The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) will be participating in the 2026 SoCal Museums Free-For-All, which celebrates free arts and culture in Southern California, on Sunday, Feb. 22.
SBMNH will open its doors to guests at 10 a.m. Reservations are recommended; click here to reserve a spot.
On Free-For-All day, cultural institutions from Santa Barbara to Orange County welcome audiences for the region-wide tradition presenting art, design, cultural heritage, film, natural history, science, and political history.
“For more than 20 years, SoCal Museums members have come together annually to collectively open our doors and welcome the public,” said Christian Hamilton, president of SoCal Museums and Autry Museum of the American West.
“We believe arts and culture should be accessible to everyone, and Museums Free-For-All has become a community touchstone,” Hamilton said. “The day encourages visitors to try something new, return to an old favorite, and experience the extraordinary diversity of free cultural experiences unique to Southern California.”
Visitors to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History should expect a busy day at the museum with limited parking and a line to enter, organizers said.
There will be an expanded planetarium schedule for the day with additional shows; view the schedule here.
Partner organizations, including the Southern Steelhead Coalition, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s Eyes in the Sky, and Climb Out will be sharing information about conservation and outdoor activities.
Note: the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf is not part of the Free-for-All, and admissions fees there will be normal.
Participating Museums are:
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
(Tickets will be first come first serve all day)
American Museum of Ceramic Art
(Advanced reservations are required. Visit amoca.org to make a reservation)
Autry Museum of the American West
(Advanced reservations are required. Visit theautry.org to make a reservation)
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College
Bowers Museum
The Broad
(Advanced reservations are recommended. Visit broad.org to make a reservation)
California African American Museum
California Botanic Garden
(Advanced reservations are recommended. Visit calbg.org to make a reservation)
Columbia Space Center
Craft Contemporary
The Forest Lawn
Fowler Museum at UCLA
The Getty Center & The Getty Villa
(Timed tickets are required for The Getty Center. Visit getty.edu to make a reservation)
Hammer Museum
(Show a L.A. Metro TAP card at the Hammer Museum Store for 10% off your purchase, including membership)
Institute Contemporary Art, LA
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum
(Advance tickets required. Visit tarpits.org to make a reservation)
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Lincoln Memorial Shrine
Long Beach Museum of Art
(Advance tickets are recommended. Visit lbma.org to make a reservation)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
(Advance tickets are required. Visit lacma.org to make a reservation)
MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
(Advance tickets are recommended. Visit moca.org to make a reservation)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance
Palm Springs Art Museum
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
(Advanced reservations recommended. Visit sbnature.org; Sea Center not included)
Santa Monica History Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
(Advance tickets recommended for both Noah’s Ark and general admission. Visit skirball.org to make a reservation)
Wende Museum
This offer is for general museum admission only and does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions.