What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 4pm

CALM

Established in 1983, the California Living Museum is a beloved, accredited zoo in Kern County. Visit us from Tuesday to Sunday, 9am - 4pm.
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Since 1983, the California Living Museum (CALM) has grown from a grassroots effort to a beloved, accredited zoological facility that brings California wildlife and conservation to the forefront of the Kern County community. Acting as both a wildlife rehabilitation center and zoo, CALM exists to educate the public on the amazing flora and fauna that thrives in California. Admission:
Adults $10.00
Seniors (60+) $7.00
Children (3-12) $6.00
Children under 2 are FREE

07/03/2024

We are excited to announce that Denny's is sponsoring our Breakfast with the Bears event happening on July 7 at 8 am. There will be FREE mini pancakes with syrup and water or juice available (while supplies last). Even Louie is excited!

Doors open at 8 a.m., and the bear presentation is at 8:30 a.m. Our GiveGab is still open & desperately needs some donations. Any amount helps us raise money toward enrichment for our bears. You can donate at the link in our bio or at bit.ly/bwtb2024.

Thank you again:
Denny's
Denny's

07/02/2024

Happy National Porcupine Day to our very own, Tina!

Did you know that porcupines can swim really well and are known to be good climbers?! Just see what CALM's Curator, Sharon, had to say about Tina and the porcupine species:

Tina was born in 2013 and arrived at CALM from a center in Minnesota in 2015. She was named Tina after Tina Turner, because her long guard hairs reminded keepers of the big 80's hair (we had another named Dolly after Dolly Patron).

Tina is a North American porcupine. Porcupines are the second largest rodent in North America (after the beaver).

Their quills are hollow, modified hairs. They have over 30,000 quills on their body and contrary to popular belief, they cannot throw or shoot them. Quills are lightly attached to the porcupine so when a predator encounters/touches the porcupine, the quills dislodge from the porcupine and into the predator. Porcupines often flee predators, but if cornered, they will raise their quills and turn their back to the predator and lash their tail. The tail can have upwards of 7,000 quills on it!

They eat a wide range of plant material that changes with the seasons. In the winter they eat pine needles and the inner bark of trees. In the spring and summer, they eat grasses, stems, roots, leaves, and berries.

Here at CALM, Tina gets a specific pellet modified for wild animals, fruits, vegetables, greens, and browse (small tree limbs).

Thank you Animal Keeper, Jessica, for capturing this sweet photo!

07/01/2024

With upcoming severe hot weather, CALM will be temporarily changing its hours starting tomorrow, July 2, until Sunday, July 7, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. As a reminder, we will be open for the Fourth of July. Our Breakfast with the Bears event, happening Sunday, July 7, will not be impacted!

We hope you stay cool, Bakersfield!

06/30/2024

FINAL 7 DAY COUNTDOWN to our 2nd Annual Breakfast with the Bears set for July 7 at 8am! We invite the community to enjoy coffee, juice, and various breakfast treats while the bears enjoy their own breakfast and new treats!

NEW! All guests that arrive between 8:00 - 8:30 will receive a FREE wristband for unlimited train rides with our Central California Children's Railroad!

All funds from this campaign will go toward building a brand new viewing platform at the bears habitat so guests will be able to get closer to the action. Here are some other ways you can give:

1 - We are offering exclusive merch for this campaign which will help CALM raise funds for needed animal enrichment programs. Purchase your favorite style of shirt here: www.bonfire.com/bwtb2024/

2 - If you just want to help support in an easier way, you can donate directly to this campaign here: https://bit.ly/bwtb2024

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message!

06/27/2024

UPCOMING ANIMAL CARE VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION!

Tonight's class, which was scheduled from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, has been rescheduled to join the class on Saturday, June 29th from 9am - 10:30am.

Join our Animal Care Volunteer team and work alongside our incredible CALM Animal Keepers. For $25, you will learn the in's and out's of being a CALM Animal Care Volunteer and receive a volunteer shirt!

To sign-up online, you will need to create a profile on our volunteer portal. For more information, visit our website at: /https://calmzoo.org/volunteers/

MUST BE 16 YEARS OR OLDER!

See you Saturday!

06/26/2024

TWO MORE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER!

Don't miss out on your chance to meet our bears, Cinnamon and Louie!

In order to raise funds for enrichment toys (like giant strips of bacon), we are offering an exclusive behind the scenes experience.

If you and up to 3 guests would like to go behind the scenes, fill out the form and pledge to donate $500 (you only have to pay the $500 if you are selected): https://forms.gle/xx8CNczsG97NCEKS6

These funds will directly go towards our $2,000 goal to build a platform for our bears to use, as well as more enrichment for our animals!

Just take a look at last years' winners...

06/22/2024

☀️ TRAIN WEEKEND UPDATE ☀️

Due to high temperatures, the Central California Children's Railroad will NOT be operating this weekend, June 22nd and 23rd.

CCCR Volunteer Randy Gruber explained the risks of "heat kink" on train tracks: "While our rails aren't as large as full-scale ones, they can still shift enough to derail our cars. That's why we check the gauge and tie tightness after heat spells like this weekend."

Stay cool out there, Kern County!

06/20/2024

It is OFFICIALLY the first day of Summer and with the summer, comes the HEAT!

Do you ever wonder how we keep our animals cool during those high temperature days? Just look at what our Director, Meg Maitland, had to say!

Every summer we get the question of “how do the animals stay cool?”. Our staff work diligently to provide a myriad of ways to ensure that every paw, hoof, slithery tail, wing and webbed foot are minimally impacted from the weather. Our enclosures are fit with misting systems that spray continuously cool mist to bring the temperatures down. Animals are given frozen water bottles and many frozen treats to help bring internal temperatures down throughout the day. Our enclosures are all designed to provide many shaded areas as well. Some animals are even brought indoors to keep them safe from extreme heat.

But how can YOU stay cool while visiting CALM? Stay hydrated with our water refill stations and fountains, or purchase drinks in our gift store. Bring an umbrella for extra shade and come early to enjoy cooler mornings and more active animals!

As a reminder, from now until August 4th, our NEW Summer Hours will be Tuesday - Sunday from 8am - 2pm.

But how can YOU stay cool while visiting CALM? Stay hydrated with our water refill stations and fountains, or purchase drinks in our gift store. Bring an umbrella for extra shade and come early to enjoy cooler mornings and more active animals!

06/18/2024

🐾🎉 Happy Veterinarian Appreciation Day to our amazing Vet Staff at CALM Zoo! 🎉🐾

We wouldn't dream of ending the day without recognizing our INCREDIBLE Vet team! Your dedication and care keep our animal family healthy and happy. From tiny paws to giant claws, you handle it all with expertise and love. Thank you for being the unsung heroes of our zoo! 🩺💚

06/18/2024

It is International Picnic Day and the weather could not be better for a picnic at CALM! Come on out, bring your lunch, and enjoy the serenity that CALM provides ☀️🌻🐻🦊😺🐢🌵🌳

We are open now until 2:00pm!

06/16/2024

🐢💚 Happy Father's Day from CALM! 💚🐢

Our Mojave Desert Tortoise duo, Muscle Man and Sheldon, are showing us the true meaning of fatherhood! From sharing treats to cozy shell hugs, these two remind us that family bonds are shell-ebrated in every form. 🌵✨

Come shell-ebrate the father in your life, by visiting CALM zoo! We are open now until 2pm. Our Central California Children's Railroad will be running from 9am - 1pm and California Coast Room will be open 9am - 1:30pm!

06/14/2024

Happy Flag Day from your friends at CALM! Our animals are WILD for the stars and strips! Coco and Dash were more than happy to show their American Pride ❤️🤍💙

06/12/2024

Happy National Cougar Day! Thank you Animal Keeper, Kourtney, for these GOURGEOUS photos of our girls. Below is a message from our curator, Sharon, and information about the cougars at CALM!

What do cougar, puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount, and painter, and American lion have in common? They all are names that refer to the same cat, better known in this area as a mountain lion or cougar.

A male cougar can weigh 110 to 180lbs and be 6-8ft long (including tail) and a female can weigh between 80 to 130lbs and be 5 to 7ft (including tail). Rarely will an individual weigh over 200lbs. The long tail is a distinct trademark of the cougar, measuring almost 1/3rd of the cat’s total length.

They tend to hunt from dusk to dawn and ambush prey from behind, typically deer. They usually will feed on a deer for a week. In addition to deer, they may also eat raccoons, coyotes, elk, feral hogs, rodents, and even porcupines. They will store the carcass under leaves and continue to eat on it through the week.

Cougars can jump over 15ft vertically and over 30ft horizontally. They are close relatives of the cheetah. And moms will communicate with their babies with chirped whistles.

Sage is our oldest, born in 2010 in Florida and arrived at the zoo as a cub. She does look a bit different from our other cougars. She has shorter legs and a stockier build.

Misty (Mistletoe) was born in 2014 and brought to CALM from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for permanent placement. She was found by members of the public as a cub, roaming the streets of Big Bear.

Laurel arrived at another California rehab center in January of 2014 as an orphaned cub and she was transferred to CALM after it was determined she was not a candidate for release.

All three girls live together in our Cats of California Habitat. They share a large yard that is viewable to the public and two spacious dens and an additional yard behind the scenes. We are protected contact with our cougars (meaning we do not go in with them and interact with them through a barrier).

06/11/2024

NEW Summer Hours start TODAY! Marshmallow and Reese's, our Long Eared Owls, wanted to make sure you knew that starting today and through August 4th, CALM's hours will be changing to Tuesday - Sunday, 8:00am - 2:00pm!

Our California Coast Room will be open 9:00am - 1:30pm (as long as volunteers are available) and our Central California Children's Railroad will be running Saturday's and Sunday's from 9:00am - 1:00pm.

Stay cool out there Kern, County and thank you Animal Keeper, Taylor for capturing this adorable photo!

06/09/2024

Four weeks until our 2nd Annual Breakfast with the Bears set for July 7 at 8am. We invite the community to enjoy coffee, juice, and various breakfast treats while the bears enjoy their own breakfast and new treats!

All funds from this campaign will go toward building a brand new viewing platform at the bears habitat so guests will be able to get closer to the action. Here are some other ways you can give:

1 - We are offering exclusive merch for this campaign which will help CALM raise funds for needed animal enrichment programs. Purchase your favorite style of shirt here and wear it on July 7: www.bonfire.com/bwtb2024/

2 - We are bringing back an exciting opportunity to get behind the scenes and meet our bears up close and personal to raise funds for enrichment toys (like giant strips of bacon). Enrichment are necessary items and methods we use to stimulate the physical and psychological wellbeing of our animals and can be very costly.

If you and up to 3 guests would like to go behind the scenes, fill out the form and pledge to donate $500 (you only have to pay the $500 if you are selected): https://forms.gle/xx8CNczsG97NCEKS6

3 - If you just want to help support in an easier way, you can donate directly to this campaign here: https://bit.ly/bwtb2024

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message!

06/08/2024

Good afternoon Kern County! Friendly reminder that our NEW summer hours start Tuesday, June 11th! We hope you take advantage of the cooler mornings ☀️☀️☀️

06/08/2024

Our June Critter Capers issue is available now! In this issue, our Director has a special summertime message and an invitation to our 2nd Annual Breakfast with the Bears event on July 7th. We also give a huge shoutout to the awesome Ag team that sheared our sheep and you don't want to miss the article celebrating Central California Children's Railroad volunteer, Jim Varley. Check it out here: https://ow.ly/PVyZ50Scm9x

06/07/2024

Happy National Donut Day from Cinnamon, Louie, and the rest of the staff at CALM! We hope your day is sweet like a donut with glaze, sprinkles, or frosting on top 🍩🍩🍩

Speaking of donuts! Don't miss out on our 2nd Annual Breakfast with the Bears event happening July 7th at CALM!

Can't make the event, but want to contribute to our NEW bear platform?! Click the link below to donate today! Cyd and Louie can't WAIT to see you better 👀🐻

Donate here: bit.ly/bwtb2024

06/05/2024

We are so excited to see Summer STEAM Camps out at CALM again this summer!

For the next 6 weeks, CALM will see hundreds of 3rd-6th grade students from Fairfax, Arvin, Kernville, Edison, and Vineland. They are going to learn all things Science, Technology and beyond! Thank you to the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office, KCSOS, for coordinating these awesome experiences for the kids of Kern County.

06/01/2024

NEW SUMMER TRAIN HOURS!

Starting TODAY through September 29, 2024, our Central California Children's Railroad will be changing its operating hours and will run on Saturday's and Sunday's 9am - 1pm. We hope this new change will help everyone beat the Bakersfield heat!

05/31/2024

Breakfast with the Bears is back again this year and is set for July 7 at 8am. We invite the community to enjoy coffee, juice, and various breakfast treats while the bears enjoy their own breakfast and new treats!

All funds from this campaign will go toward building a brand new viewing platform at the bears habitat so guests will be able to get closer to the action. Here are some other ways you can give:

1 - We are offering exclusive merch for this campaign which will help CALM raise funds for needed animal enrichment programs. Purchase your favorite style of shirt here and wear it on July 7: www.bonfire.com/bwtb2024/

2 - We are bringing back an exciting opportunity to get behind the scenes and meet our bears up close and personal to raise funds for enrichment toys (like giant strips of bacon). Enrichment are necessary items and methods we use to stimulate the physical and psychological wellbeing of our animals and can be very costly.

If you and up to 3 guests would like to go behind the scenes, fill out the form and pledge to donate $500 (you only have to pay the $500 if you are selected): https://forms.gle/xx8CNczsG97NCEKS6

3 - If you just want to help support in an easier way, you can donate directly to this campaign here: https://bit.ly/bwtb2024

There is no additional cost for this event. Guests will just pay admission ($10 per adult, $7 per senior, $6 per children ages 3-12 and children under 3 are free).

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or send us a message!

05/29/2024

The heat is upon us, Kern County, and Odie here is very grateful for the misters. Thank you Animal Keeper Kimberley, for capturing this sweet face of satisfaction!

05/19/2024

We had a roaring good time at our 41st Birthday Bash yesterday! A huge THANK YOU to our community for being part of our journey.

Also, a special thank you to all of our community partners who had booths and celebrated with us:

Kern County Sherriff’s Department ()
Murphy’s Treasures ()
Kern County Scottish Society
USDA Forest Service and Smokey Bear (.s.forestservice)
Bakersfield School of Fine Arts and Music ()
Pixie Stitch Studio
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (.dfw)
Wind Wolves Preserve ()
Community Connection for Child Care ()
El Tejon Conservancy
Kern County Probation Department ()
Bakersfield Police Department ()
Carnival and Yard Games
Hunsaker’s Food Services
Mallory Event Services

🌿🎂🐻

05/17/2024

Heading to CALM for tomorrow’s birthday bash? Here’s the schedule of events and our vendor map. See you there!

05/16/2024

As we work towards reopening our CALM Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, we are finding that the current electrical system needs some upgrades. In order to power incubators for babies and heating pads for orphaned animals, we need to have sufficient power to be able handle it all.

We respectfully ask the community for donations to directly benefit the work needed to increase the number of animals we can take in through our program. Alternatively, if you are a licensed electrician willing to donate time and materials, please reach out to Elizabeth Graff at [email protected] or by calling 661-546-8950.

The estimated total cost for the work to be done is about $4,000 – your support would be greatly appreciated.

Give now here: https://www.givegab.com/donations/new?campaign_id=179775&group_id=440313

05/16/2024

We have not done one of these in a long time but we are quite excited to bring back for two very special reasons:

1. Every person who guesses the animal correctly (we don't need the full species name) will be entered to win TWO tickets to CALM's 41st Birthday Bash for this Saturday, May 18. Please note - they can only be used for that day so if you win, please ensure you can attend!

2. This animal is now back out at CALM and is SO excited to see you all again with a newly painted habitat, courtesy of the Chevron Compliance Department!

We will select a winner 24 hours after this is posted (Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m.) so get your guesses in before that. Good luck!

05/15/2024

We are THREE days away from CALM's 41st Birthday Bash! We wanted to take this time to remind you to buy tickets to our Birthday Basket, which includes lots of goodies from CALM and a family membership to CALM. As always, all proceeds go back to helping us help wildlife.

The birthday festivities start on Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. You won't want to miss out!

05/09/2024

Raptor Round Habitats are currently getting a much-needed refresh! We are currently updating the raptor's habitats with essential interior improvements. During this time, our golden eagles will be temporarily relocated to a habitat near the shorebirds – they would love to see you! We expect the Condors to return by the end of May. Our various raptors will return with the eagles and the vultures once all the work is completed. We appreciate our guests' patience during this process and look forward to welcoming you back soon to a revitalized space. Stay tuned!

05/08/2024

Thank you to everyone who helped us raise $3,730 for Give Big Kern yesterday! We appreciate the generosity and can't wait to put this to good use for our animals. ✨

Address

10500 Alfred Harrell Highway
Bakersfield, CA
93306

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16618722256

Website

http://calmzoo.org/visitcalm

Alerts

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Videos

Water is flowing once again at CALM! Both the pond near shorebirds and the water feature near the Reptile House have been turned on, much to the appreciation of the wildlife who come visit CALM. Given our proximity to the river, we are a natural ecosystem for a lot of native wildlife in the area. The trees, plant life, ponds, and creeks also attract animals from insects to mammals. Come check it out next time you come out to CALM 🌿

When nature calls…. Thanks Do the Math for welcoming Rex the Skink, Animal Keeper Mindy and CALM Community Engagement and Volunteer Facilitator Elizabeth Graff. It was a memorable visit! Do the Math

On Christmas Eve, we give thanks to Josh and Vicki Barnett & Lightasmic! for making HolidayLights possible! Their vision has made this year's show the best one yet. Join us in wishing them a very Merry Christmas!

This morning, we are celebrating the following businesses that provided in-kind support to the 2023 HolidayLights at CALM!

It has been a wonderful #NationalZooKeeperWeek and we are rounding out our spotlights with one of our newest team members, Karly! She started earlier this year and we are thrilled to have her! Thank you, Karly!

It's #NationalZooKeeperWeek and CALM has some pretty incredible Keepers, like Natalie! She has been with CALM since 2022 and we are so lucky to have her! Thank you Natalie, for all of your hard work!

We are continuing our keeper spotlights for #nationalzookeeper week by celebrating how great they are! Meet Mindy! She has been with CALM since 2018. We are very lucky to have her. Thank you for your dedication to CALM! #nationalzookeeperweek

Today's Animal Keeper highlight for #NationalZooKeeper week is Kourtney! She has been with CALM since 2020. Her passion for the animals is very obvious, just take a look! Thank you Kourtney for all you do!

We are continuing our celebration of #NationalZooKeeperWeek here at CALM and today we’d like to introduce you to Claire! She’s incredible at what she does and we are so lucky to have her. 🎉

It's National Zoo Keeper Week! Meet Chris! He's been with CALM since 2019. Thank you Chris, for all of your hard work! #nationalzookeeperweek

It's National Zoo Keeper Week! We have amazing Animal Keepers here at CALM, like Andrew! He's been with CALM since 2005! Thank you Andrew for all of you hard work!

Scruggs enjoys his enrichment

Our last post of the day is a video of Scruggs, our American badger, using his natural foraging skills to find the meat packed in each compartment. You can almost hear the "beep, beep, beep" as he throws it in reverse! We hope you enjoyed seeing some of our animals with their daily enrichment. If you would like to contribute, just check out our Amazon Wish List! Video: Animal Keeper Kourtney #calmzoo #americanbadger #animalenrichment

Good Saturday morning! We thought we would start the last day of Spring Fling at CALM with a jaunty little video of our "Easter Bunny" Scruggs, the American Badger. It's been a wonderful week and we hope you can join us today--we're open from 9am-4pm! Video: Animal Keeper Kourtney 🌼🐰🌼 #calmzoo #Springflingatcalm #Americanbadger #bakersfield #kerncounty

Good Morning, Kern County! Clear skies and sunshine is predicted in today's weather forecast. C'mon out and kick up your heels with Wolfie, Flappy and Peggy! Video: Animal Keeper Mindy #calmzoo #donkeys #ponies #kerncounty #zoolife

Cinnamon has made his annual Big Game prediction and it wasn't even close--he didn't even consider the Philadelphia Eagles! As you can see in the video, he predicts Kansas City Chiefs as the winner of the Big Game!

2023 KEEP CALM Jamboree Tickets on Sale!

Tickets are selling fast for our 2nd annual KEEP CALM Jamboree presented by Valley Strong Credit Union. The fundraising event for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ two outdoor education programs — Camp KEEP and CALM — will be held at CALM on Friday, April 21, 2023, featuring a concert by ultra-popular Yächtley Crëw, a Los Angeles band performing 70s and early 80s soft rock classics known as “Yacht Rock.” Check out our new promo video! For tickets, visit www.calmzoo.org.

VOTE FOR HOLIDAYLIGHTS

HolidayLights at CALM has once again been nominated as one of the best zoo light shows in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Poll. The 10 winning events, based on votes, will be announced Friday, December 16. You can vote once per day until the deadline of Mon., Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. at this link: http://bit.ly/3UkMfMi . HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!