Southern California family guide

Things to Do in Barstow with Kids

Barstow is the high-desert Route 66 town everyone drives past on the way to Vegas — but it's worth a stop. The 1911 Harvey House depot holds two free museums (Route 66 and railroad) that train-loving kids adore, and just outside town the 1880s silver boomtown of Calico Ghost Town delivers a full family day of mine tours and gunfights.

Curated by Punita Patel

Reviewed & updated June 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.

💡 Local tip: The Harvey House museums are weekends-mostly and volunteer-run, so check hours. Calico's dusty streets and the candy-striped rocks of nearby Rainbow Basin are hot and shadeless — go early with water and sturdy shoes.

Things to do in Barstow

Museums & Learning

Route 66 Mother Road Museum

Tucked inside the gorgeous 1911 Casa del Desierto Harvey House, this free museum is packed with vintage Route 66 photos, signs and old cars that kids love. Pair it with a walk around the restored depot grounds, and time your visit for a weekend since it's volunteer-run.

Free (donations welcome)

Museums & Learning

Western America Railroad Museum

Right next door on the east side of the Harvey House, this railroad museum is a hit with train-loving kids thanks to real cabooses and locomotives you can walk up to outside. The indoor gallery is free, and the outdoor equipment is viewable dawn to dusk even when the building is closed.

Free (donations welcome)

Arts & Culture

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park

This restored 1880s silver-mining boomtown just outside Barstow in Yermo is the area's marquee family day out, with a narrow-gauge train, a spooky mine tour and gunfight shows. Wear sturdy shoes for the dusty streets and bring water — the high-desert sun is intense most of the year.

$8 adults, $5 kids 3–11

Museums & Learning

Mojave River Valley Museum

This friendly free museum near the Barstow Road exit covers local desert history from mammoth fossils to Native American artifacts and pioneer days. A quick, low-key stop that's easy on little attention spans, and the volunteers happily point families toward other desert sights.

Free

Parks & Hiking

Rainbow Basin Natural Area

About 8 miles north of Barstow off Irwin Road, this BLM area dazzles with candy-striped, multicolored rock formations that feel like another planet. The scenic loop drive is unpaved and best for higher-clearance vehicles, so check road conditions and carry your own water — there's none on site.

Free (camping $6/night)

Parks & Hiking

Robert A. Sessions Memorial Sportspark

This city-run sports complex on Mayor Katy Parkway has six ballfields, batting cages and shaded picnic areas — a solid spot to let kids burn energy. It hosts youth and adult tournaments, so it's liveliest on game days.

Free (field rentals vary)

More SoCal family guides

Big Bear Lake →Lake Arrowhead →Inglewood →Carson →Indio →Twentynine Palms →Yucca Valley →Stanton →Cathedral City →La Quinta →Coachella →Lakeside →

Browse all SoCal city guides →

Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.