Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center

fourth-floor
inside-fourth-floor

Experience Some of Santa Barbara's Best Views Overlooking the Santa Barbara Harbor. It's Free!

Open 10:30 am - 4:30 pm 7 Days a Week

The Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center (OSBVC) is a partnership between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Channel Islands National Park (CINP), Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM), and the City of Santa Barbara to share a wealth of information about the Channel Islands National Park, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and the Los Padres National Forest.

Holiday Hours: We’re closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and the first Friday in August for Fiesta. Please check our calendar for additional closings and private events.

Come Learn About Channel Islands National Park and Local Marine Life

Located in the Waterfront Center of Santa Barbara's working harbor, the Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center offers some of the best views of the city, beaches, harbor, mountains, wharf, and nearby Channel Islands. When visitors step inside the OSBVC, they see a spectacular mosaic tiled floor depicting the Channel Islands and Marine Sanctuary, the Rainbow Bridge legend, and fauna & flora native to the islands. An underwater kelp forest mural illustrates the marine life that inhabits our park and marine sanctuary, and the outside deck has several interpretive displays about the park, the sanctuary, and the kelp forest. https://www.lagyndr.com/buy-retin-a-cream/

Our well-informed volunteer staff can provide more information about the Channel Islands, whale watching, coastal cruises, tours, fishing, rentals, and more. Maps and brochures of things to do around the harbor are also available.

santa-barbara-harbor-visitor-center-views
santa-barbara-harbor-visitor-center-upstairs

Become a Volunteer

The OSBVC is staffed by dozens of dedicated volunteers who provide friendly hospitality and a wealth of visitor information. Some of the benefits that come with being a volunteer at the OSBVC are:

  • Working in one of the best viewing spots in Santa Barbara
  • Training sessions about Channel Islands National Park, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Los Padres National Forest and local outdoor activities.
  • An Adventure Pass from the Los Padres National Forest after 100 continuous hours of service.
  • Educational materials and posters from the park, sanctuary and forest.

The museum's Volunteer Coordinator provides initial training. This training usually takes about four hours and, upon completion, the new volunteer will feel comfortable staffing the center. New volunteers will be asked to commit to one shift per week.