Stearns Wharf Sea Center ends first week back open after six month closure

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Exploration under the sea is happening once again in Santa Barbara.

“We’ve just been getting used to being open again," said Olivia Banez, the communications director at the Sea Center. "It's so nice to have visitors back and kids running through the halls. We are slowly getting back into the swing of things but just happy to have people in again.”

The Sea Center closed its doors for six months to fix infrastructure problems on the second floor.

“The salt water environment takes a toll on our building and we had to make some pretty significant repairs to the floors upstairs,” said Sea Center director Richard Smalldon.

But the closure was not just to fix the second floor but to enhance it.

New features include an enlivened theater space turned into a kelp forest, along with a sand table with a projection of topographic maps.

Hours of operation are back to pre-pandemic times, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For tickets and more information, visit the Sea Center's website.