Steph C.
Yelp
We had an hour to kill at the harbor and decided to check out the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. It seemed like a quick, easy thing to do with two little kids fresh off a boat ride on Lil' Toot.
Tickets were $12 each for me and my husband, and our sons, five and two, got in free. We bought them at the door from a friendly staff member. Zero hassle, and not many visitors on a Sunday at noon.
The museum was the size of a very large house, with just under 8,000 square feet spread out across two floors. There was plenty to see, but not so much that we weren't in and out in under an hour. We could've spent more time there if we'd read more of the text accompanying the exhibits. What I did read was interesting and educational, and I imagine we'll come back for a more in-depth visit when the boys are older.
There was a lot of neat maritime gack, including a sci-fi-looking diving suit and a beautiful retired lens from an old lighthouse. Honestly, a lot of the museum felt like it was geared toward children and/or nerdy dads, but I found plenty to enjoy, too. There was a Chumash tomol canoe exhibit, which was especially cool as we'd just seen a tomol in the water when we were on Lil' Toot. And I really liked an exhibit of photographs by environmentalist and photographer Chuck Graham, detailing the successful restoration of the island fox population across the Channel Islands National Park. Cute tiny foxes and a feel-good story, A+.
The kids enjoyed a periscope and a simulated boat ride where they got to sit and steer. They also played in the children's area, which had fun interactive exhibits, like a tattoo parlor where kids could sit and pretend to get sailor tattoos, and a hanging kelp forest where they could wander in and stick toy felt fish. There were arts and crafts too, as well as maritime-themed costumes.
I guess the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was funded by Charles Munger, who heard that some guys (probably dads) wanted to open a maritime museum and said, "Hey, I love museums, here's some money" (I'm paraphrasing). I'm glad he shelled out for this little museum on the harbor. It's a charming place, well worth a leisurely visit.