Historical Markers
A group of people walking down a street next to trees - historic districts

On foot · metro area, California

Historic Districts in Bakersfield, CA

Whole neighborhoods listed on the National Register as districts, where the history is in the streets as much as in any one building.

Photo: Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

Ask anyone in Bakersfield, CA for something to do this weekend that costs nothing and the answer is usually a park. The Bakersfield–Delano, CA metro area has about 927,068 residents, ranking 62nd in the country. The better answer is the history sitting a few miles from the house.

On the record near Bakersfield, CA

The 12 nearest

27 listed sites on the record match historic districts within 120 miles of Bakersfield, CA, out of 10 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

  1. Giant Forest Village-Camp Kaweah Historic District83 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Three Rivers · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  2. Giant Forest Lodge Historic District84 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Three River · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  3. Pegfair Estates Historic District95 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Pasadena · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
  4. Yamashiro Historic District95 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Los Angeles · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
  5. North Harper Avenue Historic District96 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · West Hollywood · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  6. Winona Boulevard Mid-Century Modern Historic District97 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Los Angeles · listed 2024National Register of Historic Places
  7. Park Place--Arroyo Terrace Historic District98 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Pasadena · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
  8. Civic Center Financial District98 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Pasadena · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  9. Los Feliz Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic District98 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Los Angeles · listed 2024National Register of Historic Places
  10. Ridgewood Place Historic District98 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Los Angeles · listed 2023National Register of Historic Places
  11. South Marengo Historic District99 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Pasadena · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  12. 27th Street Historic District99 miles from the center of Bakersfield · District · Los Angeles · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Bakersfield, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Districts in Bakersfield, step by step

  1. 1

    Choose a starting point you can park at or walk to

  2. 2

    Load the loop and check the distance between stops

  3. 3

    Walk it at an easy pace and read each story on arrival

  4. 4

    Photograph anything that differs from the record

  5. 5

    Log the walk and let the map suggest the next loop

What people in Bakersfield, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Bakersfield, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

How close does a site have to be to show up here?

The list is sorted by straight-line distance from the center of Bakersfield, CA and covers sites out to about sixty miles. Most people find several within a short drive, and in older towns a few within walking distance.

Can I visit the sites that are private homes?

You can see them from the street, which is how most listed houses are meant to be enjoyed. Please do not walk onto the property or knock unless the site is open to visitors.

How a visit works in Bakersfield

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Bakersfield, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Bakersfield, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Bakersfield, CA

Historic Districts near Bakersfield

Historic Districts everywhere in the US · Every way in