The 12 Best Things to Do With Kids in Santa Barbara

Ride the Iconic Trolley

To get the lay of the land, what could be more fun than a trolley tour? The Santa Barbara Trolley offers 90-minute sightseeing tours that pass by landmarks like Stearns Wharf, East Beach, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the historic Old Santa Barbara Mission. The classic red trolley has been running tours for over 30 years and for groups, they also offer special services and accommodation for parties and weddings.

Visit Channel Islands National Park

From Santa Barbara, you have the opportunity to check a super unique national park off the bucket list with a visit to the Channel Islands. Made up of five protected islands, the national park is a refuge for wild animals and an incredible place to spot dolphins and whales breaching in the Pacific Ocean.

This off-the-beaten-path destination is a perfect place to break away from the crowds, but you'll need to take a ferry to get there. You can also arrange an excursion with a tour operator like the Santa Barbara Adventure Company which organizes kayak trips around the islands.

Look Out for Seals in Carpinteria

You can take an adventure down the coast to visit Santa Barbara's blubbery neighbors. The Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary can be reached by following the hiking and biking routes of the Coastal Vista Trail, an incredible trail that follows bluffs south of the town of Carpinteria.

On this stretch of beach, you'll see nearly 100 adult harbor seals and their cubs lounging on the sand and splashing in the water. The best season to see the seals is between December and May, when more baby seals are being born. Wild seals should never be approached, so the beach is off-limits. However, you can get a fantastic view from above.

Get Hands-on at MOXI

MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, started as an idea to promote STEAM-based learning outside of the classroom. Exhibits include collaborations with Gyroscope, Inc., Creative Machines, Roto, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Their Sound Track exhibit allows kids to create their own guitar riffs on a giant guitar and control a futuristic DJ table. The Innovation Workshop provides a space for all ages to create and design using low- and high-tech tools. Guests are encouraged to buy general admission tickets in advance.

Ride the Lil' Toot

Deemed the "Happiest Boat in the Harbor," Santa Barbara's Lil' Toot Water Taxi delivers an inexpensive half-hour tour. The boat makes continuous loops between Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf, the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Taxi rides and harbor tours are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis or you can purchase tickets online. Choose from a sunset cruise, a whale-watching cruise, or a narrated boat ride.

Hit the Beach

Santa Barbara is a quintessential California beach town, making it a perfect place to play in the sand and surf. East Beach, which extends from Stearns Wharf to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, is Santa Barbara's most popular beach and a great place to people watch on weekends. It's bordered by a grassy, tree-lined park, complete with a children's playground, volleyball courts, rollerblading trails, food vendors, picnic facilities, showers, and grassy lawns. If you want to beat the crowds, try off-the-beaten-path Arroyo Burro Beach. And dog lovers will dig Butterfly Beach (named so due to the Monarchs that winter nearby), as it's one of few area beaches where dogs can run leash-free.

Feed a Giraffe at the Zoo

With its ocean views and beautiful park-like setting on 30 acres, the Santa Barbara Zoo is a real stunner. More than 500 animals representing 160 species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects make their home here in replicated natural habitats. Small and manageable, the whole zoo can be explored in a few hours. Highlights for little ones include a ride on the miniature train and hand-feeding the ​Masai giraffes.

Explore on Two Wheels

The best way to explore Santa Barbara's waterfront is by pedaling the coastal bike path that runs along East Beach. Wheel of Fun Rentals offers a wide selection of pedal-craft, from mountain bikes, beach cruisers, and tandems to surreys and deuce coupes. Adventurous families can head to the Los Padres National Forest right outside of Santa Barbara where singletrack trails range from moderate to strenuous and offer a bird's eye view of the coast.

Touch a Shark

Kids of all ages can explore hands-on marine exhibits at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's Sea Center. Get up-close and personal with sea critters, including a leopard shark, sea anemones, and hermit crabs. The museum's 1,500-gallon tidepool tank has a spot where kids can crawl through to view sea life from a different perspective. Head to the wet deck for a magnified peek at sea life under your feet. Kids can even engage in activities like taking water samples just like an oceanographer.

Learn to Surf

In nearby Carpinteria, A-Frame Surf Shop offers beginner surf classes. Trained instructors customize your lesson to meet both the age of family members and their skill levels. Book a 90-minute private lesson or a longer group lesson. If paddleboarding calm water is more your speed, check out ​the Santa Barbara Sailing Center (located in Santa Barbara Harbor) for rentals and tours.

Tour a Botanical Garden

Families will enjoy free guided walks around the 65-acre Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Discover over 1,000 species of plants and flowers with thorns, spines, and beautiful foliage. Along the way, learn about seed travel and the role of pollinators, and look for animal tracks and droppings. Tours are offered on weekends and Mondays but call ahead for times. After the tour, hit up the Garden Shop, considered one of the best local resources for books on native plants.

Shop for Picnic Fare

Rub shoulders with the locals while grabbing some picnic fare at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market. This market is packed with delicious California produce and specialty food items from the area's top local growers and purveyors. Here you can find olives and olive oil, pistachios, apple pie, and a myriad of other tasty goods. This is also ground zero for people watching, thanks to a constant parade of hippies, dread-locked surfers, and high-heeled fashionistas. The market is held on Saturday mornings in downtown Santa Barbara and on Tuesday afternoons in Old Town on State Street.