10 with deals

Things to do in Santa Barbara

Tours & cruises, museums and historic sites — 32 places to go in Santa Barbara, California. 3 free to enter · most admission $6 to $40. 10 have a verified saving right now.

Tours & cruises in Santa Barbara13

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Museums in Santa Barbara11

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Historic sites in Santa Barbara2

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Farms & pumpkin patches in Santa Barbara2

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Zoos & aquariums in Santa Barbara1

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Parks & beaches in Santa Barbara1

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Adventure in Santa Barbara1

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Escape rooms in Santa Barbara1

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What’s on in Santa Barbara

6 places in Santa Barbara have something dated on, 17 listings in all, the 6 starting soonest below. Dates and wording are the venue’s own.

On nowAug 13 – Nov 29 · 10:00 amSeason

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara

SBMM Presents Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin

A playful, story-rich exhibition exploring the breadth of human emotion through bronze sculptures, silhouettes, and poetry by Susan Read Cronin. Visitors experience allegorical pieces that feel like fables and visual puns.

From $6 per personEBT rates · Season passes from $20
Pick tickets

“August 13, 2026 – November 29, 2026 at 10:00 am”

From the venue’s own calendar, sbmm.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

This weekendSep 27Event

Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara

Saint Barbara Public Art Walk & Exhibition Tour

Historian Neal Graffy guides visitors through the museum's exhibition and downtown Santa Barbara to discover Saint Barbara's image in historic buildings, public art, places of worship, and civic spaces.

Checked September 11, 2026

“Sunday, September 27 2:00 PM Location: Museum”

Quoted from sbhistorical.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

This weekendSep 27Event

Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Santa Barbara

Cantadores y Compositores: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage

A celebration of Hispanic heritage featuring cantadores and compositores at SBMA on Sunday, September 27 at 11:30 am.

From $6 per personmilitary rates
Pick tickets

“Sunday, September 27 11:30 am [Cantadores y Compositores: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage]”

Quoted from sbma.net · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Oct 1Event

Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara

1st Thursday: Free Dance Party

The museum hosts a free concert by local band Mezcal Martini playing danceable Salsa, Cumbia, and Latin music, with galleries open for viewing exhibitions and permanent collections.

Checked September 11, 2026

“Thursday, October 1 6-7:30 PM music 5-8:00 PM (galleries open)”

Quoted from sbhistorical.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Oct 1Event

Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara

1st Thursday: Hispanic Heritage Month Dance Party

The museum hosts a free dance party with local band Mezcal Martini performing salsa, cumbia, and Latin music, with galleries open for visitors to view exhibitions.

Checked September 11, 2026

“Thursday, October 1 6-7:30 PM music 5-8:00 PM (galleries open)”

Quoted from sbhistorical.org · checked on
Details on the attraction’s site →

Free in Santa Barbara

4 attractions in Santa Barbara get you in for nothing, in the venue’s own words.

All free things to do in California →

Santa Barbara's attractions lean heavily toward water-based activities and museums. Explore Channel Islands – Alolkoy – Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Adventure Company both operate guided kayaking and snorkeling expeditions in Channel Islands National Park, while Santa Barbara Trolley carries visitors on fully narrated ninety-minute tours of the city itself. For museums, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation offers three floors of hands-on exhibits and activities, the Santa Barbara Zoo invites visitors to walk among giraffes, flamingos, California condors, and toucans, and Old Mission Santa Barbara, established in 1786 and the only California mission under continuous Franciscan guidance since its founding, offers self-guided tours through its Mission Museum where visitors examine artifacts. Additional water excursions depart from the harbor: Condor Express Whale Watching, Double Dolphin Cruises, Land Shark's 90-minute amphibious adventures, Santa Barbara Whale Watch, and Celebration Cruises all provide coastal experiences. The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library houses the largest collection of dolls and teddy bears in the United States, with over four thousand items displayed in one hundred fifty cases.

What this list covers

Santa Barbara has 32 places to go, mostly tours & cruises (13), museums (11), historic sites (2).

22 of them publish an admission price, 16 publish opening hours, 6 have something dated on now, 10 are running a verified saving.

Every figure here was read on the attraction’s own website, most recently on September 23, 2026.

How we know these are real

Savings here are quoted from the attraction’s own website, word for word. This one, for example:

“Museums for All program, offering discounted admission pricing to anyone presenting an EBT card, SNAP benefits, or receiving food assistance in the United States (any state). All individuals in the same group can receive the Museums for All discount by showing an EBT card when entering the museum.”

Quoted from sbmm.org · checked on

Common questions

How many attractions in Santa Barbara are running a deal?
10 of the 32 attractions in Santa Barbara currently have a verified saving, covering 21 offers in total. Each is quoted from the attraction’s own website.
How much do things to do in Santa Barbara cost?
Most admission in Santa Barbara runs $6 to $40 per person, and 3 places are free to enter. Published prices run from $63.56 to $100 — $63.56 at Celebration Cruises of Santa Barbara, $100 at Bellosguardo Foundation (Clark Estate), across 2 attractions in Santa Barbara that publish their own. Each figure is that venue’s own price line for what it names, which is not always plain admission, and each attraction’s page carries the rest of its rates.
What’s on in Santa Barbara right now?
6 attractions in Santa Barbara have something dated running, 17 listings between them. Each carries its own dates and the venue’s own sentence, and nothing is listed once its dates have passed.
Is there anything free to do in Santa Barbara?
3 attractions in Santa Barbara say on their own website that admission is free. We only say free when the venue does, unqualified — a child rate priced at nothing is not a free attraction.
What kinds of attractions are included?
tours & cruises (13), museums (11), historic sites (2), farms & pumpkin patches (2), zoos & aquariums (1), parks & beaches (1), adventure (1), escape rooms (1).
Are these deals guaranteed to still be available?
No. Every deal here carries the date it was last checked on the attraction’s own website and a link straight to the page it came from, so you can confirm it before you travel. Prices and offers change without notice.
Which attractions work best for young children?
Old Mission Santa Barbara offers children free admission. The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library provides senior free admission and fifty percent discount for all others. MOXI features three floors of hands-on exhibits and activities. Santa Barbara Zoo lets visitors walk among animals daily.
What can a family do if the weather turns wet?
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation has indoor exhibits. The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library displays dolls and teddy bears indoors across one hundred fifty cases. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum functions as an interactive museum in the Waterfront Center. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center is an interactive aquarium on Stearns Wharf.
Are there options for a full day with teenagers?
Downtown Detectives Santa Barbara combines escape room and scavenger hunt elements as an outdoor mystery challenge. Land Shark offers 90-minute narrated adventures combining land and sea exploration. Santa Barbara Trolley operates fully narrated ninety-minute tours. Multiple harbor cruises depart daily from Santa Barbara Harbor.