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

01/23/2025

While Raptor Round Renovations are still in progress, we have some residents moving back in! Our Turkey Vultures, Righty, Lefty, and TeeVee, moved in with our Crows and Raven. They are located across from the Condors. Come say hello - the weather is expected to be absolutely beautiful! 🌞

CALM is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays. We are closed on Mondays.

01/21/2025

Thanks to our friends at Do the Math, we have another amazing installment of Critter Corner to share with you all! Join Commissary Keeper Summer as she shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she shops and prepares Tina, our American porcupine, diet. 🥕✨

01/16/2025

In conjunction with our Roses or Roaches Campaign for Valentine's Day, we have a very exciting opportunity to get behind the scenes and meet some of our Cats of California up close and personal!

The purpose of this campaign is to help us purchase enrichment toys for our animals at CALM. Enrichment is the method we use to stimulate the physical and psychological well-being of our animals, and it can be very costly.

If you would like to sponsor this experience for $500, you and a guest will receive a surprise gift while also having the opportunity to meet some of CALM’s Cats of California. Plus, our Animal Keepers and cougars will prepare a special Valentine's presentation just for you! This amazing experience will be held on Friday, February 14 or another day of your choosing. More details will be provided once you are selected.

Please note that you will only have to pay the $500 if you are selected. We will draw the name of the winner on February 9 at noon. Fill out this form: https://bit.ly/BTSatCALM

01/15/2025

Sometimes, love is rosy; other times, it’s a pest. That’s why CALM is happy to celebrate love with roses AND roaches for our 2nd Annual Roses or Roaches Valentines Fundraiser!

From now until February 9, we are asking our CALM community to donate $5 to dedicate either a beautiful rose or a pesky cockroach to a special person in your life. Whichever you choose, we know a couple of animals who will be happy to accept the treats on Valentine's Day.

On Friday, February 14th, we will share videos of some of our animal residents enjoying their personalized roses or roaches. The choice between a rose and a roach will depend on the resident's diet, making it a fun and unexpected treat for them.

Link to participate: https://bit.ly/2025rosesorroaches

Please note that we will only use first names in the dedications to keep the event lighthearted and enjoyable for everyone. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind celebration of love and laughter at CALM! As always, all funds raised go directly back to helping CALM help wildlife.

01/14/2025

New year, same amazing hair from our beloved Tina the porcupine. She wants to know if your new year resolutions include visiting Tina during zoo hours? 👀

Visit us Tuesday - Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

📸: Animal Keeper Jessica

01/07/2025

Tickets are now on sale for the 4th Annual KEEP CALM Jamboree, presented by Valley Strong Credit Union, happening at CALM on Friday, April 25, 2025. This concert, benefitting Camp K.E.E.P. and CALM, will feature Yächtley Crëw, the nation’s most popular yacht rock tribute band!

General admission tickets are $100 and include the two-hour concert and beer and wine. Buy tickets now at calmzoo.org. 🎟

01/06/2025

Rebel, CALM’s female red fox, is putting her fluffy winter coat to good use during these colder days! She also wanted to let the public know that CALM is back to normal hours this week. Come visit us Tuesday - Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 🦊

Photo taken by Animal Keeper Kourtney

01/03/2025

For our final thank you post, HolidayLights would like to extend our sincere appreciation to two more incredible individuals.

First, we are sincerely grateful to Stan Eschner, a CALM Foundation Founding Member and CALM Board Member. The show would not be possible without you!

Second, this year's HolidayLights show was dedicated to Michael Hopkins! Your vision and tireless efforts set the foundation for this treasured community gem we all know as CALM.

Today and tomorrow are the final nights of HolidayLights. Purchase your tickets today at www.calmholidaylights.org.

01/02/2025

We’re still in all the feels from how amazing our New Year’s Eve Extravaganza was a couple days ago! A huge thank you to Entruity Wealth for sponsoring this unforgettable night at CALM’s HolidayLights. Mento Buru brought incredible energy to the stage, and it was pure joy seeing families celebrate and create lasting memories together.

Swipe through to relive the magic ✨

01/01/2025

As we ring in the new year, we couldn’t let this moment pass without shining a spotlight on the incredible partnership between CALM and Kern County Teen Challenge! Their support brings a special magic to our HolidayLights show year after year, and their mouthwatering sweet treats are always a crowd favorite.

We’re beyond grateful for their dedication and talent—thank you for making this season unforgettable!

12/30/2024

As we gear up for the final few nights of HolidayLights, we want to take a moment to thank our in-kind and cash donors. We couldn't have made HolidayLights this amazing without you!

Our final night is on Jan. 4. If you haven't made it out to yet, you still have a few more chances to experience the magic! Tickets are available at calmholidaylights.org.

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas Eve! While we hoped to celebrate the magic of the season with you tonight, the weather has had other plans. Due to heavy rain and flooding in and around CALM, we must unfortunately cancel tonight’s HolidayLights event (December 24) to ensure everyone’s safety.

For those with tickets purchased for tonight, Dec. 24, we would like to offer one of two options:

Refund – Receive a full refund for your ticket(s).
Free Exchange – Select another night to experience HolidayLights.

To let us know your preference, simply call or text us at 661-524-7416. Our team is ready to assist, and we’ll make sure to handle all requests by Thursday, December 26, end of day.

We appreciate your understanding and hope you all have a very merry Christmas with loved ones. Thank you for supporting CALM and HolidayLights – we can’t wait to be back on Thursday, December 26.

12/22/2024

Happy Holidays from CALM (and Dash)!

We hope your season is filled with joy, laughter, and magical moments. Just a friendly reminder that CALM Zoo will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24, Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1.

But don’t forget! HolidayLights will continue to shine bright every night except on Christmas Day. Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday season! 🐾🎄

12/20/2024

Save time, buy tickets online! As a reminder, on Fridays and Saturdays, we have timed ticketing options to help alleviate wait times on our busy days. Swipe for more information! ✨

Visit calmholidaylights.org to get your tickets.

12/19/2024

We are cutting prices on the rest of our Christmas tree stock! Starting NOW, our trees are priced at:

$15 for trees under 5ft
$25 for trees over 5ft

Come see us during HolidayLights or during the day from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. All proceeds go back to helping us help wildlife!

Photos by the amazing ✨

12/19/2024

Have you ever wondered why bird feet don’t get frostbite when they perch on icy branches or walk in the snow?

Birds have a countercurrent heat exchange system in their legs and feet! What this means is that their blood vessels are very close together and the warm blood pumping from heart to feet is close enough to the vessels that it can actually warm the blood flowing from the feet back to the heart. Bird circulation is fast so the blood moves too quickly to become frozen in the feet!

Birds do other things to keep their bodies warm. They shiver (the energy that is created by shivering gives off heat), they tuck their feet and bills into their feathers, they roost and cuddle with each other, and the fluff their feathers. A birds body heat warms the air between the feathers so they fluff up to create a warm air pocket around themselves.

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

As we gear up for the final few nights of HolidayLights, we want to take a moment to thank our in-kind and cash donors. We couldn't have made HolidayLights this amazing without you! Our final night is on Jan. 4. If you haven't made it out to #HolidayLights yet, you still have a few more chances to experience the magic! Tickets are available at calmholidaylights.org.

The 2024 HolidayLights at CALM, proudly presented by Adventist Health, is officially underway! This magical event wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our generous sponsors. Today, we are spotlighting our Jingle sponsors. Thank you for helping us celebrate 22 years of HolidayLights and for showing your dedication to our community. We encourage you to support these local businesses that make this cherished tradition possible. HolidayLights at CALM has returned as a stroll-through event, running now through January 4, 2025 (closed Christmas Day). Gates open at 5:30 PM and close at 8:30 PM Sunday through Thursday, and at 9:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t miss out—purchase your tickets today at calmholidaylights.org!

The 2024 HolidayLights at CALM, proudly presented by Adventist Health, is officially underway! This magical event wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our generous sponsors. Today, we are spotlighting our Blizzard sponsors. Thank you for helping us celebrate 22 years of HolidayLights and for showing your dedication to our community. We encourage you to support these local businesses that make this cherished tradition possible. HolidayLights at CALM has returned as a stroll-through event, running now through January 4, 2025 (closed Christmas Day). Gates open at 5:30 PM and close at 8:30 PM Sunday through Thursday, and at 9:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Don’t miss out—purchase your tickets today at calmholidaylights.org!

Did you know that bears experience winter dormancy? This is a natural period where they enter torpor, becoming inactive for days or months. It’s vital for their health and well-being to embrace this seasonal cycle. During dormancy, our bears will have full access to their dens and habitat. You might see them getting a little sleepy and spending most of their time snoozing, or they could stay completely dormant for weeks to months. Take a look at this helpful video that KCSOS’s KETN team helped us create to explain these natural cycles. During this time, CALM staff have created detours around the bear habitat that will help reduce noise. We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience if the bears aren’t always viewable during the winter as we navigate this pilot year of winter dormancy. 🐻

Our CCCRR volunteers get a lot of fan mail and we decided it was time to showcase these wonderful letters. Thank you to all the students who send us sweet messages after your visit - we sure do appreciate it! 🎊