This seasonal history museum celebrates the area’s legacy and inhabitants over the years, including indigenous populations, gold miners, ranchers and winter sports enthusiasts. Look through archival photos and relics inside, and find old cabins (available for touring) and equipment outside. The museum’s centerpiece general store dates back to 1929; it was moved onto the eventual museum parkland in the late ’70s. The museum is operated by the Big Bear Valley Historical Society, and admission is free.
It’s easy to miss the entrance: If you’re heading there from Big Bear Boulevard, take Greenway Drive north until you reach a large grassy field across from the airport; the museum’s entrance is just past there on the right. Note that it’s only open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (Wed, Sat, Sun 10am–4pm).