Buena Vista Museum of Natural History
Encyclopedia
The Buena Vista Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum
in Bakersfield
, California
. It is located in the Arts district, downtown
. The museum focuses on three areas: Geology
, Anthropology
, and Paleontology
.
(CALM). The collection would continue to grow, encompassing areas outside of Kern County
. Because of the growth, the museum would move several times before arriving at the current location in downtown.
complete with roads, buildings, and trails. Several of these items are not owned by museum, but are on long term loan. The museum also contains an interactive section known as the "Oh Zone". There is also a Paleo Lab, which is equipped to clean, repair preserve, and reconstruct fossils and other artifacts.
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located in the Arts district, downtown
Downtown Bakersfield
Downtown in the central business district for Bakersfield, California. Located in the heart of the city, it is easily accessible from all its other parts. It is also reemerging as the center of Bakersfield’s arts, culture and entertainment sectors...
. The museum focuses on three areas: Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, and Paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
.
History
The museum was originally founded in 1995. The museum was centered around the Bob and Mary Ernst Collection of Miocene fossils from Shark Tooth Hill (in Kern County). It is the largest collection of Miocene fossils from that location. Originally the museum was housed out of a small space in the California Living MuseumCalifornia Living Museum
The California Living Museum is a zoo and living museum in Bakersfield, California. The primary focuses are plants and animals that are native to California, specifically Kern County. It is a part of the Kern River County Park.The zoo has been accredited by the Zoological Association of...
(CALM). The collection would continue to grow, encompassing areas outside of Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. Because of the growth, the museum would move several times before arriving at the current location in downtown.
Description
The centerpiece of the museum is the Mary Ernst Collection of Miocene fossils from Shark Tooth Hill. Other exhibits include: collection of taxidermy animals from Africa, replica of a triceratops skull, replica of a yokuts indian village, and a model of Yosemite ValleyYosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
complete with roads, buildings, and trails. Several of these items are not owned by museum, but are on long term loan. The museum also contains an interactive section known as the "Oh Zone". There is also a Paleo Lab, which is equipped to clean, repair preserve, and reconstruct fossils and other artifacts.