author Gerald Haslam spent his first 26 years growing up in Bakersfield. When he left in 1963, Haslam took with him a mind full of stories that influenced his writing and would leave a historical impression on his native hometown. More

Children may never be able to fly like a condor or live underground like a kit fox but from April 6 through Jan. 6, 2003, Bakersfield’s Kern County Museum will certainly allow them to indulge their imaginations. More

Movies and fictional stories portray Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-rex) as a dinosaur with a big, bad head and an attitude to match. But do historians and paleontologists who have studied the fabled carnivore agree? More

Discovering who painted the boat or took the missing money are not nearly as important to students as the means used to deduce the answers at a new interactive exhibit that opened at Bakersfield’s Buena Vista Museum of Natural History on August 30. More

Ever thought about making a pencil out of yarn? The chances of it standing alone are slim. Add a magnet and you still don’t have something that would be much use in writing a letter. But think of the attention those pencil magnets would create by holding something special in place on a refrigerator door. More

Wandering through “In This Land,” the latest exhibit on display in the Kern County Museum’s main gallery, there is a sense that one is viewing a past that will eventually go away never to be seen again. “In This Land” is a collection of farm photos and audio recollections of farmers that shares space with “Historic Agriculture Implements,” a display of farm equipment and vehicles used from the l880s to the early 1900s. More