Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center image

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center

Tourist attraction Museum Aquarium Science museum Natural history museum

Aquatic exploration center with live shark touch pools, a tidepool tank & magnified sea specimens. People often mention touch, staff, kids, animals, small, friendly, sharks, life, exhibits, aquarium,


Address

211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, United States

Website

www.sbnature.org

Contact

+1 805-962-2526

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (793 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Sunday: 10 am to 3:30 pm
  • Monday: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Tuesday: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Wednesday: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Thursday: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Friday: 10 am to 5 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: touch (14) staff (13) kids (12) animals (11) small (11) friendly (9) sharks (8) life (8) exhibits (7) aquarium (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Matthew P. 2 years ago on Google
    Wow. It was so incredible. Definitely a place for families as well couples, or even if your just wanting some individual fun.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Zoe R. 1 year ago on Google
    Located on the pier. Different admission prices. But if your and ebt card holder its $3 admission Friendly informative staff. Your able to touch different things. They have an upstairs level too
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Elliot S. 8 months ago on Google
    This place was amazing. The staff was friendly and it was very interactive and you could pet Sea Anemone's, Swell Sharks, Stingrays, Sea Stars, Sea slugs, and Sea Snails. You can also do this thing where you drop a grabber into the ocean and pull it up and look for animals in with a microscope or if they are big enough without. Overall highly recommend.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mariah B. 1 year ago on Google
    My kids love the sea center. Very interactive. They were able to pet sharks, anemones, sea cucumbers and more. The wet deck is great, see what is in the crab net every half hour and check out live organisms under the microscope. Go upstairs to see some Moon Jellies and more!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joseph Dandona J. 2 years ago on Google
    Located on the North end of Sterns Wharf this Sea Center has a nice variety of exhibits including a touch tank for small sharks and small tide pool critters. There are several tanks with a variety of sea life, and a tide pool display. This is a great place for visitors and locals to see some of the local sea life. There is a well stocked gift store as you exit. The staff is friendly and helpful and families with children should enjoy the interactive nature of the exhibits. There is a modest admission fee.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Randall K. 1 year ago on Google
    Masterpiece of brilliant collections from all over the world. The crystal exhibit was the best I’ve ever seen in my life. All the cases throughout the museum were spotless. The staff was knowledgeable and inviting. The planetarium was worth the wait and she put on a brilliant show. The butterfly exhibit was bliss and made very one very happy to enjoy. You had to be careful, but the staff was very nice how they relayed the message. I hope to come back on my next visit .:)
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cheryl Y. 1 year ago on Google
    This was a gre0at find while walking on the Santa Barbara pier. They had interactive exhibits, games, and videos. A wide variety of sea life and the history behind the Santa Barbara coastal sea life. Great for all ages.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 James L. 2 years ago on Google
    Relatively small but has interactive displays which the kids love. Staff is super friendly and one went completely out of her way to feed the octopus so our kids could see it come out from behind a rock. Located on the pier (parking can be an issue but there's a city lot nearby that's a very short walk there).
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marlène Da S. 2 years ago on Google
    As a volunteer at the Sea Center since 2020 I want to share my experience with the amazing animals and staff. First of all it's open for all, children and olders including people using a wheelchair (there is an elevator inside just ask for it) 🙌 Purchase the ticket on-site. The price for adults (18-64) is $12, Senior (=>65) is $10, teenager (13-17) is $10, child (2-12) is $9 and free for child under 2 years old and members. Open daily from 10 am to 5pm. There is a parking on the pieer (Stearns Wharf). Free for 90 minutes and then $2.50 per hour. $20 daily maximum. But it can be crowded, you can also find nearby city lots that also offer the 90 first minutes free. Volunteers and staff keep the mask but if they don't it's because they are vaccinated for the covid and choose to not wear it in that case they will wear a badge "vaccinated" 𝟭) Downstair you have all the touch tanks with awesome animals that you are allowed to touch. (Good moment to teach your children to be gentle with the animals !). You will be able to touch very friendly sharks, stingray, starfishes but also sea cucumber, sea urchins, anemones, sea snails. There is also the "wet deck" where you will learn about all the scientist tools used for studying the ocean and the animals. All the time you will be accompanied with volunteers and staff that teach about the ecosystem, the animals and to answer all your questions. 𝟮) upstairs you will find more animals in aquariums (no touch), with an abalone and marine mammal stand. Very beautiful and interesting, always with explanations along the way. There are no public toilets available inside. So use the one just outside the building before entering. Think to bring a jacket in case of wind, and short sleeves for touching the animals in the water. I can tell that all animals are very well fed and in a very good health (and beautiful !). They all do a very good job 👏 I think you have all you need now to enjoy your day at the sea center 😁 Welcome in Santa Barbara !
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Thomas C. 1 year ago on Google
    Really cool little museum and aquarium. Hands on exhibits where you can touch some fish, sea urchins, anemones, starfish, etc. The entry fee didn’t break the bank, either.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 MARIBEL H. 1 year ago on Google
    Informative and hands on experience. All staff is friendly and willingly happy to answer questions of all creatures in the exhibits. Although small it it's very pleasant.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Nancy D. 11 months ago on Google
    The place has some good information and stuff. There is staff explaining cool facts about the sea creatures you can touch in the tide pool and the shark/sting ray tank, which are their main attractions. My only complaints are: 1. This place is extremely small and in my opinion, their should re adjust the admission fees they currently have based on the size of the place. We saw the entire place twice in about 40 minutes, after my kids spent most of the time touching the sea stars, sea cucumbers, swell sharks, and rays. 2. They advertise themselves as National History Museum, so you would expect more information about sea creatures that used to live in the area and even fossils of them or so, but there isn't. Also in their website, they refer to the place as an aquarium, if it is an aquarium, is probably the smallest in the world.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sabrina M. 10 months ago on Google
    LOVE The Sea Center!! So many cool things to see and learn about. I love the "Touch Tanks" Christian M., is a wonderful docent! He knows amazing things about all of the creatures in the tank and in the Sea.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jenny C. 6 months ago on Google
    Only picture I took because it was very beautiful and I was too distracted reading, listening and appreciating everything around it. It is a bit small very simple but worth the visit. I enjoyed it but I think one time visit is more than enough.

  • 5/5 Neil L. 7 months ago on Google
    Hands-On tidepool exhibit. Lots of information about local sea life. It's interesting for kids and adults. Beautiful setting on Sterns Wharf

  • 4/5 Jaime R. 1 year ago on Google
    Interactive and educational small Sea Center. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Your kids will have the opportunity to touch small sharks, anemones, sea stars, sea cucumbers & more. Also you will be able to see a baby shark alive inside its egg, pull up a sea basket from the ocean to hopefully catch a sea creature :)

  • 4/5 NJ C. 7 months ago on Google
    Small aquarium experience. Perfect for families with small children. Ticket price a bit high for what you get - could be better or have more to offer

  • 5/5 Yele 8 months ago on Google
    Fun, exciting exhibits. Staff was very helpful. Even helped my younger child touch one of the sharks. Since she couldn't reach. Island Sand exhibit was very fun.

  • 5/5 Georg A. 8 months ago on Google
    We have been members for almost a year and went there almost a dozen times. It is such a cute place with a bunch of cool stuff that our toddler enjoys every time and it is a good place to take visiting friends as well. I personally love the laser sand table that allows you to play with the ocean currents and the sea horses in the aquarium.

  • 5/5 J S. 5 months ago on Google
    Small but lovely aquarium. Had a great time speaking with Julio, who was very knowledgeable and taught us about local sea life. We will definitely come back!

  • 4/5 Daniel S. 9 months ago on Google
    Excellent museum on the pier. Not a full day activity. It can easily be seen in an hour or two. We took my son for his birthday and he loved the touch tanks. The staff were really patient with the kids. The reason for only 4 stars is that the museum is small and we wish it was bigger!

  • 5/5 nado h. 1 year ago on Google
    It is the best place for kids to have fun and learn in Santa Barbara. It is an exciting place, and you need to visit with your kids. They can see fish and touch them too. They enjoy playing with sand. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and the place is exciting. It is kids’ number one place

  • 5/5 Ravemind 1 year ago on Google
    It's small, but there are some really interesting animals to see and interact with. Check out this beautiful/ crazy looking crab.

  • 4/5 Cheran S. 2 years ago on Google
    So this is an awesome LITTLE place to visit. I do emphasize little. However the exhibits they have are very nice and there are lots of friendly faces to answer questions and go out of their way for kids.

  • 4/5 CaliElise 2 years ago on Google
    Interactive center, great for little kids. Awesome to touch the sharks, anemones, starfish❤❤Staff is very friendly and great little displays to see. There are two floors, but it's not as big as it looks. I was expecting more. My ten-year-old was bored within the first 30 minutes. There are no washing stations or restrooms inside. Cute gift shop. Restrooms are outside of the building.

  • 5/5 Elana K. 2 years ago on Google
    This is such a neat aquarium! Right off the bat there's a large touch pool of nice lil sharky bois you can pet. It's very kid oriented and encourages them to be curious about sea life. There's one room where they pull sand off the ocean floor so you can sort through it and find any shells or lil living critters, I found a tiny sand dollar and lil mussel. The tanks upstairs are beautiful and well kept with a neat whale info spot. The gift shop is filled with so many treasures it was hard to resist. Definitely one of my favorite aquariums.

  • 5/5 Jonovan O. 2 years ago on Google
    Very cool! Love the petting ponds with sharks and starfish. The science lab is quite interesting, and some of the animals are amazingly beautiful.


Call +1 805-962-2526 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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