10 Museums to Explore in San Bernardino County

The McDonald's #1 Store Museum was housed in a replica of the former McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, opened by Ray Kroc in April 1955. Inside the museum is more than 80 years of artifacts. Everything ranging from the original BBQ-era to the current Happy Meal toy. Today, the original McDonalds location is still there, but now it's home to the Unofficial McDonald’s Museum. Emphasis on “Unofficial,” according to assistant curator Ezra Cabral.

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is a museum and research facility dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. It focused on America’s 16th president and the war waged under his tenure to preserve our Union. The original building was a one-room octagon with a limestone exterior inscribed with quotes from Lincoln. It was gifted to the city in 1932 by Robert and Alma Watchorn, whose own story—and that of the shrine itself—is rather remarkable.

Located on 10 acres of open land near the town of Joshua Tree, California, the museum contains over one hundred works of art, including large scale assemblages, environmental sculptures, and installation art created by the artist between 1989–2004. While giving the appearance of a salvage yard with tires, bathroom fixtures, TVs, ragged clothes, toys and vacuum cleaners, each piece has a story to tell.

Planes of Fame Air Museum is an aviation museum in Chino, California, and Valle, Arizona. The museum has many flying and static aircraft, along with several rare examples under restoration.The museum's collection of Japanese aircraft is the largest of its type in the world. This collection includes the only authentic airworthy example of the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter in the world. Many other rare aircraft are maintained in flyable condition.

This is an art museum of the California State University, San Bernardino main campus in San Bernardino, California. Its collections includes a world-class collection of about 200 Ancient Egyptian artifacts, a smaller selection of Italian pottery and Asian ceramics, African art and contemporary art. Rotating shows feature artists from throughout the region and country. One gallery of the museum is dedicated to exhibiting the work of the school's own art students.

The California Route 66 Museum is located on Historic U.S. Route 66 in Old Town Victorville, in the Mojave Desert within San Bernardino County, California.Constantly changing exhibitions follow the development of U.S. Route 66 from the time of early pioneer trails and railroads. Historic photographs and artifacts explore the impact of the highway upon the local economy and culture.

The San Bernardino County Museum is a regional museum with exhibits and collections in cultural and natural history. The museum exhibits and collections draw from the rich cultural and natural history of San Bernardino County, the largest county in the United States. Permanent exhibits include biodiversity, minerals, history, and anthropology. Special exhibits include regional art, and stories related to Inland Southern California.

The Western America Railroad Museum is a fun visit if you are in Barstow. The Museum is dedicated to sharing the history of railroading in the Pacific Southwest. It features both indoor and outdoor displays and is popular with railroad enthusiasts. Indoor displays include timetables, uniforms and other railroad memorabilia. Several locomotives and rail cars are located outside.

The World Famous Crochet Museum is a cute and quirky destination in downtown Joshua Tree. Shari Elf, a local artist, has created a whimsical world of crochet, screen printed clothing, patches, and other forms of art. It's a wonderful place to shop and take photos.

Yanks Air Museum was founded in 1973 with the goal of honoring and preserving the history of American aviation. The collection exceeds 190 aircraft, with some being the last survivors of their type. Yanks restores all aircraft to airworthy condition, and in the restoration of these rare aircraft only original factory specifications and materials are used. It has grown into one of the largest collections in the World and includes more than two hundred aircrafts.