Ty Warner Sea Center

The Ty Warner Sea Center, located on Santa Barbara?s historic Stearns Wharf, is owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Sea Center enjoys a stunningly beautiful setting on the water from where visitors can take in both the dazzling Santa Barbara shoreline and the distant Channel Islands of California. The Sea Center offers a wealth of fun, interactive exhibits designed to introduce visitors to the incredible biological and environmental diversity of the Santa Barbara Channel.

Related Topics:
Stearns Wharf - Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - Channel Islands of California - Santa Barbara Channel

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Arriving in the Lobby, visitors are greeted by the ??Window on the Channel??, an interactive glass sculpture that provides a perspective on the Santa Barbara Channel and its importance to the region. Life-size, realistic models of a gray whale mother and calf appears overhead.

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In the ??Living Beach?? exhibit, visitors find an actual tide pool with waves rushing through it every 60 seconds, inviting them to an intimate observation of the remarkable creatures that live in these environments. At ??Demo Stations?? they can touch and interact with these unusual animals, assisted by helpful staff and knowledgeable volunteers.

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In the ??BioLab??, visitors explore with hands-on activities the amazing life cycle of marine creatures, from eggs to larvae to juveniles and adults, observe eggs and babies of sharks, and marvel at the denizens found in the deeper ocean amidst kelp forests.

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The ??Wet Deck?? opens to visitors the fascinating world of oceanography. They can assist staff and volunteers in lowering and raising equipment through a ??Moon Pool?? (an open well in the floor allowing access to the water below) to bring up samples of seawater, ocean floor sediment, and plankton. Examination of the samples reveals previously unknown worlds.

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Moving upstairs to the ??Channel Theater??, visitors enjoy an utterly captivating video introducing them to the environs of the Santa Barbara Channel, the rich life in it, and the importance of this wonderful body of water for human communities.

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In the ??Submerged Science Lab??, visitors further examine samples of seawater they have brought up from the ??Wet Deck?? below, check it for its ?vital signs.?

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On the ??Mammal Mezzanine??, visitors learn about the incredible diversity of 36 species of marine mammals found in Santa Barbara waters. At the ??Whale Karaoke?? station, they can learn about the ?language? marine mammals speak and record themselves as they try to learn that ?language.? An utterly unique experience is the encounter with a real dolphin and its anatomy.

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Returning to the first floor, visitors encounter a store with a wonderful array of high-quality gifts they can take with them as a lasting memory of the unique experience the Ty Warner Sea Center offers.

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Admission: The Ty Warner Sea Center is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. $7 for adults; $6 for seniors (65 and over), teens (13-17) and students; $4 for children (2-12). Children under 2 free. Museum members free.

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Directions to the Ty Warner Sea Center: Take US 101 to Garden Street exit, turn toward ocean. Turn right on Cabrillo Blvd., turn left at State Street to enter Stearns Wharf. Limited parking available on Stearns Wharf.

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