by The Wayfarer
🎧 Explore Bakersfield with Wayfarer’s GPS Audio Tour: https://wayfarerjourney.com/bakersfield
📱 Download the full tour experience and see the city on your own terms
Let’s get this out of the way: Bakersfield isn’t trying to be L.A., San Francisco, or Palm Springs. It doesn’t have beaches, it doesn’t do red carpets, and the skyline is mostly oil derricks and pickup trucks. But if you’re the kind of traveler who likes discovering places that aren’t putting on a show—places where the food is real, the stories are deep, and the surprises sneak up on you—Bakersfield is absolutely worth your time.
I’ve wandered the backstreets, met the locals, eaten the pie, and pulled over for murals, museums, and more taco trucks than I can count. So if you’re looking for stuff to do in Bakersfield, here’s your go-to guide—Wayfarer-approved.
1. Dive into Downtown: Murals, Music, and The Padre Hotel
Start your visit with a loop through downtown. The Padre Hotel, a Bakersfield landmark since 1928, is a great place to base yourself—whether you’re sleeping over or just popping in for a drink at the rooftop bar. It’s a mix of old-school glam and modern edge, and you’ll be just steps from public art installations, boutique shops, and local cafés.
Walk a few blocks in any direction and you’ll start spotting massive murals splashed across warehouses and alleyways—tributes to farmworkers, musicians, and Bakersfield’s blue-collar backbone.
📍 Bonus tip: Wayfarer’s GPS Audio Tour includes this mural loop, with location-triggered stories about the artists and meaning behind the paint.
🎧 Here’s where to start: https://wayfarerjourney.com/bakersfield
2. Visit the Bakersfield Museum of Art
Tucked into Central Park, this museum is a perfect mid-morning stop. It’s small, approachable, and surprisingly thought-provoking, with rotating exhibits focused on California artists and local themes. The sculpture garden out back is a great place to stretch your legs and feel a little fancy before your next round of street tacos.
Admission’s affordable (and free on First Fridays), and it’s also one of the featured stops on the Wayfarer tour, where you’ll hear about how Bakersfield’s art scene quietly grew in the shadow of oil rigs and auto shops.
3. Get a Taste of the Bakersfield Sound at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace
No Bakersfield list is complete without a visit to Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace. It’s part honky-tonk, part steakhouse, part shrine to a genre of country music that got its start right here. The likes of Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, and Bonnie Owens all passed through these doors—or played on this very stage.
Even if you’re not a country fan, it’s hard not to get swept up in the vibe. Think line dancing, neon signs, fried chicken, and Fender guitars hanging from the ceiling.
Live shows are ticketed, but walking through the lobby museum is free. There’s even a bronze statue of Buck himself, just waiting for a photo op.
4. Cruise Panorama Drive and See the City from Above
Want to see what Bakersfield is really made of? Panorama Drive runs along the edge of the Panorama Bluffs, offering sweeping views of the Kern River oil fields, the valley floor, and on clear days, the Tehachapi Mountains beyond.
It’s gritty, yes—but also weirdly beautiful. Think of it as Bakersfield’s version of Mulholland Drive, minus the traffic and real estate agents. There are walking trails, shaded parks, and plenty of benches to sit and watch the sun do its thing.
This stretch is also featured on the Wayfarer Audio Tour, where you’ll hear about the boom days, the black gold rush, and how this view once inspired California poets and photographers.
5. Eat Like a Local: Basque, Barbecue, and Beyond
If there’s one thing Bakersfield does exceptionally well, it’s food with soul. The city is famous for its Basque cuisine, a legacy of immigrants who came here to work the fields and herds. Try Wool Growers, Noriega’s, or Benji’s for a classic experience: family-style meals with oxtail soup, pickled tongue, beans, salad, spaghetti, and fried chicken—served all at once and eaten like you haven’t eaten in days.
Not into lamb stew? No problem. Bakersfield’s got killer BBQ joints, taquerías, and even a rising crop of hip cafés and vegan spots if that’s more your vibe.
Pro tip: Wayfarer’s Bakersfield tour includes food recommendations with backstories. Because knowing why a dish is famous makes it taste even better.
6. Visit the Kern County Museum and Pioneer Village
If you’re traveling with kids—or just have a soft spot for hands-on history—don’t miss the Kern County Museum. The outdoor section, Pioneer Village, features over 50 historic structures, including a one-room schoolhouse, jail, blacksmith shop, and the original Merle Haggard childhood home.
It’s part museum, part movie set, and makes for a fantastic afternoon stroll. There’s usually something happening—a school reenactment, an antique tractor demo, maybe even a wedding in the chapel.
7. Drive the City with the Wayfarer Tour in Your Ear
Let me give you the inside scoop: the best way to experience Bakersfield is with the Wayfarer GPS Audio Tour. It turns your car into a rolling storytelling machine, guiding you through neighborhoods, parks, and historic spots you’d probably miss otherwise.
Whether you’ve got a couple hours or a whole day, it’s the smartest way to see what makes Bakersfield tick—past, present, and future.
📱 Download it here and hit the road: https://wayfarerjourney.com/bakersfield
Final Thoughts
Bakersfield isn’t flashy, but it’s authentic. It’s not curated—it’s lived in. And if you give it a chance, this Central Valley city will reward you with art, music, food, and stories you’ll carry long after the dust washes off your boots.
So roll down your windows, cue up the Wayfarer tour, and get ready to explore the side of California that’s usually left off the postcard—but deserves a spot on your itinerary.
🎧 Your Bakersfield adventure starts here
Because sometimes the best stuff isn’t on the billboards—it’s waiting around the corner.
by xotatech.com