california area living museum (calm)

What a great place to go especially during the holidays. You not only get to the the animals you see a wonderful light display so beatiful.

If you're looking for a large zoo, like Los Angeles, or San Diego, then this would not be the place to go. The times that I have personally been there, the majority of the animals have been up and about. Maybe a suggestion would be to call CALM to see when they're feeding the animals, and maybe show up prior to, cause we all know what happens when we're fed , and our stomachs are full. I'm sure that no one wants to stand around and watch me sleep. The zoo itself is very small, and the number of animals are limited, but it's a very nice place to take the family if you just want to get outta the house for an hour or so. I do however recommend the Holiday light show at Calm

It's been a year since attending the holiday lights here, but the third time did not disappoint. Any locals who have not bothered, are cheating themselves. In culinary equivalency, it would be like living in B-town (I hate Richard Beene's Bako) for twenty years and never having eaten in a Basque restaurant. Really spectacular - even on a foggy night. The gift shop is also kinda neat. Don't wait for an out of town guest to make the trip down the hill on Hwy 178. Other reviewers have provided accurate pictures of the year round activity here, but the signature late Nov to late Dec holiday lights event is awe inspiring.

Very small zoo. Animals were all sleeping. Stayed for an hour. My son spent most of the hour on the very small playground

This is a small "zoo" which features indigenous animals of central California. Many of the animals are young ones who were brought to CALM by rescuers. You can see a variety of native birds and mammals. You can also see indigenous reptiles and some insects. The animals are mostly in large enclosures, moats, or cages, but they seem happy enough in their own natural environment. The "zoo" includes a portion of the Kern River watershed next to the river, which is running pretty dry as of February 2015.CALM has special events during the year, such as the annual Christmas Lights.Be prepared to walk a LOT on inclined paths (I'm not sure about wheelchair access). Elevator or stairs are not needed... nothing is very steep, or two-stories-high.

Nice small zoo with a good variety of animals, very educational and beautiful. Even a petting zoo where you can feed the farm animals that was really fun. Had a good time. Staff was nice, and price entrance was good for what we saw.Drive a little further out and there's a beautiful park with lakes we had our lunch there, very pleasant and nice view we enjoyed feeding the ducks. We will be back. ...

We visited CALM Christmas Lights in Dec. A little gem. Kids loved the lights and rides. Bring lots of warm jacket, as it can get cold. Hopefully, it will return next year. Getting there can be a problem if unfamiliar with the area since some navigation will route you a few miles off course...ie in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

I had a birthday party there in April. The staff was really nice and accommodating to my needs. The only thing is that people would rudely walk right through our party to get to the playground. CALM is awesome. I encourage everyone of all ages to go.

Fun little day trip for kids. We really enjoy it at Christmas when they have the evening lights. Its a wonderful seasonal display

They do a wonderful job with their christmas lights. Many wonderful diplays to see at night.Nice place to visit in the day time all year round with out of town guests.

CALM is amazing at Christmas!! I started taking my children there for Christmas when they were 4 1/2 & 1. It became a Christmas tradition. This past year we got to start the tradition with our Granddaughter! She was 9mths old & was completely fascinated by all the dancing lights, music, lighted animated animals, loved the train & went nuts over the carousel! She had never been on one but you would have never known it! LOL!! I got her up on the horse, strapped on, put her hands up on the pole to help old herself upright. As soon as I got her situated she started giggling & kicking the horse to make it go! Everyone was cracking up at her & taking pictures! Made me a proud gamma with my comedian of a granddaughter! It was Priceless!!! Outside of Christmas time, CALM is a must see at any time! They have a wonderful assortment of animals indigenous to the San Joaquin Valley. When it's warmer the animals are more active. Make sure to go into the petting zoo!! Even if you have no kids - go anyways & be a kid!! Love this place!!!

Loved the CALM, very beautiful grounds, lots of animals to see... even a big black BEAR. Will be back for the Xmas lights!

We were on our way from LA to northern California. We had packed a lunch and stopped here to get out of the car, eat our lunch and walk a bit. They have a lovely picnic area under trees. There were lots of birds to keep us entertained. The walk around the zoo was enjoyable. The animals seemed well taken care of and their enclosures were clean and large. We spent about two hours here. It was very hot (high 90s). We would have stayed longer if it weren’t for the heat. They only have snacks in the gift shop and drink machines outside. We were glad that we bought bottles of ice water with us.

This is a lovely attraction but needs more shade. We visited on a searing hot day and the majority of animals could not be seen as they were hiding from the Sun. If the enclosures and walkways had more shade I think a visit would be more enjoyable. All the staff and volunteers were extremely friendly and brought smaller animals to us as we sat in the shade. The park area is great for smaller children.

A dedicated, friendly staff take great care of their animals and the grounds at CALM. Easy walk-around to all of the animals, and a petting area and playground for the kids. Also there are picnic areas available.