Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

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Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History We connect people to nature for the betterment of both.
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The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has two locations, offering guests the unique opportunity to discover and explore from land to sea. MUSEUM
2559 Puesta del Sol
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 682-4711

SEA CENTER
211 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-2526

10/13/2026

Come press algae for art and/or science with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center! Our upcoming two-part workshop at the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf starts with pressing algae on November 3 and ends with using the dried specimens two weeks later on November 17. Details and registration link at https://www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/9318/algae-pressing-workshop
🌿 **Featured algae in order of appearance** 🌿
Giant Kelp _Macrocystis pyrifera_ forms the foundation of CA's kelp forests.
_Sargassum muticum_ is an invasive species in our region.
Sea Comb _Plocamium cartilagineum_ Sea hares store its pigment and secrete it as ink!
Sea Lettuce _Ulva expansa_ provides food and shelter for intertidal organisms
_Bossiella orbigniana_
_Ulva intestinalis_

Tomorrow we’re opening the first museum exhibition ever devoted to Selby, a “British Audubon” who had a major influence ...
10/08/2026

Tomorrow we’re opening the first museum exhibition ever devoted to Selby, a “British Audubon” who had a major influence on other naturalists (Charles Darwin among them) but whose work is less well-known today. Selby was more interested in what living beings shared than in what divided them. His etchings illustrate his radically Romantic philosophy of nature as a set of interconnected circles in which creatures have affinities with each other. Come see Selby’s Circles: Art & Nature in Romantic Britain in the Maximus Gallery here at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, October 9, 2026–January 4, 2027. 🎨 Pictured: Edward Hastings, Prideaux John Selby (c. 1820, oil on canvas, unlocated; photo by Donald Macbeth c/o Natural History Society of Northumbria)

10/07/2026

What do maps, minerals, meteorites, prehistoric animals, and a legendary California geologist have in common? They’re all part of at the Museum, October 11–17. Most activities are from 2:00–4:00 PM. On the final day of this special week, we’re reopening a fan-favorite paleontology exhibit, Dinorama: Miniatures Through the Mesozoic, which will be open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and runs all the way through March 14. Everything is included with admission to the Museum! Plan your visit at sbnature.org

Celebrate National with fun, all-ages activities included with Museum admission! Meet earth scientists and learn about...
10/06/2026

Celebrate National with fun, all-ages activities included with Museum admission! Meet earth scientists and learn about rocks, fossils, and the planet. Wednesday, October 14 is National Fossil Day: National Earth Science Week. Join us 2:00–4:00 PM at the Museum to meet Fossil Preparator Ben Rotenberg, M.A., and Curatorial Assistant Liz Flint, J.D. Watch them work on real specimens from Channel Islands National Park. Learn about how fossils are formed and studied. Plan your visit at sbnature.org

Join us Friday, October 16 at one of two Astronomy After Hours showtimes to uncover the lunar surface and relive one of ...
10/03/2026

Join us Friday, October 16 at one of two Astronomy After Hours showtimes to uncover the lunar surface and relive one of humanity’s greatest adventures, the Apollo missions! This one-night-only planetarium show for Members and their guests will explore the Moon’s rugged terrain, from craters to ancient lava plains, and celebrate the astronauts who journeyed across its dusty surface. 🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘 Each quarter, our Astronomy Programs presenters guide you through a special topic presentation with a different focus prepared just for Members. Recommended for ages five and up. Free for Members, $15 for their non-member guests. Space is infinite, but planetarium seats are not—reserve spots for Astronomy After Hours while they last at https://www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/8961/the-lunar-surface-apollo-astronomy-after-hours-for-members

Help us kick off by celebrating the birthday of legendary Californian geologist Tom Dibblee! 🗺️ Join us at the Museum ...
10/01/2026

Help us kick off by celebrating the birthday of legendary Californian geologist Tom Dibblee! 🗺️ Join us at the Museum on Sunday, October 11, 2:00–4:00 PM for a celebration that’s included with admission. 🥳 Color your own geologic map of Santa Barbara and help assemble a geologic map puzzle. Feel free to bring a card or photo to add to our tribute board. More details about this and other Earth Science Week events at Happy Birthday, Tom Dibblee: National Earth Science Week. 📷 Photo of Tom Dibblee by Mary Bates

Want to support Monarch conservation with community science? Sign up to be a Western Monarch Count volunteer. Santa Barb...
09/29/2026

Want to support Monarch conservation with community science? Sign up to be a Western Monarch Count volunteer. Santa Barbara County has the greatest number of count sites in the state, including many in Goleta! Learn how to spot and count Monarch butterflies roosting in the wild. Counts run Oct 17–Nov 1, Nov 14–Dec 6, and Dec 26–Jan 10. Learn more and get started at westernmonarchcount.org 🦋 Photo by Sophia Copeland for SBMNH

Ophiolites are pieces of oceanic crust that have been thrust onto the continents. 🥧 They are relatively rare in the geol...
09/25/2026

Ophiolites are pieces of oceanic crust that have been thrust onto the continents. 🥧 They are relatively rare in the geologic record but can be found around the world, including near Lompoc and San Luis Obispo along the Central Coast of California. They have been used extensively to study the formation of the oceanic crust, and new research suggests they may provide important insight into other aspects of plate tectonics. Join us for Science Pub: Ophiolites & Plate Tectonics on Monday, October 12, 6:30 PM at Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant, where UC Santa Barbara Earth Science Teaching Professor Matt Rioux, Ph.D., will discuss his research on the origin of large ophiolites in Oman and Newfoundland and the implications of his work for plate tectonic processes. 🌍 No tickets or reservations needed, but note that Science Pub is a popular program. 🍻 Early birds get good seats, order food and drink at leisure, and enjoy a raffle to support science education and win Museum swag. 📷 Photos by Matt Rioux

Get unprecedented access to the latest findings about black holes, supernovas, exoplanets, interstellar comets, and more...
09/24/2026

Get unprecedented access to the latest findings about black holes, supernovas, exoplanets, interstellar comets, and more, coming directly from scientists responsible for helping us understand the universe in new ways. Starting October 8, Join Krissie Cook in Gladwin Planetarium on an immersive, interactive tour of groundbreaking discoveries from Goleta-based Las Cumbres Observatory. LCO is a global network of 27 telescopes at seven sites around the world, all working together as a single instrument. 🔭🌎🔭🌏🔭 This six-class course includes talks and Q&A with key LCO scientists involved in the breakthroughs you'll learn about! Find dates and details at Local Discoveries, Cosmic Implications: Six-class Course ✨ 📷 Sedgwick Ranch observatory photo by Las Cumbres Observatory

09/23/2026

We're super excited to welcome Catherine Breed of Swim California to Santa Barbara on Thursday, September 24, and we hope that you'll join us! Our community gathering will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Sea Center on Stearns Wharf.

Catherine is swimming approximately 900 miles along the California coast, from the Oregon border to Mexico, stopping in coastal communities along the way to share her experience and connect with people working to protect our waters.

At this special gathering on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, Catherine will share stories from her journey, followed by remarks from Ted Morton, Channelkeeper's executive director, about our work to keep local waters healthy and thriving.

We are grateful to the 's Sea Center for hosting this wonderful community event!

Please RSVP at the link in our bio or click here: https://tinyurl.com/mr2f9sb7

🌊Swim California Community Gathering🌊
Thursday, September 24, 2026
5:30 p.m. Pacific Time
Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
211 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
breed .seadreamers

Address

2559 Puesta Del Sol
Santa Barbara, CA
93105

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+18056824711

Website

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