Children’s Resource & Referral Discovery Museum

06/23/2026

Today, the CRR Discovery Museum was bursting with energy, laughter, and wonder as we welcomed Camp Elevate for an unforgettable field trip experience!

Hundreds of children from six different elementary schools filled the museum with excitement, curiosity, and imagination. From the moment they arrived, they explored every corner, climbed, built, discovered, experimented, created, and transformed the museum into exactly what it was designed to be: a place where children can learn through play and exploration.

There is something truly magical about watching a child encounter a new idea, ask a big question, or light up with excitement after making a discovery. Today, we witnessed that magic hundreds of times over.

To every student, teacher, chaperone, and Camp Elevate team member who spent the day with us, thank you for bringing your enthusiasm, joy, and sense of adventure. Your curiosity filled every inch of the museum and reminded us why this work matters so much.

Thwasn’t just visited today. It was fully explored, fully experienced, and fully alive.

We can’t wait to welcome you back for your next adventure!

06/22/2026

🇺🇸✨ Stars, Stripes & Slumber is almost here! ✨🇺🇸

Looking for a fun and memorable way for your child to celebrate Independence Day weekend?

Join us for a patriotic Pajama Party at the CRR Discovery Museum on Friday, July 3rd from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM! Children ages 5–12 will enjoy an evening filled with music, dancing, patriotic activities, games, and after-hours access to explore the museum exhibits.

🎧 Featuring DJ Pete from A Class Act Entertainment
🍕 Pizza & popcorn included
👕 Come dressed in your favorite pajamas
🎆 Patriotic fun all evening long

💲 Members: $10 per child
💲 Non-Members: $15 per child

📍 CRR Discovery Museum
705 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria

⚠️ Space is limited and this event is expected to fill quickly!

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register today and reserve your child’s spot. https://form.jotform.com/251977302172053

06/21/2026

🔨👨‍👧‍👦 Looking for something fun to do with Dad this Father’s Day?

Join us tomorrow at the CRR Discovery Museum for our Father’s Day Build & Play Celebration!

Spend the day building, creating, exploring, and making memories together with hands on activities designed for dads, grandpas, uncles, and all the special father figures in a child’s life.

✨ Included with admission:
🍿 Fresh popcorn
🍋 Lemonade
📸 Father’s Day photo area
🛠️ Hands on building activities and museum play

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t things. They’re moments spent together.

We can’t wait to celebrate the amazing dads and father figures in our community. See you at the Museum! 💙

📍 CRR Discovery Museum
🕙 11 AM to 2 PM
🎟️ Included with regular admission

06/20/2026

🦐✨ Tiny creatures. Big curiosity.

Did you know a child’s brain uses curiosity as a learning accelerator? When children become genuinely interested in something, the brain releases dopamine, which helps improve attention, memory, and learning.

That’s exactly why we love seeing moments like this. One child. One tank of brine shrimp. Endless questions.

Sometimes the most powerful learning happens when we simply pause, observe, wonder, and discover.

Come meet our tiny brine shrimp and see where curiosity leads. 💙🔬🦐

BrineShrimpDiscovery

06/18/2026

Thank you KSBY for coming out today!

The Children's Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County and the Santa Maria Police Department unveiled a new interactive Humvee exhibit at the CRR Discovery Museum on Wednesday.

06/14/2026

🦐🔬 Have you checked out the Brine Shrimp Exhibit at the CRR Discovery Museum yet?

These tiny creatures may be small, but they have an incredible story to tell!

Watch as brine shrimp hatch, grow, and swim through one of nature’s most fascinating life cycles. Under the microscope, children can observe these tiny aquatic animals up close and discover how something so small can play such a big role in the natural world.

Did you know?
🦐 Brine shrimp begin life as dormant eggs that can survive for years without water.
🦐 When placed in saltwater, they hatch into tiny baby shrimp called nauplii.
🦐 They are an important food source for fish, birds, and other aquatic animals and help support healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Our new exhibit gives children the opportunity to explore biology, life cycles, ecosystems, and scientific observation through hands on discovery and real living organisms.

Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the smallest creatures.

Stop by the CRR Discovery Museum and see if you can spot these amazing little swimmers for yourself! 🔍✨

06/14/2026

🎵 Help Us Fill the Museum with Music! 🎵

We are excited to be redesigning the music area at the CRR Discovery Museum, featuring an incredible Willie Nelson signed guitar and sheet music as a centerpiece of the space.

Now we need your help bringing the rest of the exhibit to life!

Do you have a guitar, keyboard, ukulele, drum, tambourine, or other musical instrument collecting dust in a garage, closet, or storage room? Instead of sitting unused, it could inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of music in hundreds of children who visit the Museum each month.

We are currently accepting donations of gently used musical instruments to help create a hands-on, interactive music experience for children and families.

If you have an instrument you’d like to donate, please send us a message or contact the Museum for more information.

Together, let’s put more music into the hands of children. 🎶❤️

06/08/2026

🚔✨ Something BIG is rolling into the CRR Discovery Museum! ✨🚔

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Reveal of our NEW Interactive Humvee Exhibit in partnership with the Santa Maria Police Department!

This one of a kind exhibit transforms a real SMPD Humvee into an exciting hands on learning experience where children can explore, imagine, and discover while learning more about the important role law enforcement plays in our community.

📅 Wednesday, June 17, 2026
🕑 Official Reveal at 2:00 PM
📍 CRR Discovery Museum
705 S. McClelland Street, Santa Maria

🎉 Enjoy:
• The official exhibit unveiling
• Interactive exploration inside the Humvee
• Family photo opportunities
• Meet and greet with Santa Maria Police Department representatives
• Museum fun for the whole family

⭐ FREE ADMISSION from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM ⭐

This exciting addition is all about inspiring curiosity, encouraging exploration, and creating meaningful connections between children, families, and community helpers.

Bring the kids, invite your friends, and be among the first to experience this incredible new exhibit!