Museum of Natural History

Museum of Natural History
2559 Puesta del Sol Road
Santa Barbara, 93105
805-682-4711 (General Information)
805-682-4711 x405 (Observatory/Planetarium)
805-962-2526 (Sea Center)
www.sbnature.org

Santa Barbara isn't really that big of a town. The entire metropolitan area probably has around 200,000 people. So this Museum comes as a bit of a surprise. The size of the museum, the complexity of the collections and the beauty of the grounds all seem like the museum belongs somewhere much larger.

Exhibits feature mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, plant life and geology of the Pacific Coast and Channel Islands. Exhibits also include dioramas of prehistoric Native American life. There are many special activities held at the Museum so be sure to check their website often for upcoming event.

Outside on display is an actual skeleton of the world`s largest animal ever, the blue whale. This blue whale corpse washed ashore at Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1980. The skeleton is 72 feet long and weighs 6,000 pounds. When alive this whale weighed about 140,000 pounds. Blue whales can live to be 90 years of age. This one was about 25 when it died.

Particulars: Open daily 10am-5pm; Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (3:00 p.m.), Christmas Day, New Years Day.

Admission: $10 adults; $7 teens/seniors; $6 children. Museum members and children under 2 are free. Free admission on the third Sunday of the month, except in June, July and August.

For information on public star parties and planetarium shows call 805-682-4711 ext. 405. For current events and programs call 805-682-4711

Directions: From the 101, take "Mission" exit. Drive to the end of "Mission" and turn left. Then turn right onto "Mission Canyon Road." Go past the Old Mission and then follow the brown signs to the Museum.

Ty Warner Sea Center

Ty Warner Sea Center
211 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-2526

Hours:
Open daily 10am-5pm; Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (3:00 p.m.), Christmas Day, New Years Day.

Admission:
Adults $8, Seniors (65 and over) $7, Teens 13-17 $7, Children 2-12 $5, Children under 2 free

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Ty Warner Sea Center is a fun, engaging, interactive marine education facility located on Stearns Wharf. Owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Ty Warner Sea Center fulfills the mission of the Museum to inspire a passion for the natural world.

Interactive exhibits, scientific discovery!

• Opportunities to work like scientists, sampling and testing ocean water, studying animal behavior, and examining microscopic marine life
• Live tidepool animal encounters
• A theater showcasing the wonders of the Santa Barbara Channel
• At the Ty Warner Sea Center, you will discover the fun science and the wonders of the natural world.
• Enter the two-story glass foyer and greet a 39-foot, life-size model of a California Gray whale and her calf.
• Crawl through a tunnel inside a 1,500 gallon surge tank to see the life of the ocean. Observe sea stars, urchins, limpets, and much more.
• Be an oceanographer for a day. Take ocean samples and view sea life close up through video magnifiers. Test your ocean samples to determine water quality.
• Learn about ongoing scientific research, get an update on marine mammal sightings, and sing along with whales and seals.

Directions:
Take the 101 to the Garden Street exit. Turn towards the ocean. Turn right Cabrillo Blvd. Turn left at State Street on to Stearns Wharf.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

1130 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-963-4364

Hours:
Tuesday through Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.
Monday closed.

Admission
Admission: Adults $9
Seniors $7
Students with ID $6
Youth 6-17 $6
Under 6 free

Daily tours are held at 12 noon and 1 pm and are included with Admission.
Cafe and Museum Store on site

www.sbmuseart.org

Founded in 1941, this is one of the nation's outstanding regional museums that features a combination of special and permanent exhibits.

Works from the permanent collection: 19th century French, British and American art, 20th Century and contemporary European, North American and Latin American Art, Asian Art, classical antiquities, photography, prints and drawings. Children will enjoy the interactive gallery.

Of particular note is the Asian collection located on the Upper Level. The works here are truly spectacular from both an artistic and historical perspective.

Directions:
Take the 101 to the Garden Street exit. Turn away from the ocean. Take Garden Street to Anapamu Street. Make a left turn onto Anapamu, then go two blocks to Anacapa Street. Turn left onto Anacapa for one-half block, then make a right turn into the public parking garage. Walk down ramp from parking garage to the Park Wing entrance of the Museum.

Reagan Ranch Center

Reagan Ranch Center
217 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
888-USA-1776
reaganranch.yaf.org

The Reagan Ranch Center, run by the Young America's Foundation, is a place where young and old alike can learn about Ronald Reagan and his conservative values through historical exhibits and dynamic educational programs.

Young America's Foundation Reagan Ranch Center is open for business, specifically, the business of reaching today’s young people with conservative ideas. Young America’s Foundation’s Reagan Ranch team is now occupying the Reagan Ranch Center and using this tremendous 22,000 square-foot facility in downtown Santa Barbara as a vital part of the Conservative Movement. The Center includes classrooms, a theater, meeting rooms, a library of conservative resources, Young America’s Foundation’s Reagan Ranch offices, and more. Many events for the Center are planned over the next year as they fulfill our mission to reaching increasing numbers of young Americans with the principles and ideas President Reagan so cherished.

About The Reagan Ranch

There is no better place to understand Reagan's principles, and his practical, down-to-earth manner, than at Rancho del Cielo, the "Ranch in the Sky." A much needed counterpoint to the constant buzz of Washington, D.C., Rancho del Cielo conveys the true spirit of Reagan. If you want to understand Ronald Reagan, says former First Lady Nancy Reagan, then go to the Ranch.

Just as Monticello and Mount Vernon convey the distinctive personalities of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Rancho del Cielo uniquely communicates much about Ronald Reagan that could not be readily gleaned from other sources. The very essence of his character is found here at the Ranch—his humility, his idealism, his diligence and hard work. Since Reagan built much of the Ranch himself, The Washington Post called it the "place to see the hand of the man" and "a true national treasure."

The Reagans purchased the 688-acre ranch in 1974, shortly before Reagan completed his second term as governor of California. The Ranch, overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley and the Pacific Ocean, reflects the endless vistas of freedom and possibility that Reagan considered the fundamental elements of the American experience. At the same time, the Reagans viewed the Ranch as a private retreat—a haven from the frenzy of public life. There, in a setting both rugged and pastoral, they could spend time alone or with family and friends.

Visitors to the Ranch have been deeply moved by the property. After a private tour, Pat Perrot of Northridge, California, wrote, "All five of us in our party have traveled widely throughout the world but none of us remember visiting any place that had such an enormous impact on our hearts and spirits as President Reagan’s beloved ranch. . . From the time [we] spotted his home nestled in that magnificent valley, we were overwhelmed by the sense of presence of that great man."

Young America's Foundation stepped in to save President Reagan's Western White House in the spring of 1998 to preserve it as a living monument to Reagan's lasting accomplishments and to make it the centerpiece of the student programs. President Reagan committed himself to reaching young people with his ideas—a goal that is also central to the Foundation's mission. Preserving the Ranch and passing on the President's values and ideas is Young America's Foundation's way of thanking Ronald Reagan for all he did for our country and the world. Today, Rancho del Cielo is a place of learning, a place of encouragement, a place of inspiration for generations to come.

Museums

Many artists make Santa Barbara their home, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is home to a significant permanent collection. Other art venues include the University Art Museum on the UC Santa Barbara Campus, various private galleries, and a wide variety of art and photography shows.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is located immediately behind the Santa Barbara Mission in a complex of Mission-style buildings set in a park-like campus. The Museum offers indoor and outdoor exhibits and a state-of-the-art planetarium.

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located at 113 Harbor Way (the former Naval Reserve Center Santa Barbara) on the waterfront.

The Contemporary Arts Forum, located on the top floor of Paseo Nuevo shopping mall, contains exhibits of new works in all media.

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum (free admission) houses a collection of historical documents and manuscripts.