The Kern County Museum was founded in 1941 and serves more than 94,000 people each year, including 19,000 school children, from its 16-acre site north of downtown Bakersfield. The museum features 56 historic exhibits, many in relocated structures, an award winning hands-on oil exhibition Black Gold: The Oil Experience and the "Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center" for youth eight and under. The museum is consistently recognized for providing some of the most outstanding educational programs in the state of California, such as Native American Life, and and Frontier Life In addition, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions and special events in an effort to achieve its mission.

The museum is one of only 748 museums in the nation accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Kern County Museum provides a stimulating destination for generations to share experiences in an engaging, educational, and historically rich setting. In doing so, the Kern County Museum has acquired a distinguished record of service.