Santa Barbara Maritime Museum — Attraction in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara maritime museum a gem in history, good for all ages May 2023 What a delightful way to spend a couple of hours down on the wharf. We were greeted by Emmitt at the front booth, who was friendly and introduced us to the museum. When we enter the museum( self guided tour) we were awestruck by the quality of the exhibits and displays. There was a lovely docent Chuck B Who answered questions and was a great story teller of the exhibits. If we had more questions we was eager to fill in the history. The light house lens from Paris was spectacular and such craftsman ship in all the displays. We wandered up to the 4 th floor by the elevator to the lookout where were were greeted by Vince W. He offered to be our photographer on the overlook,and was gracious with his explanations of the harbor.

We stopped and thanked the front desk, and Bruce was helpful providing us with all the docents names. One set of stairs, elevator available, gentle easy walk. Groupon, Senior prices. Easy flat parking within walking distance. Lunch cafes close by. This museum has passion for the maritime history. Not to be missed ,good...

Went on a quiet, fair weathered Sunday afternoon. The fee to enter was reasonable and easy to take care of at the front. Throughout our wandering there was probably about 50 others in the spacious two floor museum. The exhibits ranged from photographs, artifacts, audio entries, and large installation. As a life long resident of the region the photography was fantastic especially from the turn of the century. The docents are friendly and while only one was on hand that day they were available many times while chatting with groups. The ships models are beautifully detailed and there are easily a dozen large displays and artifacts you can put your hands on and learn about. This museum is a great visit if you're looking to use an hour or two of your itinerary and the fact Brophy brothers and the restaurant attached to the museum are delicious only helps. It can be walked to from the beach nearby, but it's a little far and surrounded by marinas, so it may be better to drive over to eat and visit the museum and walk along the...

Delightfully situated on the waterfront, a pleasant 15 minute stroll from State street and Stearns Wharf (one carpark to cross), museum is packed full of historical artefacts, photos, models and information panels on so many different subjects, including a full size Chumash boat, enormous lighthouse lens (see photo), diving suit and helmets, and more. One of my favourite exhibits is the tattoo parlour where you can get 5 different nautical tattoos (temporary only!) A few technical exhibits were out of commission, suggesting that this under-visited museum needs more support. Friendly staff and good gift shop (please add postcards related to the...