Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Observatory

On 11 acres in Mission Canyon, the museum covers the region with exhibits on local birdlife, insects, mammals, and marine life, plus Chumash Indian artifacts, planetarium shows, and nature trails. Outside the museum, a 72-foot-long skeleton of a blue whale gives you a sense of the giant mammals that migrate through Santa Barbara's waters. The maze of galleries can be difficult to navigate, so...