Things to do in Santa Barbara with kids
2 attractions in Santa Barbara • Updated May 2026
The best things to do in Santa Barbara with kids, all in one place. Santa Barbara is home to Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and a stack of history museums for families, plus easy day trips across California. Below are 2 family things to do in Santa Barbara with addresses, ticket info and age suitability. Use the search to find a specific name or filter by category.
Published May 2026. Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Working out when you can actually go? Our California school holiday calendar lists first day, last day and every break for the state's biggest districts.
Planning a family day out in Santa Barbara
We currently cover two places to take the kids in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Santa Barbara Zoo. Explore a canyon-set natural history museum that runs from dinosaur bones to the night sky.
Watch giraffes and penguins against an ocean backdrop at this seaside Southern California zoo.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is pitched at all ages. Santa Barbara Zoo is pitched at all ages.
2 attractions in Santa Barbara
Search and filter by category to find your next family day out.
2 of 2 attractions
History Museums
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Santa Barbara, California
Explore a canyon-set natural history museum that runs from dinosaur bones to the night sky.
Zoos Wildlife
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara, California
Watch giraffes and penguins against an ocean backdrop at this seaside Southern California zoo.