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

10/20/2026

Join us at the Santa Barbara Fall Tasting Festival on November 7! 🍷 Longtime Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History supporter Margerum W**e Company will be there with something really special—this herbaceous and refreshing spritz made with barrel-aged, 15-year solera Amaro—one of many unique local tastes you can enjoy at the festival. 🍹 This is a celebration with purpose: proceeds support the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s science and nature education programs for children, helping inspire the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards. 🌿 The Museum’s festivals usually sell out, so purchase your ticket today: https://tickets.sbnature.org/events/019c5e4e-b86c-3736-8ff3-8ec2afd79087
General admission $125, early entry $165. Ages 21+ with valid ID only.
Margerum Amaro Spritz Recipe
- 1–2 oz. Margerum Amaro (depending on desired intensity)
- 2 oz. Sanpellegrino® Aranciata or similar sparkling orange bev.
- 2 oz. sparkling water
**e

10/15/2026

What’s your favorite animal from the Cretaceous Period? Fossil Preparator Ben Rotenberg, M.A., explains why—🦕 out of all the prehistoric fauna in our mini-diorama exhibit 🦖—he prefers _Didelphodon_!🦘 Plan your visit to Dinorama at https://sbnature.org 🦖 Exhibit runs October 17, 2026 through March 14, 2027. 📚 Read more about the early marsupial _Didelphodon_ in Wilson, Gregory P et al. “A large carnivorous mammal from the Late Cretaceous and the North American origin of marsupials.” Nature communications vol. 7 13734. 8 Dec. 2016. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13734 It’s open access, so anyone can check it out! The figure we show 25 seconds in is from this publication.

Join award-winning writer and wildlife biologist Sophie Osborn for a Santa Barbara Audubon Society talk on Tuesday, Octo...
10/14/2026

Join award-winning writer and wildlife biologist Sophie Osborn for a Santa Barbara Audubon Society talk on Tuesday, October 27, 7:00–8:30 PM at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to hear the often-untold stories of intrepid and dedicated women field biologists and conservationists. 🦅 Osborn will share a selection of examples from her inspiring new anthology, Wild Work, co-edited with freshwater ecologist Susan B. Adams. She’ll talk about the demands of scientific fieldwork, the lifelong friendships forged, and the transformative power of connecting deeply with the natural world. Enjoy readings of exciting and entertaining first-person accounts by women field biologists studying birds, fish, and wildlife across the globe. 📚 Courtesy of Chaucer's Bookstore, books by Sophie Osborn will be available for purchase and signing at the event. Find details and tickets at Wild Work: Adventures of Women Field Biologists
📷 Photos courtesy Sophie Osborn

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

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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