Things to do in San Bernardino County – Welcome to San Bernardino County

This section focuses on family-friendly events that are sponsored by County departments including the Library, Museum, Regional Parks, Special Districts and more.

Join the fun at Regional Parks events this winter season

Celebrate Black History Month at the library

Join us as we celebrate Black History Month at the library. All county libraries will be hosting special storytimes throughout February. Come celebrate with us and learn about the amazing men, women, communities and cultures during Black History Month.

Click the link to find a storytime at a library near you. https://bit.ly/3SsRREB

Stimulate your imagination with Second Saturdays at Victor Valley Museum

Families can enjoy on-site themed art projects every month with Second Saturdays at the Victor Valley Museum (VVM) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2024 Second Saturdays schedule:

Feb. 10
March 9
April 13
May 11
June 8
July 13
Aug. 10
Sept. 14
Oct. 12
Nov. 9
Dec. 14

VVM is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military/senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under and museum members are free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov/events.

VVM’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

California Days returns to Calico Ghost Town Feb. 17-18

California Days celebrates early California history with a focus on California’s admission to the union as the nation’s 31st state on Sept. 9, 1850.

This family-friendly event will precede National California Day, which lands on Feb. 22 every year and will celebrate the people and culture of early California by hosting family activities, gunfight shows and reenactments along with educational displays on the state’s Bear Flag, Pony Express Trail, and Butterfield Overland Trail.

Serving as a natural backdrop to the Old West, Calico will travel back in time with a beard and mustache contest, arts and crafts, games and contests for all ages, pony rides, stories from the Pony Express, and a Pony Express relay for kids under 11.

Marking San Bernardino County Regional Parks’ 60th-anniversary this year, Regional Parks and Apollo Silver Corp. are excited to commemorate the third annual California Days event at Calico Ghost Town over Presidents’ Day weekend from Feb. 17-18, 2024.

There will be live music and entertainment with the Victorian Muse Theater at the Town Hall, classroom reenactment sessions from the 1800s at the schoolhouse and some Wild West street skits performed by the “Scoundrels Alley” Calico troupe.

The popular Dorsey Dog Delivery Game also returns and is a doggie scavenger hunt where owners and their furry friends search for clues throughout town to win the ultimate prize of a treat goodie bag and first-place ribbon from Dorsey’s Dog House.

Eventgoers can enjoy our fair-style food lineup with goodies, such as pretzels, lemonade and tater tot creations, or for very hungry appetites, the Calico Restaurant and Lil’s Saloon will be open. All the Calico attractions will be open, including Maggie Mine and the Calico Oddessa Railroad. Attractions are an additional charge. For attraction prices, visit www.calicoattractions.com/.

Mining event sponsors include Apollo Silver Corp., Cal Portland Company, EquinoxGold Castle Mountain Mine and Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, who will be onsite to provide educational mining history, information and displays.

With the celebration of the diamond anniversary year, California Days launches the first event listed in the Passport program eligible to receive a stamp. Visitors can obtain a free passport upon request at the entrance (or download at parks.sbcounty.gov/60-year-anniversary) and receive a stamp for visiting either a park or event listed on the passport. Beginning in December, passports with five stamps can be redeemed at any participating park for a free 60th-anniversary commemorative gift.

Calico will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 per adult, $5 for children ages 4-11, and 3 years and under are FREE.

For more details and a daily schedule of events, visit parks.sbcounty.gov/calico-california-days.

Calico Ghost Town offers full and partial camping at the park. Reservations may be booked directly online at www.sbcountyparks.com. Calico offers cabins, bunkhouses and RV trailers as rentals. Please call 800-862-2542 to reserve.

Calico Ghost Town is located off I-15 at Ghost Town Road in Yermo, just 10 miles north of Barstow. Follow Calico Ghost Town on Facebook at for event photos and videos.

Calling all stargazers! Museum Cosmic Nights returns for 2024

San Bernardino County Museum announces the 2024 dates for the popular Cosmic Nights astronomy-themed evening events in partnership with the San Bernardino Valley Amateur Astronomers (SBVAA) and the Riverside Astronomical Society (RAS). At the Victor Valley Museum, the museum’s branch in Apple Valley, the evening events are in partnership with the High Desert Astronomical Society (HiDAS). The public is welcome to view stars, planets, the moon, and other astronomical phenomena.

San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, 7 to 10 p.m.
Friday, March 15, 2024, 7 to 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 15, 2024, 7 to 10 p.m.

Victor Valley Museum, 11873 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley
Friday, July 13, 2024, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The evenings feature telescope viewing and an opportunity to discuss astronomy with telescope operators. Visitors are also encouraged to bring binoculars or set up their own telescopes. The events take place outdoors and visitors are advised to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Guests are welcome to set up portable lawn chairs and blankets for extended viewing.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Victor Valley Museum is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. The museum is open Wednesday through Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children five and under are admitted free. Museum Foundation members receive a 50% discount. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

San Bernardino County Museum unveils pop-up exhibit

Captain Joseph McConnell boarding the Beauteous Butch II aircraft

The San Bernardino County Museum unveils a special pop-up exhibit located in the lobby of the San Bernardino County Government Center at 385 N. Arrowhead Blvd. in San Bernardino. The exhibit shares a brief look into the life of national war hero, Captain Joseph McConnell, and includes replica aviator objects, medals, and other objects courtesy of Don Holland.

The pop-up exhibit is an extension of Military in the Mojave: A Commanding Presence in the Victor Valley exhibit that is currently on display at the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley.

“The military and those serving and those employed by the military have had a huge impact on our region both economically and culturally,” said Jennifer Dickerson, San Bernardino County Museum History Curator. “History is not one dimensional,” Dickerson said. “It’s important to highlight that diversity because it tells a complete story. It tells us who they were, how they shaped our county. Focusing on different groups like the Latino community and women in the military, it not only showcases where we came from, but it makes the museum more interesting and more accessible to everybody.”

The Victor Valley Museum is located at 11873 Apple Valley Rd. in Apple Valley. Museum galleries will be open during the event with general admission pricing, which is $10 (adult), $8 (military/senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under and Museum Foundation members are free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov/events.

The Victor Valley Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

San Bernardino County Museum extends “Power of the Press: Black Voice News @ 50” through April 2024

The San Bernardino County Museum announced the extension of Power of the Press: Black Voice News @ 50 exhibit through Sunday, April 28, 2024. The exhibit documents the transformation of the Black Voice News from a printed community weekly newspaper to a digital solutions-focused, data reporting news organization.

It also highlights not only the organization’s work as local government watchdogs but as recorders of Black life in the Inland Empire, including profiles of leaders making a difference in communities across the region, coverage of community events, mapping community assets, and reporting on the fight for social justice and racial equity.

Features of the exhibit include chronicling the power of the Black church, illustrating the impact of Black-led non-profit organizations, and documenting the legacies of Black professionals – doctors, educators, elected leaders, business owners and corporate executives.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military/senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under and Museum Foundation members are free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

Find your perfect match at our Adopt a Sweetheart Pet Adoption Event

Join the Devore and Big Bear Animal Shelters in spreading love and making forever connections.

All pets come spayed/neutered, microchipped, and receive most vaccines.

For information about animals available for adoption in San Bernardino County’s Big Bear and Devore shelters, please visit San Bernardino County Animal Care at animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets to see photographs of pets awaiting adoption or call (800) 472-5609. To donate to assist animals at the shelter, visit www.arffund.org.