Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, Natural history museum in downtown Bakersfield, United States.
The Buena Vista Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in downtown Bakersfield that displays fossils, mounted animals, minerals, and educational exhibits about Earth sciences. The galleries are arranged so visitors can explore different aspects of the natural world, from ancient marine life to rock formations.
The museum was founded in 1995 around the Bob and Mary Ernst Collection of Miocene fossils from Shark Tooth Hill in Kern County, the largest such collection from that site. It first occupied a small space at the California Living Museum (CALM), then grew beyond Kern County and moved several times before settling downtown.
The collections on display help visitors understand how life looked millions of years ago in this region. Seeing actual fossils and minerals encourages people to think about deep time and the planet's natural history.
The museum is easily accessible in the downtown area with exhibits arranged in manageable galleries that visitors can explore at their own pace. Plan to spend about two to three hours for a complete visit through all the displays.
The museum's core is the Bob and Mary Ernst Collection of Miocene fossils from Shark Tooth Hill in Kern County, the largest such collection from that site. Many exhibits, including the African taxidermy animals and the Yosemite Valley model, are not owned by the museum but held on long-term loan.
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