Our Mission
The Mission of the Maturango Museum is to preserve, interpret, and develop an appreciation for the natural and cultural history of the Northern Mojave Desert through research and education in the natural and physical sciences, and to promote the arts.
Founded in 1962, the museum is an important educational and cultural resource in Ridgecrest California. The museum has grown from its humble origin in a Quonset hut on the China Lake Navy base into its current modern facility of 10,000 square feet in Ridgecrest California. In addition to the exhibit galleries, which feature the natural and cultural history of the Northern Mojave Desert, as well as rotating art and photography exhibits, the museum sponsors many programs and tours, including tours to the world-famous Coso petroglyphs. The museum is an information center for Death Valley National Park, the Northern Mojave Desert, and the Highway 395 and 178 highway corridors.
Partner Organizations
The museum has partnered with a wide-ranging group of organizations in Ridgecrest, California and its environs. In addition, the museum has reciprocal agreements with an extensive group of museums and other organizations around the country. Those agreements allow Maturango Museum members to visit the other museums and organizations at no cost and vice versa. Below is a link to our reciprocal agreements
Community Impact
To obtain an appreciation of the scale of the museum’s impact on our community, see a summary of activities from recent years. Here is a link to learn more: