Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Email Format
Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosCalifornia, United States11-50 Employees
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum preserves and presents the maritime heritage of the California coast to the public in ways that aim to be informative and engaging. Located at Santa Barbara Harbor in California, the museum opened in July 2000 and operates as a community-focused cultural venue with ongoing programs and exhibits. Its recent and ongoing displays illuminate diverse maritime themes, including Purisima: The World's First Commercial Diving Lockout Bell, the shipwreck of the California Gold Rush steamship Winfield Scott, Surf Creatures, and Spill's Broad Reach about the 1969 oil spill and subsequent environmental activism. The museum belongs to the Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos sector and serves visitors, students, and community members seeking historical context about the ocean and coastline. In 2025, the institution unveiled the Deepwater Diving Monument at the harbor, reflecting its ongoing exploration of underwater heritage. Based in Santa Barbara, the organization is relatively small in scale and relies on local engagement to fulfill its mission.