Out of the many times driving up to Big Bear throughout the years, I finally visited the Big Bear…read moreValley Museum. Admission is a $5 donation per adult, and there is plenty of parking. You can get yourself an old fashion Sarsperella or Root Beer in a glass bottle in the shop across from where you donate. It's pretty much a self-guided tour with volunteers sharing the history of each buildling/attraction you go to. Definitely worth the visit.

Visiting Big Bear for a few days so we wanted to find things to keep the kiddos busy and make it…read moreenjoyable. It was only $5 for adults and kids 14 and under are free. All the staff were very friendly and shared about the history but made it interesting for the kids and adults. They had a gold rush activity the kids enjoyed. Restrooms were clean and on site. Parking was free. They interacted with the kiddos at the blacksmith center and they all were given a little sword as a souvenir.

Great space, filled top to bottom and side to side with flight memorabilia dating back more than…read more100 years. So many exhibits to enjoy. Head over as soon as you can. Visit the great gift shop for souvenirs, home decor, clothing and more

We stopped here on our road trip and it was a nice little museum! The staff were nice and it was…read morevery clean. The bathrooms were also very clean and comfy for a potty break. There were tables in the front you could eat a little picnic at too, if you brought a lunch. As for the exhibits, it is mainly for older kids and adults because it's a lot of reading and adult history. But my kids who are 3 and 6 liked looking at the planes on the ceiling and outside. They got to sit in the jet plane cock pit and also see what a machine gun looked like up close. That was educational for my older son. It was free to enter, not busy, and parking was easy on the street. So, a nice little pit stop to stretch our legs. Spent about 10-15 mins here and then went to the mule museum right next door for another 10-15 minutes. So stop by if you pass through!

Love this museum for my four and six year old. We got the yearly pass and try to visit the stem…read moreroom often. There are always different events like farmers markets and "Bugapalooza" where you can see tons of insects and reptiles and even hold some. They change their exhibit upstairs often so the kids don't get bored.

Admission for students is $7!…read more This is a nice and budget friendly place for families and chill dates. The Steam Lab is the most interactive area for kids.

The Boron Aerospace Museum holds a rich history of the aerospace industry from WWI through Space…read moreExploration, and more... The displays are amazing, don't miss the F4 Phantom and DRAKEN J35 parked right out front! It is a fun place to visit

Wonderful museum with interesting historic artifacts and exhibits. There is so much to look at that…read morea future trip should be made. Museum is free so make a donation to help support it after signing the log book. Bill is extremely knowledgeable and has so many stories to tell. The lovely photographs of the desert flora and fauna in the back room were taken by him. He is usually there Wednesdays but was filling in for someone on the Monday we were there. I learned so much from this place! I did not know that the mule teams were used only for a short period of six years from 1883 to 1889. Who knew also that the "twenty mule teams" actually consisted of eighteen mules and two horses and each animal served a specific role? I found it fascinating that the three sets of mules closest to the wagons (Pointers) were trained to jump over the chain during turns to keep it tight. This maneuver is called the "Dance of the Mules" and is amazing to see on videos of the modern replica mule team. There is a working animatronic display of the twenty mule team in the back room which someone had built. When turned on, the wagon wheels spin and the mules' head and ears move. An interesting newer exhibit of two movies that were filmed in Boron, " The Carpetbaggers" and "Erin Brockovich," can be found in the middle room of the museum. The front room of the museum has various historic displays of nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century life in the area. A working bell communication system from the mine occupies this space. There is even a permanent wave machine used in beauty parlors of the past with electrodes and wiring for hot curlers. I can almost smell the burning hair! There is also a visitor center at US Boron nearby that should be part of your museum visit. It is closed on Mondays, which is the day we were in the area, so there will be a definite return trip soon to explore that.

A very cool and quaint museum located at the base of "Newt's Paradise" also known as "Hilltop…read moreHouse" in Apple Valley, CA. In the museum, you can check out loads of memorabilia and artifacts from Apple Valley's heydey when celebrities and political figures (think Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, John Wayne, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, Kirk Douglas, Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz- Classics!), used to come out to visit the Apple Valley Inn and other areas around town to film and get away from the crowds of LA by a short flight. I, personally, enjoyed speaking with Roger, the museum's guide, most; he is full of knowledge and was a pleasure to speak with and meet. Make sure to ask about the past and recent filming history that has taken place around town. - Mank, an upcoming American biographical drama film about the battles over the screenplay credit for Citizen Kane (1941), is just one of the many films that you can learn about. Overall, it was a very educational and insightful experience. If you have time, also try and hike up to the Hilltop House as well for good views of the city and to check out the remains of an architectural wonder of the past. Check out these great articles for more info: https://paradiseleased.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/high-glamour-in-the-high-desert-the-apple-valley-inn/ https://paradiseleased.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/newts-paradise-apple-valleys-spectacular-hilltop-house/

Wow what a hidden gem!! The Raymond M Alf Museum of Paleontology is tucked away in Claremont on the…read moreWebb school campus. Since it is a high school, you must show your IDs at the gate to be given a badge to get onto campus. The museum is closed Sunday-Tuesday. Wednesday -Friday from 11am-5pm, and Saturday from 11am-5pm. Admission Pricing (March 2026): $12 General $9 Youth/Senior $9 Student with ID FREE 4 and under FREE CA teachers, EBT & WIC cardholders This museum is 2 levels. The top is a chronological walk through history and the bottom level is more of a hands-on interactive play area for kids. We spent about an hour at this museum. We had so much fun exploring history. In order we went through the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic periods. The fossils and skeletons were so fascinating. This would have been such a great spot for a field trip back in grade school. I had a lot of fun exploring history and taking selfies. Highly recommended for those who enjoy dinosaurs, fossils, or history!

This museum is on a college campus shout out to the grounds people the grass looks so beautiful. I…read morethought it was fake. It is a very clean very quiet campus. It cost $24 for two people to get into the museum. The parking was free, but you do have to check in with the parking guy he'll print you out a pass since it is still a college, but I post some pictures of the museum. It was somewhere nice to go especially in this heat. it's interesting to see the different artifacts and fossils. It's a nice little date day or kid date day but like I say, give it a try and you decide.

The museum was a gem that we didn't know about until one of the locals suggested it. It was very…read morenice. The Route 66 Museum in Victorville also has a cute little stop for anyone interested in the history of the iconic highway and buying souvenirs. It's small has the cutest memorabilia and exhibits that display the cultural impact and significance of the legendary route 66. You'll find vintage signs, old photographs, and displays about the communities that Route 66 passed through. The museum also offers some cool interactive elements, like vintage vehicles and restored gas pumps, which really take you back in time. It's not a huge museum, but it's definitely worth a visit if you're driving through the area like my friends and I did from Las Vegas. The staff were super friendly and knowledgeable, and they shared great stories about Route 66. The location is also nice because it's near the original route 66 so you can take a stroll afterward and get a feel for the area's history. Be careful because there are quite a few vagrants and the surrounding area is a bit run down. Nevertheless, this museum was a fun, low-key stop if you're into Americana and road trip culture. Make sure you pick up a souvenir shot glass or cup. They r pretty cool!

Nice stop after eating at Emma Jean's. The museum is free, but donations are appreciated. There are…read moremultiple rooms to walk through, some photo ops set up, a gift shop, and a restroom.