Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    West Kern Oil Museum

    4.4 (12 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    West Kern Oil Museum Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - West Kern Oil Museum

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    An early Taft resident
    Hugh B.

    I admit to having a mildly perverse fascination with the West Kern Oil Museum. In spite of all the damage inflicted on the planet by our insatiable demand for petroleum products, there's something quaint about a monument to crude, staffed by friendly volunteers who love oil and the oil industry. The West Kern Oil Museum is a rambling, folksy, low-key affair. A group of low-slung buildings contain artifacts providing ample history on West Kern in pre oil-boom days, including a full skeleton of a saber-tooth cat. But it's the boom-town memories and curiosities that steal the show, including stories on historic mouse-infestations and local school outings, to photos and stories of the largest US oil spill in history (the Lakeview Gusher in 1910, which spilled 9 million barrels of oil, twice the BP Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010). Outside are several acres of aged drilling equipment and other outdoor oil paraphernalia. The sum of it all portrays the area around Taft as a cross between Mayberry RFD and "There Will be Blood" (a reproduction of a early 20th century derrick on museum grounds was used to create an identical model for the film). As much as the artifacts fascinate, they would be nothing without the warm, hospitable volunteers staffing the West Kern Oil Museum. They are uniformly friendly, helpful, and steeped in the history of the boom-bust cycle where most appear to have spent much of their lives. But while the facilities and people are down to earth, the place has some generous benefactors, with a donors plaque listing Chevron and Texaco near the top of the list. Apparently a folksy picture of oil's rich history in California also makes good PR for today's multinationals.

    Me posing on a large wheel at West Kern Oil Museum.  I am wearing T-shirt from San Francisco Mime Troupe.
    Tom B.

    WEST KERN OIL MUSEUM is located just off Highway 5, that great thoroughfare that takes you from Los Angeles to just east of Oakland, and back. Aside from the occasional open-bin tomato truck filled with millions of colorful tomatoes, and the fascinating BRAVO FARMS restaurant and gift shop at Kettleman City, there is not much to experience on Highway 5 except for severe boredom. WEST KERN OIL MUSEUM is another attraction, but it requires a short side trip to Taft. The short drive from highway 5 to the City of Taft provides close-up views of operating oil wells. On the grounds of the museum, one finds an out-of-doors lot that is filled with elderly oil mining equipment. Visitors are free to touch the equipment and to pose for photos right in front of the equipment (see my photos). Inside the oil museum building, one finds models of an offshore drilling platform, a refinery, and an oil field. The oil museum has a gift shop. I suggest supplementing your visit by touring a similar museum which is located in nearby Bakersfield. This museum is: The Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Ave., Bakersfield, CA. The exhibits at the Bakersfield museum are glitzier and more seductive than the humbler exhibits at the West Kern Oil Museum. Thus, I suggest visiting both museums, for that complete California oil industry-experience. For people who travel the BARSTOW/BAKERSFIELD HIGHWAY (Route 58), especially if you like museums relating to geology and industrial equipment, I recommend Borax Visitor Center, Rio Tinto Borax Mine Center, and 20 Mule Team Museum. Also, for those of you who thrill to the sight of antique industrial equipment, I also recommend the logging museum located in Elsie, Oregon. This logging museum is called, "CAMP 18 LOGGING MUSEUM." The logging machinery at CAMP 18 is almost as interesting as the oil processing machinery at West Kern Oil Museum. CAMP 18 also has an impressive restaurant that takes the form of a humongous log cabin, where the items on the menu have fanciful names that invoke the logging industry (www.camp18restaurant.com). West Kern Oil Museum is likely to whet your museum-taste buds, thereby causing a longing to visit similar museums.

    Free museum all about oil production! Can't beat that!!!

    See all

    7 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul L.
    296
    1237
    28734

    13 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maria P.
    75
    161
    180

    13 years ago

    One of the best places to get a great history run down of this town!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob b.
    0
    200
    39

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - West Kern Oil Museum

    Review Highlights - West Kern Oil Museum

    What an experience to hear about growing up in a tent house next to an oil rig, dealing with gushers that spewed oil for miles, the positive impact of the oil industry on the area!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Casa del Herrero

    Casa del Herrero

    4.6
    (29 reviews)
    49.4 mi

    I came here for an event today so really my review is tailored more towards the events that Casa is…read moreholding but also to acknowledge the fabulous grounds and building though I admit I don't have full context for the history or background. I would definitely come back here to learn about the house and to take the guided tour. This wasn't the purpose for me coming today but the gentleman who works here noted that it's a great tour and I know friends who have enjoyed learning about the family and the history of the house, getting a deeper dive of information. I came here with some friends for their first hosted event Sound Bath. A wellness day if you will. From start to finish everything was very organized and thoughtful. The staff hosting the event and the spiritual wellness guide and sound healer was wonderful. Everyone was nice and you felt welcomed. Not pretentious and just very positive and good vibes. We had a nice group and everyone was respectful and on time for the sound bath so it went off without issue. It was a relaxing experience and the grounds were very nice to hold this outdoor event. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, we found an area with shade, very nice. Very faint sounds of cars in the distance here and there which wasn't ideal but out of their control and once things settled in you really couldn't hear much external noise. After the relaxing sound bath we were offered tea and light pastry snacks. I opted for a water and began exploring the grounds instead of partaking in the refreshments. The grounds are lush and lovely, very zen. Loved the beautiful trees and walkways with small fountains and running water. It was green and pretty all around from the recent rains. Definitely a great location for events and to learn a little SB history. I will definitely do my research and come back again soon.

    Yikes, this is an expensive tour but it is a rarity to see a period house with most of the original…read moreoccupants furnishings etc. The tours are docent led and very informative. If you like these types of tours, this one is quite worth it.

    Photos
    I'm very proud of this color match
    I'm very proud of this color match
    Casa del Herrero
    Crush It Wine educators, Allie and Julie.

    See all

    Crush It Wine educators, Allie and Julie.
    Santa Barbara Adventure Company

    Santa Barbara Adventure Company

    4.8
    (258 reviews)
    51.0 mi

    Rachel is awesome! Super knowledgeable of the ocean, water, marine life, and history of the area…read more What a rad human being to have guiding the tour. As it turns out, all of the harbor seals, and sealions have names. We befriended one named Steve, he is much better at swimming than I am. He also taught me secret techniques to paddling. This one Pelican named Parry got into a barking match with some sealions, which is a fight he wasn't gonna win, let's be honest. Though I was hoping to see an M-A-N-A-T-E-E ... next time! If you're gonna go down on Haley street, where the dogs are easy and the sun is cheap, you never know just who you'll meet, on Haley. (But hopefully it's Rachel from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, and you get her kayak tour; shout out!)

    A heartfelt thank you to Santa Barbara Adventure Company for creating such a memorable birthday…read moreexperience for our daughter. From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. We had a fun ferry ride to the islands and even got to slow down to watch a large Sunfish (Mola Mola) snacking on some jellies. I recommend getting in line early to secure the best view seating on the ferry. Our kayak guides, Chuck and Adam, were exceptional--knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They made the entire trip both fun and informative, while ensuring we always felt safe and well cared for. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and warm water, which allowed us to explore all seven sea caves--many of which are inaccessible during high tide or rougher conditions. It made the experience even more special. Having lived in Santa Barbara for 22 years, this was my first time visiting the islands, and it was truly unforgettable. The pristine landscapes, abundant sea life, and even spotting several tiny island foxes while enjoying our picnic lunch, made it an unforgettable adventure. We can't wait to do it again--highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and exceptional experience!

    Photos
    Waiting in line to enter sea caves
    Waiting in line to enter sea caves
    My selection
    My selection
    We kayak

    See all

    We kayak

    West Kern Oil Museum - museums - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...