Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center

The Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center is a must-visit tourist attraction and travel agency located at 113 Harbor Way in Santa Barbara, California. Offering the best views in Santa Barbara seven days a week, this center is free to visit and explore. Visitors can enjoy two floors of historical and maritime art exhibits, as well as guided virtual museum tours with SBMM's Executive Director Greg Gorga.

Additionally, visitors can download a printable map of the Maritime Museum and exhibits, and the museum is available for private and corporate events for Navigators Circle members. The center is a partnership between NOAA, CINP, SBMM, and the City of Santa Barbara, providing information about the Channel Islands National Park, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and the Los Padres National Forest.

The Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center offers stunning views of the city, beaches, harbor, mountains, wharf, and nearby Channel Islands. Inside, visitors will find a mosaic tiled floor depicting the Channel Islands and Marine Sanctuary, a kelp forest mural, and interpretive displays about the park and sanctuary. Well-informed volunteer staff are on hand to provide information about whale watching, coastal cruises, tours, fishing, rentals, and more.

The center is staffed by dedicated volunteers who receive initial training and commit to one shift per week. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center is closed on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the first Friday in August for Fiesta. Don't miss the opportunity to explore this unique and informative attraction in Santa Barbara.