Two refreshed exhibit halls and a revamped gallery of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History are now open to the public.
The innovative redesign brings eye-catching displays to the historical specimens of the Bird and Mammal halls, as well as the Santa Barbara Gallery (former Cartwright Insect Hall) that is now dedicated to demonstrating how geography and climate join to create the ecosystems of the Santa Barbara region.
The changes are the result of a 10-month transformation and part of the museum’s extensive $20 million Centennial Campaign renovation. Specialists, who added new taxidermy, new foliage and touchable interactive exhibits, revitalized the specific exhibits in the museum located at 2559 Puesta del Sol in Santa Barbara’s Mission Canyon.
“This is one of the finest regional natural history museums in the country, and it just got a lot finer,” said Luke Swetland, the museum’s president and CEO.
As part of its transformation, the changes incorporate touchscreens that offer video-based educational information on the exhibits.
At the Mammal Hall, visitors can touch the curves of replica skulls near the dioramas. They also can get a closer look at each animal on display, from wolves and black bear dioramas to the striped skunk diorama that sprays air when a nearby button is pushed.
New interactive exhibits are showcased in the Bird Hall, where there are about 500 birds of the region representing 300 species on display.
The museum’s newest addition, the Santa Barbara Gallery, is where visitors can observe what the region has to offer, among them its wildlife, the impact of climate change, and information on wildfires, flooding and biodiversity.
The gallery aims to provide museum visitors with a roadmap to begin their exploration of nature beyond the museum walls.
“We are using this museum in a way that not just encourages, but provides visitors with the tools to explore the Santa Barbara region in a meaningful way,” Swetland said.
“We like to think of the museum as the base camp for exploration.”
Renovation work near the front of the museum also took place to improve visitor access by building a pedestrian-safe, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible and stroller-compliant arrival corridor.
In addition, a new pedestrian path was added parallel to Puesta del Sol to provide safe access between the museum and Mission Canyon Road.
In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the museum kicked off its Centennial Campaign in 2017 to raise funds to support campus-wide improvement projects, including new gallery programs, exhibit renovations, museum infrastructure and site improvement.
Other parts of the museum campus are expected to reopen in the upcoming months.
In August, the museum plans to open its new butterfly pavilion and its backyard and clubhouse. A signature piece of the Centennial Project is the butterfly pavilion that will house the insects in the summer and is available for other activities.
“This museum is wired into the DNA of this community,” Swetland said. “This is Santa Barbara’s backyard.”
Click here for more information about the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
