Bakersfield, California Attractions
Unusual landmarks, museums, roadside attractions, and hidden wonders in Bakersfield and the surrounding area. Town spawned in the Gold Rush era, crowned with oil pumps from the next rush, grown to a large Central Valley city. Bakersfield's proximity to I-5 and Hwy 99 make it a frequent stop for roadside attraction fans -- especially if seeking a Muffler Man or a building shaped like a shoe.
Sights for Oddball Excursions
Big Shoe Repair - Shoe-shaped Building
Bakersfield, California
Building shaped like a shoe where you can still get faulty footwear fixed.
The Great Mouse Invasion - West Kern Oil Museum
Taft, California
History of Taft and a region once dotted with 7,000 wooden derricks. Outdoor derrick, equipment...site of the largest rodent infestation in US.
Man-Powered Flight Memorial
Cawelo, California
1977 -- the world's first flight in a human-pedaled aircraft occurred here, now noted with a historical marker. There's also a local museum of flight.
In and Around Bakersfield
Choice field reports and tips. Or check out: Complete list of California attractions.
- Taft: The Great Mouse Invasion - West Kern Oil Museum
- Bakersfield: Big Shoe Repair - Shoe-shaped Building
- Bakersfield: Merle Haggard's Boxcar Home, Black Gold Oil Exhibit [tips]
- Bakersfield: Fisk Boy - Tire Mascot [tips]
- Bakersfield: Music Legends in Bronze [tips]
- Bakersfield: Muffler Man: Indian Warrior [tips]
- Cawelo: Man-Powered Flight Memorial
- Bakersfield: Giant Ant
- Keene: Grave of Cesar Chavez [tips]
- Taft: Lakeview Gusher - World's Largest Oil Spill [tips]
- Taft: Giant Oil Worker Monument [tips]
