Trip Planner:   USA  /  California  /  Santa Barbara  /  Museums  /  Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, Santa Barbara

(120+ reviews on the web)
Natural History Museum
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, formerly known as the Ty Warner Sea Center, is a museum located on Santa Barbara’s historic Stearns Wharf, owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum focuses on the marine life and the related conservation of the Santa Barbara Channel.HistoryThe museum reopened in 2005 after the building of a $6.5 million facility. The new building's major donor was businessman Ty Warner, also a local resident.ExhibitsLiving Beach: An interactive tide pool.BioLab: Depicts the biological life cycle of marine creatures, including sharks.Wet Deck: Focuses on oceanography and includes the "moon pool," which is an open well that allows access to the external seawater. A theater features videos about the Santa Barbara Channel and the area also features an interactive science lab.Mammal Mezzanine: Examines 36 species of marine mammals found in the area, including an exhibition about marine mammal language.
To visit Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center and get the most from your holiday in Santa Barbara, create itinerary details personal to you using our Santa Barbara itinerary builder.
Source
Create a full Santa Barbara itinerary
map

Plan your trip to Santa Barbara

  • Get a personalized plan

    A complete day-by-day itinerary
    based on your preferences

  • Customize it

    Refine your plan. We'll find the
    best routes and schedules

  • Book it

    Choose from the best hotels
    and activities. Up to 50% off

  • Manage it

    Everything in one place.
    Everyone on the same page.

Plans in Santa Barbara by other users

8 days in California BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, shopping, hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 12 days in United States BY A USER FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC August, kids, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 22 days in United States BY A USER FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC August, kids, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, kids ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 3 days in Santa Barbara BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, beaches, popular PREFERENCES: August, beaches ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 12 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES September, popular PREFERENCES: September ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 2 days in Santa Barbara BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES June, outdoors, beaches, historic sites, popular PREFERENCES: June, outdoors, beaches, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 13 days in United States BY A USER FROM CANADA August, teens, kids, relaxing, beaches, shopping, popular PREFERENCES: August, teens, kids, relaxing, beaches, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 11 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, popular PREFERENCES: August, outdoors, relaxing, beaches ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 17 days in United States BY A USER FROM GERMANY August, teens, culture, relaxing, beaches, shopping, popular PREFERENCES: August, teens, culture, relaxing, beaches, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 9 days in California BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES July, kids, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping, hidden gems PREFERENCES: July, kids, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 13 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM July, popular PREFERENCES: July ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 14 days in United States BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium
View more plans
Reviews
TripAdvisor
  • On the advice of a local we visited. If the admission was more than $12 I would have been extremely disappointed. There are a lot of dioramas and it's very much geared towards the younger crowd. It's ...  more »
  • The Sea Center is relatively small because it's on the wharf but they put a fair amount of activities in it. We got reciprocity on entry from our science center back home (Association of Science-Techn...  more »
  • We went to the Museum of Natural History Sea Center a few months ago and it was looking a bit sad. The touch pool was great, but there was a really pungent smell in the upper area near the kid's sort ...  more »
View more on Trip Advisor »
Google
  • Great little place on Stearn's Wharf. Perfect for children and adults. Friendly staff. Not very big but lots of fun, interactive things to do and a lot to learn. Those with sensitivities to smell will be cautioned to the plasticine dolphin upstairs. The odor is not too strong but definitely present. I wasn't bothered by it but others may be. Great views of the ocean and shore from upstairs.
  • It's​ a nice small museum. Kids will enjoy interacting in the tidepool tank and the shark touch tank. Also, they have a cool exhibit of jellyfishes (medusas).
  • Excellent location and we enjoyed our visit, but it's quite small. (Yes, I realize the pier location limits the size.) If you'd like a place to stop in for a quick educational experience, go here.
  • It's a bit small but has an awesome little area with glow in the dark jelly fish and stuff like that.
  • always fun for the kids. Looking forward to the new moxi musuem as well so I can take kids to both in the same trip.
View more on Google »

Best things to do in Santa Barbara

Popular
©
Wine Tours & Tastings
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 8​h
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 2​h
©
Alameda Park
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 3​h
Kid Friendly Attractions
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 3​h
©
Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 2​h
©
Santa Barbara Orchid Estate
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 2​h 30​min
Side Trips
©
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Simi Valley
Visit for: 1​h 30​min
©
Zuma Beach
Malibu
Visit for: 3​h
Butterfly Beach
Montecito
Visit for: 3​h
Hidden Gems
©
Shoreline Park
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 3​h
©
Moreton Bay Fig Tree
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 1​h 30​min
©
Casa de la Guerra
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 1​h 30​min
Tours
©
Food Tours
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 3​h 30​min
©
Helicopter Tours
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 2​h 30​min
Adrenaline & Extreme Tours
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 2​h 30​min
Nearby
Santa Barbara Adventure Company
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 3​h
©
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 1​h 30​min
©
Paddle Sports Center
Santa Barbara
Visit for: 1​h 30​min
Don't Miss a Thing. See & Do More.