The holiday season is officially underway. Today ̶̶ and every day ̶̶ is an opportunity to support local stores in your community. Gift stores are available at San Bernardino County Museum, Big Bear Alpine Zoo and Calico Ghost Town.
Museum Store
The holiday shopping season is well underway at the San Bernardino County and Victor Valley Museums, offering cultural and natural heritage gift ideas just in time for the holidays.
Find unique merchandise and gifts that reflect and directly relate to our collections and exhibits.
Proceeds from every purchase support museum programs and operations. They have something for everyone on your shopping list including local history and natural history books, field guides, and children’s books. Find the best hands-on learning items for kids of all ages including models, kits, crafts, tools and games.
Shoppers can visit the stores without paying museum admission. Just check-in at the admissions desk.
Museum Association members can enjoy a 10 percent discount on all purchases.
The San Bernardino County Museum Store is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Victor Valley Museum Store is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit our website at www.sbcounty.gov/museum for more information.
Big Bear Alpine Zoo Gift Shop
Looking for a one-of-a-kind gift this year? You can “adopt” an animal and support the zoo all in one place. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo gift shop offers the purr-fect gifts for any animal lover.
The gift shop features special animal-related gifts for all ages. The store has a vast variety of items like children’s plush animals, educational toys, unique jewelry and animal carvings.
You can also give the gift of a zoo membership and make great yearlong memories while supporting the zoo and local animal rehabilitation.
Tickets and membership can be purchased online or in person. Surprise your family and friends with a unique experience for Christmas!
The Big Bear Alpine Zoo’s gift shop is open for holiday shopping and is included with admission to the zoo.
The zoo gift shop is open every day except Christmas Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The best part is that proceeds from ticket sales, memberships and the gift shop help to fund the care of our animals.
For more information, visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo website at https://bigbearzoo.org.
Calico Ghost Town Shops
Aside from being a historical landmark and old mining town from 1881, the shops at Calico Ghost Town offer a wide range of unique gifts and mementos for everyone on your list for the holidays.
Located in Yermo, about 12 miles north of Barstow off Interstate 15, each shop has its own distinct character reminiscent of the old west and representative of the desert region.
From one-of-a-kind handcrafted Navajo jewelry and clothing to local rocks and minerals mined from the hills of Calico, there is something for everyone on your list, even your furry friend.
Calico Shops (click the link for a video of each shop)
- Calico Candle & Bath House
- Calico Leather Works & Indian Trading Post
- Calico R & D Fossils, Rock & Gift Shop
- Calico Photo Studio
- Calico Print Shop
- Calico Woodworks
- Dorseys Gourmet Dog House
- Lane’s General Merchandise
- Tour Calico Attractions
- History of the Schoolhouse (with Museum Curator, Jennifer Dickerson)
- History of the Cemetery (with Museum Curator, Jennifer Dickerson)
While shopping, you can explore an authentic silver mine from the 1880s, with mining exhibits and historical displays and explore the home of Lucy Lane, who was the longest living resident at Calico. Her house is now a museum. The old schoolhouse and saloon are also worth a visit.
Calico was an Old West mining town in 1881 and was abandoned in the mid-1890s after silver lost its value. The town that once gave miners a good living lost its hustle and essentially became a ghost town. Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950s, architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880s. In 1966, Knott donated the town to San Bernardino County, which operates the site through its Regional Parks department.
Today, people from across the country and from all over the world visit Calico. Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops, restaurants and offers camping, hiking and off-roading.
For Ghost Tours, visit www.calicoattractions.com. For off-road Silver King Mine Tours, call (760) 254-3050. For camping reservations, visit sbcountyparks.com.
Calico Ghost Town is open daily (except Christmas day) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $8 for adults, $5 for youth (ages 4-11) and children three and under are free. Calico is at 36600 Ghost Town Road in Yermo. For more information about Calico or any Regional Park, visit parks.sbcounty.gov.
Additional County Update News – December 8, 2023
- San Bernardino County launches Preparedness Starts Here program
- Board actions: Dec. 5, 2023
- County Office of Homeless Services welcomes Marcus Dillard as new chief
- Public Works director retires after 32 years with the county
- World War II and Vietnam vets receive high school diplomas through Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project
- Creating an entrepreneurship community in San Bernardino County
- Helping veterans: the power of partnerships in public service
- Support our communities, shop local
- County Sheriff and Fire Protection District share holiday safety tips
- San Bernardino County provides affordable spay and neuter vouchers to combat pet overpopulation
- Change in County Update distribution date
- Things to Do
- Pet of the Week
- Jobs of the Week