The Natural History Museum of Santa Maria

10/09/2026

Shepard Hall Gallery in Santa Maria Public Library “Inspired by Nature “ Exhibit will be open today until 6. Stop in and vote for People’s Choice Award!

10/07/2026

Meet the jurists of the Inspired by Nature Art Exhibition, Drew Davis and John Hood!

Top honors and cash prizes were awarded to this year’s winning artists. Stop by Shepard Hall to see all the award-winning pieces and ribbons on display.

The exhibition will be here through November 2, so be sure to stop by and experience it!

10/03/2026

Congratulations to Linda Elder, winner of the Inspired by Nature Exhibit for her beautiful watercolor, “Let the Light Shine Through.” Her vibrant piece captures the color, texture, and beauty found in nature and is a wonderful example of the creativity celebrated through this exhibit.

Thank you to all of the talented artists who participated and shared their work with our community. All artwork from the Inspired by Nature Exhibit will remain on display throughout the month at Shepherd Hall. We invite everyone to stop by, enjoy the exhibit, and celebrate our local artists!

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

Join us for the Art Show Grand Opening this Saturday, October 3 at 1 PM!

Come see “Final Bow,” a powerful piece depicting the white rhino at the brink of extinction, along with an incredible collection of artwork available for purchase, ranging from $75 to $3,800.

Fine art raffle tickets are just $5!

The show is FREE and open to the public. Come enjoy an afternoon of art, support local artists, and maybe even take home a beautiful piece of your own!

10/01/2026

Celebrate 30 years of the Natural History Museum of Santa Maria with Inspired by Nature: A Fine Art Exhibition. Join us for the Grand Opening & Artists Reception on Saturday, October 3 at 1:30 PM at Shepard Hall Gallery. Enjoy local art, live piano, refreshments, a raffle, and People’s Choice voting. Free admission. We hope to see you there!

09/14/2026

California Native Plant Society -San Luis Obispo Field Trip
Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve
Saturday September 19, 9:30 am

This hike will be to the Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve, one of the last significant stands of maritime chaparral in the state. At 5,368 acres, it is situated between the Purisima Hills and the Santa Ynez Mountains near Lompoc. We will study the plant communities that make up this rare maritime habitat. Other points of interest may include a visit to a riparian section, as well as the location of CAL FIRE’s chaparral fuel management program for public spaces.

Meet at the southwest corner of Burton Mesa Boulevard and Harris Grade Road near Lompoc at 9:30 am (34.690413, -120.448280). For carpooling from the San Luis Obispo area, meet at Halcyon Park & ride in Arroyo Grande, south side of Highway 101 at the Halcyon Road exit at 8:45 am (35.123094, -120.59047)

Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, hat, sturdy shoes, and dress in layers for changing weather. A plant list with photos for Burton Mesa can be found here. There are no bathroom facilities along the hike route. Rain or threat of rain cancel or postpone this trip.

Please register and sign a liability waiver at CNPS website:
https://cnpsslo.org/event/burton-mesa-ecological-reserve-2/

08/29/2026

THANK YOU for your vote of choosing us as North Santa Barbara County’s Best Museum! We are delighted to have tied with Children’s Resource & Referral Discovery Museum!
We are proud to be celebrating 30 years of serving our community!

08/26/2026

The Natural History Museum of Santa Maria is preparing to celebrate 30 years of bringing lessons about birds, insects, rocks and fossils into local classrooms, with a two-day community event at Bien Nacido W**ery.
The museum will celebrate Aug. 29-30 at the w**ery, 3503 Rancho Tepusquet Rd., from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days and feature w**e tasting, food and ice cream trucks. Live music by Jon Milsap will run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and museum Co-President and naturalist David Kisner will give a nature talk.
Fifteen percent of sales during the event will be donated to the museum, and attendees will have opportunities to donate directly.
Read the story on SantaMariaTimes.com - https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/natural-history-museum-of-santa-maria-to-celebrate-30-years-of-connecting-community-nature/article_e8c4ffb5-32ab-4f45-8f43-ab0f08a24ffd.html

08/13/2026

Come celebrate 30 YEARS with us! Join is on Saturday August 29 and Sunday August 30 at the beautiful Bien Nacido W**ery. W**e tasting 🍷food 🌮 ice cream 🍨 music 🎵 A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the museum to help is keep our mission going! **etasting🍷