Things to do in Santa Barbara with kids

Common questions

How many attractions in Santa Barbara are running a deal?

9 of the 36 attractions in Santa Barbara currently have a verified saving, covering 13 offers in total. Each is quoted from the attraction’s own website. Examples include Condor Express Whale Watching, Moxi, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Old Mission Santa Barbara. Check each venue’s offer wording and eligibility conditions.

How much do things to do in Santa Barbara cost?

Most admission in Santa Barbara runs $12 to $45 per person, and 3 places are free to enter. Published prices run from $40.45 to $159 — $40.45 at Celebration Cruises of Santa Barbara, $159 at Eat This Shoot That!, across 3 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, 12 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. Examples include Casa Dolores, Reagan Ranch Center, Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

What kinds of attractions are included?

tours & cruises (13), museums (13), historic sites (2), farms & pumpkin patches (2), escape rooms (2), zoos & aquariums (1), parks & beaches (1), adventure (1), trampoline parks (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.

What can we do on a rainy afternoon with our five-year-old?

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation offers three floors of hands-on exhibits and activities indoors. 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 throughout its galleries. Children under 5 ride free on Condor Express Whale Watching if you prefer a covered boat experience.

Are there things to do beyond museums and animals?

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden uses six miles of meandering trails across 78 acres in Mission Canyon to showcase more than 1,000 species of California's native plants. Downtown Detectives Santa Barbara is a team-based outdoor mystery challenge that combines elements of an escape room and scavenger hunt. Santa Barbara Trolley operates 90-minute narrated sightseeing tours of the American Riviera from downtown Santa Barbara.

Which attractions have current deals for our family?

Old Mission Santa Barbara offers children free admission. The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library provides senior free admission and 50% discount for all others. Santa Barbara Zoo offers an online ticket purchase discount, and active military families receive general admission discounts at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.