Fun displays for all ages and many interests! We went with…read moreour young kids and had a great time. The petroglyph exhibit is really detailed, and there are a lot of natural history exhibits, also. There's a small but lovely desert garden outside, and a lot even saw a rabbit enjoying the shade from the hot afternoon sun!

Packed full of interesting exhibits and extensive info on nearby petroglyphs, this small museum…read morerecently enlarged its gift shop. Other new additions include a garden area as well as a sculpture garden. During the Petroglyph festival this November, an arrowhead maker was on hand. The museum also sponsors docent led hikes on China Lake Naval base to see an extensive collection of ancient petroglyphs spread along Little petroglyph trail, 1.5 miles of non stop native American rock art down a dry creek bed. You need to be in pretty good shape to manage the rocky trail and go through a fairly extensive security check to gain access and early sign up is required, but we all agreed the hike was worth it. The docents at the museum are very helpful and run a movie on the petroglyphs on request.

We traveled a long distance to get there and we ended up there 5 minutes before they closed. My…read moredaughter tried to negotiate with the fellow that claimed he was a family member. We wanted to have 5 extra minutes to walk around. We were willing to pay the entrance fee as were two people behind us. He wouldn't budge and he was mean about it. Truth is it's really junky!

Prices are a bit expensive in my opinion to go in and look around the Ghost Town. Which I opted to…read morenot do due to the fee. The "antique store" is very small dark and you need to watch your footing.

Wow! What a gem of a museum! I highly recommend visiting this museum if you are near the Lake…read moreIsabella or Kernville area. The admission was free, but PLEASE consider making donations to help employ and maintain upkeep at the museum. This place has such a rich history of artifacts, including a woolly mammoth tooth to a 1900 stock certificate for gold, a display of all the movies ever made in the area and tons of items from the Oregon Trail. Super interesting for kids and adults. I'll definitely be returning for another visit on my next trip to Lake Isabella.

Best small town museum we've been to. Great maps, exhibits, etc. Who knew that John Wayne's…read moreStagecoach was filmed here? History of the lake and how they had to move two towns (Isabella and Kernville) to make room for the water. Ask for Kit to show you around, she is a bundle of energy and very enthusiastic about Kernville.

Stop by 03/31/23 during the trip from Los Angeles to Death Valley. Ridgecrest is right in the…read moremiddle to take a break. Small museum , last yelp review posted about 3 years ago. Outdoor exhibition is free , has F-18A jet displayed with other aircrafts, Museum admission is $5,l The gift store did not honor the Yelp vouchers, so do not purchase that from the Yelp. I will deal with Yelp late to get my $15 back ( see last two pictures) Otherwise , fun place to visit.

If I'm not mistaken they're getting ready to build a museum outside of the base, near the Maturango…read moreMuseum, so it's easier for the public to visit. If that's the case, I hope it's more spacious and updated. The museum is pretty interesting, though it's more about the outside exhibits. The inside gets a bit redundant after a while. I mean, how many rooms filled with missiles can you really look at after a while? Designs on exhibits are pretty dated. Outside they have various jets and planes set up to walk around, and even some nuclear weaponry like the Polaris missile and the MKIV, modeled after Fat Man, the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. While walking around out there, a roadrunner came by to check out the jets with us and endless flocks of geese kept flying overhead. It was special.

One of the Best Train Museums that we have visited. Located in a Train Depot, it is beautifully…read moredone with displays, artifacts, and Train Memorabilia from the past. Super friendly Staff who really show their passion for trains & the history that surrounds them. They have a nice gift shop where you can find a gift for the train enthusiast in your life, or pick up something for yourself. If you are lucky a train will pass through and you can sit on the platform and feel the history as it passes you by, go see the Tehachapi Loop to complete your visit to Train Town USA.

Enjoyed some time in the downtown area today. Brought the grandkids to play on the little train…read moreslide they have. It's so cute over here and well-maintained. We usually let our granddaughter run around on the grass and play. Luckily, the Man working out front told us not to go on the grass. I guess people are letting their dogs go to the bathroom and not clean up after them. So disappointing, it's such a beautiful area. We were glad for the warning, though. 10/24/25

Though this site gives some amazing history about the pinnacles I would not have known otherwise,…read morethe road to get here is very long, very rocky and in some places questionable if I should cross them. It was extremely hot even though it's April. I didn't walk around as the temps too high. The highlights - you cross over where the salt has dried from the lake ( wash your car as soon as you can as salt bad for it!), the beautiful scenery of the pinnacles (obviously) but the mountains behind them, the history lesson, the train cars sitting on the tracks was kinda fun and interesting and best of all the Navy flying planes doing test runs. Loved that. So hard to believe so much of this was under water and that where these were created. It's other worldly with how alive our planet is and constantly changing. It's free to come here but be warned about deep sand, very rocky roads and the heat. Bring water and have plenty of gas in the tank. There's nothing around for quite a ways.

Out of this world! Free admission but make sure the roads are in good shape. I drove out in an SUV…read moreand some parts of the road were a little sketchy. Once you arrive at the Pinnacles, you can hike up really close to see them first-hand. The pinnacles were created out of tufa ("porous rock formed as a deposit when springs interact with other bodies of water" per Wikipedia), when the area was under a lake. If you visit in spring, you'll see some wildflowers as well. Very interesting spot and worth a stop on your way to Death Valley. Highly recommended!

We had so much fun stopping here! After years of driving full-steam ahead to Mammoth for skiing, we…read moretook a slow day to stop in during a summer trip. It's a historic mining museum, built from a former speakeasy. Danny is sooooo nice! He explained about the area and talked about his prospecting. He's a true miner! The memorabilia is incredible! Lots of wanted posters. Butch Cassidy, for example. Lots of mining articles, posters, vintage equipment, etc. I've rarely seen a business owner so proud of their business. Danny LOVES what he does. I imagine he could tell great stories all day long! He also gives out cold drinks-- perfect for a hot day. Cactus Cooler! My favorite! It's a $5 donation, but he's not totally firm (sssshhhhh). We had $8 and he was gracious. So, next time you are taking 395, stop in. Relax. Enjoy the step back in time.

Creepy vibes. Not really open. Wouldn't let us just look around. Wanted us to buy stuff. Gave a…read moreJesus pamphlet.

The museum is usally closed unless there is an event going on like a school reunion. But you can…read morealways call and make arangemets to have someone meet you there for a tour. https://news-ridgecrest.com/community-of-trona-the-home-of-several-museums/

Nice place to go and look at all the memorabilia they have of the years. Very nice atmosphere,…read morefriendly volunteers.

We went to Cerro Gordo Ghost Town and had a fabulous day! The history, the people (Steven, Greg and…read moreof course, Brent) and the views made our day great. Yes, the drive up the road was a bit rough and we were glad to have our 3500, but absolutely didn't let that stop us from going. This was on our list to go and visit for a long time. Glad we went and we'll be back! One, because we love it and two, to support Brent. Thank Cerro Gordo team for a fabulous day. Dawn & Rob Your Fulltime RV Supporters

This young man that is restoring this old ghost is a remarkable man. Great job of spreading the…read morewealth of knowledge. His Youtube coverage is enviable.

Indian fry bread tacos every second Saturday of the month, delish!…read moreEveryone was so kind and informative. Highly recommend a stop in, no entrance fee, donations accepted

At first, I thought that the place was a little bit of a clique but then a woman came up to my…read moregirlfriend and I who was very friendly and helpful. The place is just beautiful and native plants are growing all around. There is definitely an energy there as the place itself must have quite a past. After looking through their quaint museum we looked at their potted plants and purchased a couple different varieties of sage which they propogate themselves. As we were leaving the same woman who welcomed us invited us back for craft days and events. We left the center with a lot of feelings. It was an overall positive experience. I just wish I could have found the legend that identified all of the plants in the area.