I love this place, I came to Bakersfield to visit and I went to this place, I really love it, the prices are very decent and the place is just amazing, great people and the animals are really good taking care of! Will be back next time I came back to Bakersfield! read more

I was recently at CALM for a Wedding and I must say it was a really cool experience. I had the pleasure of being the DJ at this event so I got to see the staff interact with everyone from vendors to guest of the wedding and guest of the Museum. The staff handled it with grace and professionalism. As for the grounds, they were extremely nice and kind of cool with all the animals just steps away the atmosphere was exciting. There was a playground for the kids to keep them self's busy and not board by the event. Plenty of parking. I would recommend this location for a wedding most anytime. I look forward to working back their again. Kyle Brown Good Time Entertainment read more

Our family absolutely loves this place. We got a family membership as a gift and it has been wonderful. My kids love all the animals. It is really nice to see a facility that is dedicated to teaching people about California wildlife, protecting it, and going animals that could no longer survive in the wild while keeping education at the forefront. We also enjoy coming every Christmas for the holiday lights exhibit. We have come every year for the past 7 or 8 years and it only gets better. They have a for sale kettle corn, warm drinks, and other goodies during this time. I do recommend coming early to the lights if you want to ride the train since the line can get long quickly. Again I strongly recommend a membership. It gets you into this facility, the Kern County Museum, the Buena Vista Museum, and several others on their reciprocal list plus as a member you get a discount to the holiday light. Well worth it!!! read more

Bakersfield is not exactly a tourist hotspot so I assumed they captured a bunch of raccoons and possums, threw them in a cage and called it a zoo... I was right... However, I didn't expect it to be as impressive as it ended up being. The one hour I originally thought to spend here stretched to two because it was THAT interesting. C.A.L.M is really small, yet very open and scenic. There weren't any elephants, zebras, or any of those exotic animals you typically expect at a normal zoo. Instead, they feature animals native to California lands that most people run over on the roads... such as raccoons and possums. There were also some deer, a bear, coyotes and foxes - a bunch of woodland creatures that don't seem super cool until you actually get near to them, which is kind of a unique feature of this zoo. The way the cages are allow you to get really close to some of the animals. Hell, we got to pet and get licked by the deer. Where else can you do that? The only sucky part is how some of the animals hide back in their chambers or are sleeping because they're nocturnal or something. I also have to mention that the petting zoo here is probably the best petting zoo I've ever been to since it's not JUST goats. They also have a pony, donkey, bunny, and piggy. Every animal here, except the bunnies and piggy, just CRAVE your petting. I've never felt so wanted in such a long time :') I think the animals here are all rescued and handicapped, like they're either physically broken or are too domesticated and used to human support that they cannot live alone in the wild --- so to everyone in the area looking to pass some time or appease the children, this place is worth the support! read more

This is a great place for the family to send time together. It has grown to a great place to see & learn about animals!

Very cute small place very clean and quiet. Employees are very a knowledgeable this place was small but cute for little ones. I will go back to see the Christmas lights. read more

CALM Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Bakersfield, California

We love going to CALM every year, it's tradition. This year was just as pretty. 3 million lights I think they said. It's always fun to get cocoa, ride the train, and the Carousel. We also love supporting the animals they rescue and care for. That's five stars all the way. My issue was the parking lot. People were racing through puddles of mud where kids were walking. Nobody wants to be drenched in muddy water with the fam after seeing the pretty lights, right? My kid almost got hit in the parking lot. Twice. Drive through the parking lot with the Holiday spirit you left CALM with, and drive like your kid is walking to your car. It was closing time, everyone wanted to go home. Just remember, this event is about kids, so we need to be careful in the parking lot. read more

We happened to be visiting on a really hot weekend when it was 85 by 10a so it was tedious work getting around in the escalating heat but it was really enjoyable with a wide variety of native animals and plants. There is even a play area for the kids. I wish there was more signage on the plants because there was an ENORMOUS cactus and I was wondering what it was, how long it had been there, etc... I mean, it was like 15" tall or something! Definitely going to go back when it's COOLER! read more

Took my grandma and mom here when they were visiting Bakersfield a few weeks ago. It was the perfect little outing for my grandma and her walker...small enough for her to get to see it all...and big enough for us to spend several hours there. Very reasonably priced. Lots of native animals such as coyotes, mountain lions, hawks, deer, badger. Not so sure what crimes the crow and squirrel committed to end up in a cage though... All in all, nice little zoo. read more

C.A.L.M. was an amazing time for my family and me. My children had so much fun. The entire park was clean and there the workers there were very nice and helpful. All of the animal exhibits were easily accessible (walking or pushing a giant stroller) and great views of all of the animals. The park has great areas for a picnic and there are playgrounds for the children. I highly recommend taking your family to C.A.L.M. read more

4 star solid rating. Is this an all out amazing zoo with hippos, lions, tigers, and (well there are bears), no, not really. BUUUT what they do have is really interesting. I have a lot of fond memories coming here as a kid as i was obsessed with bald eagles and birds of prey all through out grade school. They had a great exhibit then and still do now. They've updated this place since, and the longer it's been open the more it seems they get as far as animals are concerned. Anyone living in Bakersfield knows you HAVE to go to their Christmas Light Display. read more

Lots of great animals! Great for kids! Good learning experience and a good place to get the kids outside and out of the house! Really cool place for a family day! Be sure to bring water, it tends to get hot outside! But they did have some food and drink booths there! read more

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We LOVE CALM!! Especially at Christmas time for the Christmas Lights Event!! It's wonderful for the whole family-- love riding the train!

This place is cool. I came here for Brews in the zoo, which I'd come to again. It was a Yelp event, so scroll through my pics to check it out! read more

We absolutely loved our trip to CALM. We took our 18 month old and she had so much fun walking around and looking at all the animals. I was actually quite surprised at the number of animals that CALM had. It is definitely worth the price. They had several animals that I myself had never seen in person before so we had a lot of fun. CALM is extremely child and stroller friendly. I didn't see very many staff walking around to explain anything about the animals, but that wasn't a big deal at all for us. Each animal exhibit had a sign that helped to give you some bits of information about that animal. With our 18 month old we spent about 4 hours walking around, but with older kids it may not take quite that long. Some of the nocturnal animals were sleeping when we went... we went in the morning. But it gives us a reason to go back for a later visit and enjoy seeing some other animals. Well, well worth it! read more

CALM Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Good place to take the kids. I remember when I was young, my parents would bring me. It has changed a bit, but it needs a bit more spunk to it. It can use a fresh food place. This will benefit the visitors and the park itself. Maybe a few more wildlife too. Overall, we had a good time. read more

What a relaxing place to go with the family! I recommend bringing lots of quarters to feed the !!! My little girl loves it here! The train ride is excellent! read more

CALM is kind of our home away from home or according to my 4 yr old his zoo where his friends live. They have an array of animals to look at from snakes, lizards, spiders and turtles in the reptile house. Tortoise, roadrunners and burrowing owls in the desert enclosure. A petting zoo, bears, coyotes mountain lions and bobcats to name a few. Oh can't forget their new water exhibit. Always a fun place to take your kids to enjoy a day out the house. The people who maintain the site are also very helpful and knowledgeable. My kids can't wait to go back read more

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Always a great experience when my family and I go! We've been going since my kids were smaller and now they're pre-teens! Great way to get out of the house and just get away from the electronics. We love the cleanliness of the grounds and all the animals! We also love the train ride! read more

CALM is awesome! They do only have animals native to the state of California, but they do still have a lot of exhibits. They also have a train ride and a petting zoo. Make sure you bring quarters so you can feed the ducks and the goats. I also highly recommend checking out the holiday lights at calm it is really cool, especially for the little ones. If you live in or around bakersfield, I would suggest that you get the $50 family membership. You get the whole family in for a year for $50. read more

We loved this zoo! Adult admission was $9, which was totally worth it. You really get a good feel for the types of animals that live in California, and their collection is surprisingly extensive for a small zoo out past the boonies of Bakersfield. Things are well-kept and clean, and the habitats seem to suit the animals well. They even have two large condors--one of the rarest birds in existence. If you go, make sure you hoot at the great horned owl! He will be happy to start a whole conversation with you, although he is probably just asking for clarification as to what gibberish you're spouting. read more

CALM is a nice place to see animals without the time and expense of going too far. The parking area is very large, some paved, and some not. The facility was clean, and there are a lot of benches and places to sit. There is a big picnic area, at least one nice birthday party was going on while we were there. This area and many others are shaded. They have a big assortment of birds, some water birds, there were even two condors. A petting area for small barnyard type animals, maybe just goats? There were a couple of big cats, and a really nice reptile exhibit. Damn hot in there though. It was very hot today so several animals were in shelters and we did not see them. The visitors and staff were both friendly. At only $9.00, it's a good couple of hour's enjoyment. read more

Beautiful setting, lots of trees and shade and even a stream. Some outstanding exhibit spaces: the California cats, the bears, and the shorebirds come to mind. They even have condors, which can only be exhibited in a few select places. I was impressed that this location is part of the Bakersfield School District. The school Superintendent was there greeting folks and thanking the volunteers who came and worked booths for CALM's 35th birthday. read more

Love this place yeah it's small and not a huge/ real zoo but this place is local and worth the visit kids love it especially on Christmas night I've taken my kids for the last five years in a row read more

Awesome place to take your kids. The animals are great and the train ride is the best. My son also loved the climbing wall. Go during Christmas time and the Holiday lights at CALM are amazing! Highly recommended. read more

They just have birds here, nothing else. Even my kids got bored of being in this place. After 20 minutes we left. I definitely don't recommend this place, and of course I'm not coming back. read more

The California Living Museum, like all museums, depends upon donations from people who come to visit the animals and see the zoo. And also from really nice rich people who are willing to give a lot of money hint, hint. The California Living Museum is a place that concentrates on the local wildlife wildlife that comes from California and can be seen around Kern County and throughout The state. It is a very nice place for children and has plenty of things to do including toys to climb on, lots of exhibits that are down low so the kids can see inside, and even an area where they can feed and pet some of the animals. Bakersfield didn't always have a zoo, but since we do I think everybody should support it. It is also worth mentioning, that the holiday lights happen every year at CALM during the Christmas season and should never be missed! If you want to feel calm go to CALM, and enjoy your day. It is really a wonderful time. read more

Fantastic for young children. It is small enough that it does not overwhelm and it offers steps or ledges allowing children to have great views of the animals. read more

We frequent this place and love it! They always keep it clean and it's just a great place to visit. Plus they've always got fun holiday events! read more

I took my toddler to CALM's 32 year anniversary celebration. Thanks to a yelper I found out about this event yesterday. My daughter had a great time and did not want to leave. They had a bounce house that you paid a $1 for and they stamped her hand and you could go back as many times as you wanted but the kids needed to get out after a few minutes so other kids could get in and play. They also have a small playground with a slide, swings and climbing walls, etc. We took the train ride for another $1. My kid remembered the train ride when we rode at night 6 months before during the X-mas lights event. They had several informational booths and about 3 more selling drinks and faire type snacks. My daughter really wanted to see a bear and a giraffe but its a small zoo. I know they have black bears but I did not see any this time. A good thing about small zoos is that a toodler can walk most of the time and get a lot of exercise. Kids under 13 years old were entering free with a paying adult on this day only. The entrance fee for my self was $9. I bought about 75 cents in food pellets for the goats and some ducks and my total expense was just under $12. This was a very inexpensive trip and my kid had a lot of fun and a lot of exercise. She was so tired she fell asleep on the way home. read more

Bobcats, bears, and big horn sheep; oh my! I love CALM! I love having a local facility that takes care of injuried or unreleasable animals not far from where I live. They have a good number of fauna indigenous to the area. The reptile house is one of my boys favorite places to hang out, I enjoy the birds of prey area, and my husband likes to photograph the mountian lions. CALM is always working on expanding and improving the facility for the animals. They also have a little train that the whole family can ride and a play area for the kids. This is definately a must stop for anyone from the area or visisting the area. read more

I went to this establishment not knowing what to expect, but was blown away. I love that all the animals there are there because they were rescued or being rehabbed so they can be released back into the wild. It was so well kept and trees everywhere which provided a lot of shade in a hot day. I learned so much about the animals there, and to be able to see animals such as Black bears, birds of prey, bob cats, mountain lions and even a Badger, named Scruggs up close and personal was really cool.He was my favorite. Speaking of Scruggs, his keeper, Ben was amazing with answering all my questions about Badgers. "Thank you so much Ben" Another thing I really liked about this museum is it was quiet and personal. There are no balloons or venders trying to make a buck. It was all about the animals, a truly educational experience. read more

Been taking the kids here since they were babies. 18 years later they still love going to see the animals and donating to the cause! They would even love to volunteer their time to helping around the museum. read more

This will be a long review, so brace yourselves. My boyfriend and I live up in Lake Isabella, which is about a good hour drive to and from CALM, We found an injured bird inside a bush and within a few feet there was a cat stalking it trying to attack it, we brought it home, fed it some bird seed, watered it and put it in a box. Well the next day we went to try and let the bird go, we then realized the birds left wing was badly damaged and it could not fly. So this is where CALM comes into the picture, I called CALM and explained my situation and the lady on the phone was very nice and informative, I said okay we will bring the bird in but it will be awhile due to living so far away. We hurried and got ready and drove the bird almost an hour and a half away to get to CALM. We walk in and their is a very long line, so we are holding this box with the bird in it, waiting. Well it was our turn in line, I looked at the lady as she was glaring at me and I said " Hi, I called earlier about this bird and you guys said to bring it in and you could treat it" She looks at me and give me a sarcastic half ass'd response and says "No that was a different person you spoke with" she than goes on to say, "Come over here you have paperwork to fill out" This is when I get mad because she is being so rude, not listening to what I have to say, and the attitude she had on her was something else! So she gives me paper work to fill out, which basically states where you live, where you found the bird, how it is injured and your basic information. I fill out all our information and than proceed to start filling out the part that asks where the bird was found so I put "bird was found inside a yard under a bush as a cat was getting ready to attack" As she is helping other customers she yells at me and says " thats not helpful at all, what was the cross street?" I looked at her and said "Look lady I live in a very small community up in the mountains there was no cross street we found it in our neighborhood" She looks at me, moves the paperwork out from under my hands and starts filling it out herself, as if I was stupid or an idiot, Oh boy it didn't end there! She says "well how is the bird injured?" I said "I don't know exactly what happened to the bird, all I know is the cat was going to kill it and it could not fly or move so we picked it up and brought it home" Which might I add, the bird was very friendly, ate the bird seed right out of my hand, fell asleep on my lap. So than, my boyfriend takes the bird out of the box to show her exactly what was going on with its wing, she yells so loud the whole gift shop could hear her and says "PUT THAT BIRD DOWN RIGHT NOW! DO NOT PICK IT UP!" Than we started asking questions like, Will you release the bird back up where we found it? She says "No probably not" With a bitchy look on her face, we than say well we would like to know what happens to him/her, she than radios to someone on a walki-talki and says we have an injured bird up front. The moral of the story is, some people are just fucking assholes for nothing, we were nothing but kind and did the right thing with the bird, she made us feel stupid and was very inconsiderate with her attitude and the way she treated us. Not to mention, their business just lost 2 customers, that is a huge turn off. DO NOT WORK IN AN ANIMAL ENVIRONMENT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE HEART TO DO SO! I will be calling and asking to speak to her supervisor, that work ethic is horrible and the fact that she enjoyed treating us like that was bullshit. I never leave reviews, or rant like this. But I was appalled at how we were treated. Not to mention, we drove very far. She didn't even say "Thanks for doing the right thing for this helpless bird" I really hope the bird gets the care and treatment it needs, I will be calling as well to check up on the bird. Thank God she just works the front admission office into the zoo and does NOT treat or work with the animals. I can't speak for everyone at CALM but that lady is getting one star. read more

Swung by before visiting my Grandparents here in Bakersfield. We live in the Bay Area and are spoiled with the Oakland and San Francisco zoo. Its really small and in shabby shape but it's nice and kept our kid entertained for a few hours read more

Very surprised at the quality of the grounds and animal enclosures. Picnic tables and lots of activities for kids and adults. Weather may very but good time on cool day when we attended. read more

The trip from southern California to Northern California to visit our family can be a long one. Especially with a 1 year old and a 4 year old! This was a welcome spot to have then run out their sillies for a while! And get them to take naps long enough to make it through the next leg of the journey. It was a little bit off the beaten path and we were wondering what we were getting into. We went in early January and there was no one in the parking lot when we arrived. You have to enter and exit through the gift shop filled with cut little stuffed animals and toys that the kids want to play with. Excellent marketing for them. I don't recall how much it cost. We got in free with our membership card from our local rescue animal zoo. There were lots of animals and they still had Christmas lights up, which the Little One loved. I think the favorite part of the whole thing for them was getting to feed the ducks at the pond in the back. Make sure you have quarters for the machine. They also liked looking at the chipmunks run around the cage in the section with all the lizards. The big cats were another plus! It took us about and hour and a half to go through including the bathroom break, but we had little ones that were more interested in running from location to location. I would say on a normal day a couple hours should do it. read more

Stopped by here with my girlfriend, and initially it felt a little empty (granted it's during the week and it was raining) but the staff was exceptionally polite regardless of the grey day. The exhibits were surprisingly informative and I love the fact that all their animals are native and obviously very much loved. I'm already planning on coming again sometime later in the year! read more

This place is amazing!! So many beautiful animals. Bakersfield is so lucky to have a place so cool! So much to see and learn!! The manager Lana is always there and is so helpful and nice! Love this place! read more

My son loves it here. We've paid for a family pass the last few years because the money goes to a wonderful cause... Rescued ca wild animals. It's not about being a zoo. It's about an appreciation for the animals that are right here in our state. read more