U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology at China Lake

"Fun with the Family"

China Lake has been a research, development, and test site since 1943 and covers more than a million acres in Southern California’s Mojave Desert. The museum focus is on technical advances in the defense industry made at China Lake.
Soon to come: the refurbishment of an FA-18 Hornet aircra
ft, the first of twenty prototypes manfactured for China Lake in the late 1970s. Kids can see missiles, free-fall weapons, anda variety of other intimidating weapons of war such as a Tomahawk submarine, a Shrike, and a Maverick. More benign is the Lunar Soft Landing Vehicle.
Kids should find the actual Sidewinder missile to be especially awesome. On quite a different note, the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lakehouses the largest cache of ancient Native American rock art in North America. Little Petroglyph Canyon, the only site open for public tours, is about 1.2 miles long, withwalls 20 to 40 feet high. Elevation is about 5,000 feet. The road to the site is steep and mostly paved, with only the last 7 miles being dirt. The canyon floor is a sand and rocky wash bottom. Visitors have to negotiate over and around a variety of rocks and boulders to enter the canyon. From there, the walk is moderate.
The round-trip from the NAWS main gate is about 90 miles. To arrange for a tour, call the Corporate Communications/Public Affairs Office (PAO) at least two months in advance at (760) 939–1683. The PAO representative will explain how to coordinate
your tour and how to get assistance in securing NAWS-approved guides, mandated post–9/11. Questions regarding the petroglyphs may be directed to NAVAIR, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Code 750000D, 1 Administration Circle, China Lake, 93555-6100; www.nawcwd.navy.mil/.