Visit County attractions for family fun this holiday season

Looking for something fun to do with family and friends? Come visit the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, the County Museum in Redlands and our museums and cafés at Apple Valley and Chino airports. You can also enjoy the day fishing at our Regional Parks.

Big Bear Alpine Zoo

Since 1959, the zoo has been serving the community through animal rehabilitation for injured, orphaned and imprinted animals.  We provide a sanctuary for wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.  Our new expanded zoo is twice as big as the previous location allowing us to house and treat over 85 species of animals and birds. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo is open seven days week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free parking. Come join us today!

County Museum

Spend an extraordinary day at the San Bernardino County Museum where the fascinating history, culture and natural history of the region comes alive! The county is the largest by geography nationwide, and encompasses lively urban areas, gorgeous panoramic mountain ranges, and world class deserts with countless stories of the indigenous and migrant populations that have lived and

traveled to this place over thousands of years. Visitors are encouraged to imagine, share, create, discover, and explore fascinating permanent and changing exhibits to connect with the natural and cultural history of our region.

San Bernardino County Museum

The museum’s core exhibits and public programs focus on areas of history, art, biodiversity, and earth sciences. Semi-permanent exhibits feature our remarkable mineral collection, historical artifacts about the citrus industry in the “Orange Empire,” and the amazing fossils of the Mojave Desert and surrounding areas.

The Hall of Biodiversity features our renowned collection of regional bird specimens and eggs, including a magnificent California Condor, as well as mammals that are at risk or endangered in California.

Connect with us by visiting our website and social media pages frequently as there is always something new happening at the San Bernardino County Museum. General admission is $10 (adults), $8 (military or seniors), $7 (students), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under as well as Museum Association members are free.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands and open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, visit www.sbcounty.gov/museum or call (909) 387-8608.

Regional Parks Trout Fishing

Head to San Bernardino County Regional Parks for trout fishing at Cucamonga-Guasti, Glen Helen, Mojave Narrows and Yucaipa regional parks during this holiday break. We are stocking our lakes every week with trout through March 2023. Our parks are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except on Christmas day; we will be closed).

Parks admission and fishing permit apply. A state fishing license is required for ages 16+. For fishing info and link to purchase a state fishing license, visit parks.sbcounty.gov/park-fishing.

Apple Valley Airport

Little Aviator Café

A family-owned business is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and serves American breakfast and lunch comfort food items. Indoor dining as well as an outdoor patio is available and located near the runway at Apple Valley Airport. Many visitors fly in for breakfast or lunch or stop by to watch planes fly in or out of the airport. For more information about the café, visit www.littleaviatorcafe.com.

Pilot Mike Mangold remembered

On display in the airport lobby next to the Little Aviator Café are trophies and memorabilia of three-time world champion and aerobatic pilot Mike Mangold, who won the Red Bull Air Race World Series Championships in 2004, 2005 and 2007, the Reno Air Race Jet Class, as well as other state and national aerobatic championships. Tragically, on Dec. 6, 2015 Mangold and passenger Geza Decsy died when his single-engine Aero Vodochody L-39 jet crashed shortly after takeoff from the Apple Valley Airport. Mangold, an aviation icon is best remembered locally as a flight instructor for Midfield Aviation, a flight school located inside the airport. 

For more information about Apple Valley Airport, visit airports.sbcounty.gov/apple-valley-airport. The café is located inside the airport lobby at 21600 Corwin Road, Apple Valley.

Chino Airport

Planes of Fame Air Museum

Located at Chino Airport, this museum houses seven hangars of aircraft with several additional buildings including the Aviation Discovery Center, the Research Library, the Model Room, and a small theater. For museum hours and events, visit planesoffame.org. The museum is at 14998 Cal Aero Dr., in Chino, or call (909) 597-3722.

Yanks Air Museum

Located at Chino Airport, this museum hosts one of the world’s largest aircraft collections, most of them airworthy. Rebuilding American aviation history and returning craft to their original state. For museum hours and events, visit www.yanksair.org. The museum is located at 15121 Stearman Dr., in Chino, or call (909) 597-1735.

Flo’s Café

Flo’s Cafes is family owned since 1975 and has been serving up breakfast and lunch to the Chino Airport community ever since. Many visitors fly in for breakfast or lunch or stop by to watch planes fly in or out of the airport. For more information about Flo’s, visit www.floscafes.com. Flo’s is located at 7000 Merrill Ave., in Chino, or call (909) 597-3416.