BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It’s probably the most famous landmark in Bakersfield. And now, after about three decades, its future is in some question. Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace is for sale.

Sixty years ago, Buck Owens helped put this town on the nation’s cultural map, revolutionizing American music with his own unique blend of rockabilly and Okie twang. Now the iconic edifice he constructed in honor of the Bakersfield Sound — an 18,000 square-foot honky-tonk cathedral — is, 18 years after his death, at a fork in its history.

Times have changed, economics have changed, and the Crystal Palace is no longer in the plans for the Buck Owens Private Foundation. The museum and dinner club, which since 1996 has hosted some of the city’s most memorable events, is about to go on the market for $7 million.

Jim Shaw, a longtime member of the Buckaroos and, at 77, still manager of Buck’s business affairs, says everyone concerned is hoping to see the Palace transferred to a party that will honor its legacy.

“Ideally, someone will come in here and love what we’re doing (at) the Buck Owens Crystal Palace and will carry that forward into the future,” Shaw said. “Operate it the same way, and the public wouldn’t notice much of a difference.”

There’s more at stake here than one man’s vision, however. The Crystal Palace, by some accounts, has in years past been the city’s No. 1 tourist attraction. 

Megan Simpson, who oversees the city’s tourism bureau, says the Crystal Palace is a vital part of the local tourism economy.

“For decades the Crystal Palace has been a top destination for people visiting Bakersfield and without it, I don’t know what that looks like for Bakersfield,” she said. “And for a place known for the Bakersfield Sound, we need the Crystal Palace.”

Could the super honky-tonk continue on with Buck Owens’ name, likeness and impressive collection of memorabilia intact? You bet. Licensing and management agreements involving the names of famous individuals are common, in Nashville and elsewhere. That would be an ideal outcome for the Crystal Palace and its adjacent Bakersfield arch — which, yes, comes with the deal. 

It also would undoubtedly be a positive outcome for the other entertainment venues that have, in recent years, taken up occupancy along Buck Owens Boulevard, such at The BLVD and Temblor Brewing.