# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Bakersfield: the parent guide

> Bakersfield sits at the south end of California’s Central Valley, about two hours north of Los Angeles on I-5 and Highway 99.

- Last checked: 2026-10-30
- 5 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/llms.txt

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Beale Library (Downtown, 701 Truxtun Ave.)

- The main county library, with family storytimes and kids’ classes on Saturdays.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free outing downtown.
- Skip if: you need Sunday hours.
- Website: https://kerncountylibrary.org/events/

### Northeast Branch Library (Northeast, 2671 Oswell St)

- Toddler, preschool, baby and family storytimes, plus a Spanish storytime some months.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: Babies and toddlers.
- Skip if: it is Sunday or Monday.
- Website: https://kerncountylibrary.org/events/

## Parks and outdoor play

### CALM Zoo (Northeast, 10500 Alfred Harrell Hwy)

- A zoo of California native animals and plants in northeast Bakersfield.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids 3–12 $8; adults $12
- Hours: Tue–Sun 9am–4pm
- Good for: A cool morning outing.
- Skip if: it is Monday; the zoo is closed.
- Price source: https://calmzoo.org/ (checked 2026-10-30)
- Website: https://calmzoo.org/

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Kern County Museum and Lori Brock Discovery Center (Downtown, 3801 Chester Ave)

- A history museum whose admission includes the Lori Brock Discovery Center, a learn-through-play space for kids.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids 3–12 $5; adults $10; Kids 2 and under
- Hours: Wed–Sun 9am–4pm, last entry 3:30pm
- Good for: A morning with kids under 8.
- Skip if: it is Monday or Tuesday; the museum is closed.
- Price source: https://kerncountymuseum.org/hours-and-admission/ (checked 2026-10-30)
- Website: https://kerncountymuseum.org/

### Buena Vista Museum of Natural History (Downtown, 2018 Chester Avenue)

- A small natural history museum with fossils and rocks to look at downtown.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids 3–11 $6; adults $10; Kids 2 and under
- Hours: Thu–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm
- Good for: Kids who like dinosaurs and fossils.
- Skip if: it is Monday through Wednesday; the museum is closed.
- Price source: https://www.buenavistamuseum.org/hours-and-admission (checked 2026-10-30)
- Website: https://www.buenavistamuseum.org/hours-and-admission

## Free things to do

- Beale Library
- Northeast Branch Library

## Best for under 3s

- **Kern County Museum and Lori Brock Discovery Center**: Kids 2 and under get in free.
- **Beale Library**: Preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings.
- **Northeast Branch Library**: Toddler Time on Tuesdays.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Baby Bounce (Northeast)** (Kern County Library): Fridays at 10:30am on Nov 6 and Nov 20. Rhymes, songs and bouncing for ages 0 to 2. https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/NOV26-NE-KIDS.pdf
- **Baby Bounce (Holloway-Gonzales)** (Kern County Library): Tuesdays at 11am on Nov 10 and Nov 24. A baby storytime for ages 0 to 2. https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/NOV26-HG-KIDS.pdf

### Babies get in free

- **Kern County Museum and Lori Brock Discovery Center**: Kids 2 and under. https://kerncountymuseum.org/hours-and-admission/
- **Buena Vista Museum of Natural History**: Kids 2 and under. https://www.buenavistamuseum.org/hours-and-admission

## Library storytimes

- **Kern County Library**: Toddler Time Tue 11am and Preschool Storytime Thu 11am at Northeast and Holloway-Gonzales; family storytime Saturdays at Northeast. Each branch posts its storytimes in a monthly kids’ event guide. https://kerncountylibrary.org/events/


## Happening this week

- **Safe Halloween** (5–9pm) at Kern County Museum. $10 kids 4 and up, $5 adults, kids 3 and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/#e-safe_halloween
- **Costume Family Storytime** (Sat 1–2pm) at Beale Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/#e-costume_family_storytime
- **Magic Napoleon** (Fri 3–5pm) at Rathbun Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/#e-magic_napoleon

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Bakersfield: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Bakersfield for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Bakersfield good for toddlers?
Yes. The Lori Brock Discovery Center is built for young kids, and the county library runs toddler and preschool storytimes at several branches.

### Are there storytimes in Spanish?
Yes. Northeast Branch Library has Hora del Cuento en Español on Thursday, Nov 5, 2026.

### Are there free things to do with little kids in Bakersfield?
Yes. Beale Library and Northeast Branch Library are free or have a free entry. See [the free list](https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/guide/#free).

### What can we do in Bakersfield on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
Go indoors: Beale Library and Northeast Branch Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.

### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Bakersfield?
Kern County Museum and Lori Brock Discovery Center: Kids 2 and under get in free. Beale Library: Preschool storytime on Tuesday mornings. Northeast Branch Library is also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Buena Vista Museum of Natural History (Kids 2 and under). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/bakersfield/guide/#under3).

### How do you choose the places in the Bakersfield guide?
Every one of the 5 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 3 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 30, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the CALM Zoo for a toddler?
Kids 3–12: $8; adults: $12. We checked this on [its official site](https://calmzoo.org/) on Oct 30, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.