Santa Barbara & Carpinteria Seals
Watch harbor seals and their pups from a bluff above the beach, then hit a hands-on science museum with a rooftop water play area and a small, walkable zoo.
5 hrs drive · 3 days · Best for babies to big kids · Dec–Mar
Day 1: Drive down via Solvang
- 7:30 Leave SF on US-101 south
- 12:00 Lunch and aebleskivers in the Danish village
- 1:15 Stroll Copenhagen Drive and see the windmills
- 2:30 Drive to Santa Barbara (about 45 min)
- 3:30 Check in
- 4:30 Sunset walk on the wharf and watch for pelicans
Day 2: Zoo and MOXI
- 9:30 Santa Barbara Zoo at opening: giraffe feeding, Australian Walkabout, zoo train
- 12:15 Picnic lunch by the Kallman Family Play Area (outside food is allowed)
- 1:45 Drive 5 min to MOXI; park in the city lot by the train station
- 2:00 MOXI science museum, ending on the rooftop Sky Garden
- 5:00 Pizza next door or dinner downtown on State Street
Day 3: Seals and the Sea Center
- 8:45 Drive 20 min to Carpinteria
- 9:15 Walk about 0.5 mile from the Bailard Ave lot, across the tracks, to the Seal Watch Overlook. Bring binoculars
- 10:45 Early lunch with picnic tables and a sand pit
- 12:00 Drive back to Santa Barbara
- 12:30 Touch tanks and the crawl-through tidepool tank (first 90 min of wharf parking free)
- 2:00 Drive home on US-101
- 7:00 Arrive home
From parents who have been
- At MOXI, the rooftop Sky Garden was the best part: ocean views, telescopes and a Whitewater water table. Pack a spare shirt because kids get soaked. Mommy Poppins
- Plan about 3 hours at MOXI, not the 1.5–2 the website suggests. The Innovation Lab closes at 4:30, half an hour before the rest. Ages 5 to 10 get the most out of it; toddlers do best in Crawlers' Corner on Floor 2. Mommy Poppins
- You can't stop in front of MOXI on State Street. The city lot by the tracks is a 3–5 minute walk, free for 75 minutes and then $3 an hour, or look for free spots on residential streets nearby. Mommy Poppins
- At the zoo, giraffe feeding was paid in line on the spot, so queue a few minutes before the posted time. Some animals go inside by 4:30, so do the zoo in the morning. The zoo train doesn't allow strollers; park them across from the depot. Mommy Poppins
- The seal overlook walk from the Bailard Ave lot is about a mile round trip and crosses the railroad tracks. Binoculars help a lot, and dogs are not allowed at the overlook. Weekend Sherpa
- Pups are mostly born late February into March; in December and January you mostly see pregnant moms. The bluff edges near the overlook feel risky with kids who like to stand at the very edge. Lotsafunmaps visitor reviews
Good to know
- The beach at the Carpinteria harbor seal rookery is closed Dec 1 to May 31 for pupping season: 750 ft east and west of Casitas Pier and 1,000 ft out to sea. Watch from the Seal Watch Overlook off the Coastal Vista Trail. Disturbing seals can mean a fine up to $10,000 and up to a year in prison.
- A proposed year-round, three-year closure was declined by the city and Coastal Commission, so the seasonal Dec–May closure is what applies. Save Our Seals volunteers staff the overlook at low tide, November to May.
- Sea Center on Stearns Wharf: open daily 10–5. Adults $17, teens $15, kids 2–12 $13, under 2 free. It closes early at 4:00 on Sat, Jan 16, 2027 (MLK weekend) and is closed New Year's Day. First 90 minutes of wharf parking are free.
- MOXI: open daily 10–5. Adults $25, kids 2–12 $20, under 2 free. There is no cafe, only snacks in the store. The city suggests Lot 13 by the train station.
- Santa Barbara Zoo: open daily 9:30–5. Dated online tickets have ranged $27.95–$37.95 and are $2 cheaper online. Parking is $11. Reservation time is your earliest entry, and tickets are non-refundable.
- Monarchs are a bust right now. Goleta's official 2025–26 count at Ellwood found no monarchs, and its docent program is on hold. Pismo's grove counted only 471 late last winter.
Sources: Noozhawk: rookery closure Dec 2025 · Santa Barbara Independent: Save Our Seals (Apr 2026) · City of Carpinteria: seal beach closure · SB Museum of Natural History hours and prices · SB Museum of Natural History parking · MOXI FAQ · Santa Barbara Zoo tickets · Visit Santa Barbara: Zoo · City of Goleta: Butterfly Grove · KSBY: 2025–26 monarch count