Top 5 Ways to Beat The Heat

5) Driving Tour of Bakersfield

Explore the city from the comfort of your own car.

This self-driving tour guides you through 30 miles (48km) of changing topography, historic sites, cultural locations and, if you’re lucky, wandering peacocks.

4) Go to the Movies

The theater-going experience in Bakersfield is top of the line. Maya Cinemas boasts the most advanced speaker system in California along with MPX and D Box seats. The Maya is a great place to keep cool for a few hours.

Reading Cinemas (at Valley Plaza) is home to the only IMAX theater in the area. If you haven’t watched a movie in IMAX, then you haven’t watched a movie. It’s less of watching a film and more like living it.

Speaking of living it up, Bakersfield now has two theaters that serve alcohol.

AMC Theater features MacGuffins® Bar, and serves beer, wine and spirits. The leather recliners in the theater are reserved seating, so if it’s a popular movie, you might want to buy your tickets in advance to get good seats.

The new Studio Movie Grill is an experience unlike anything else Bakersfield has to offer. This full service bar and grill has in-theater servers that will bring you anything from popcorn, pizza or a bucket of ice cold beers right to your in-theater leather reclining seat. If you are a movie fan, but love the creature comforts of watching a movie at home, you will love the Studio Movie Grill.

3) The Bakersfield Museum Trail

This driving route connects four unique and family-friendly Bakersfield attractions – Bakersfield Museum of Art, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science, California Living Museum, and Kern County Museum. Along the way, discover some historic sites and points of interest, plus statues of both the first European visitor to our area and a giant Native American.

Your Bakersfield Museum Trail brochure gets you special savings at each museum. The more you visit, the more you save. You also can download it on-line at VisitBakersfield.com/MuseumTrail.

CALM is California’s premier native zoo and garden. Consistently voted “Best Family Attraction” in the Bakersfield Californian’s Reader’s Poll, its spectacular Holiday Lights – with more than three million lights – was voted “Best Annual Event.”

Take a walk through history at The Kern County Museum! Thousands of historic and cultural artifacts are displayed in more than 56 historic buildings on 16 beautifully landscaped acres.

The Bakersfield Museum of Art is one of Bakersfield’s finest cultural institutions. It is dedicated to engaging, inspiring, and building community through the arts.

Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science is a unique museum offering fun and educational experiences for all ages, it is home to a world-class collection of one-of-a-kind Miocene fossils (14-16 million years old) found in the foothills of Bakersfield.

2) Enjoy a locally brewed craft beer

Nothing beats a nice cold beer on a hot summer day. Bakersfield is home to a number of craft breweries. The local brew experts are true craftsmen who produce some of the finest beer in the country.

Lengthwise Brewing has been serving up local craft beer since the mid 90’s. Now with three locations, Lengthwise also host events like brewery tours, live music and yoga nights. They also serve great pub grub. Try the “Stinky Fries!”

Dionysus Brewing is a small craft brewery with big flavor. Their master brewers always have something new on tap. From their strawberry sour to their ever popular Hazy Mazzy IPA, Dionysus has something for everyone.

Temblor Brewing Company is a 14,000 square foot state of the art brewery, kitchen and active event and concert venue! Grab a burger and beer with friends or enjoy a night of comedy, pub trivia or line dancing.

1) Ice Cream Parlors

I scream, you scream, we all scream for the number one way to beat the heat… ICE CREAM! If you really want to enjoy the coolest spot in town, step back in time to a good old fashioned ice cream parlor.

Dewar's Candy Shop - World's Finest Taffy for more than 100 years- opened in 1909. Locally owned and operated they produce amazing ice cream and candies. You can even take a tour and see how they make that world famous candy.

Rosemary’s Family Creamery makes everything from scratch. From the ice cream to the hot fudge to the chocolate brownies, it’s all made on site and it’s all delicious. Family owned and operated, Rosemary’s will cool you off and appease your sweet tooth.