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Santa Barbara Museums
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (http://www.sbmm.org)
Located
just north of Stearns Wharf in the harbor, the Maritime Museum includes
a wide variety of exhibits on two large floors. Visitors can learn
about the Chumash, the original inhabitants of the Santa Barbara area,
through the Maritime Museum’s popular exhibit. It includes a 23-foot
wooden tomol (canoes) and artifacts dating back 10,000 years.
Other
popular exhibits include surfing, NOAA shipwrecks, traditional ship
models, and the otter and seal hunting. And be sure to visit Munger
Theater, shaped like a ship’s hull, to see exciting and informative
videos created by the Maritime Museum.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (http://www.sbnature.org)
Take
a short drive from the coast to historic Mission Canyon to visit the
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum meets and exceeds
its mission to enlighten the public to the world of natural history by
featuring halls focused on Santa Barbara’s natural history. Boasting
eleven exhibit halls, the museum allows visitors to understand the
region’s marine, mammal, and insect life, as well as the rich heritage
of the Native Americans and the Chumash Indians.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is well known for its significant shell and bird collection as well as its large collection of Chumash Indian artifacts. The Chumash exhibit is second in size to the Smithsonian’s exhibit. The museum also has a Sea Center location on Stearns Wharf. There you will find a focus on marine exhibits
Traveling
exhibits frequently stop at this wonderful museum so there is always
something new to discover. The summer of 2006 will bring a “Sharks –
bite size” exhibit to the Sea Center and a “Totally Frogs!” exhibit to
the museum’s main campus. Popular classes and camps are available
during the summer for ages 2-12 where children can learn about marine
life.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art (http://www.sbma.net)
Modern
and rich in many art styles, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art possesses
collections of European, American, and Asian art. Visitors also enjoy
photography, works on paper, a growing modern and contemporary area, as
well as Roman and Greek antiquities.
Currently, the museum is featuring three main exhibits. These include Master Drawings form the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China, and Taking Root: A Century of Migrant Workers in California. The museum constantly entertains new exhibits for both visitors and members to view and appreciate.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art possesses an extensive Library complete with countless materials on art history and art criticism. The Library emphasizes American, Asian, European, Latin American, Contemporary art, and Fine Art Photography in the collection of monographs, videos, art journals and periodicals, and more.
