Since the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) closed its doors on March 13, 2020, the staff have been planning for the day they could reopen. That day comes almost one year to the date, on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
“It has been a long time, but we have not been idle,” said Greg Gorga, SBMM executive director. “Along with new exhibits, we developed virtual programs that people of all ages can enjoy at home, and established reopening protocols and precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy inside the museum
“As we reopen, visitors will see four completely new exhibits, including Arthur Beaumont: Art of the Sea (through May 31), Santa Cruz Acoustic Range Facility (SCARF), On this Spot in History with Erin Graffy de Garcia, and Love Letters to the Sea.”
The museum will now be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays only through March 31. Public entry expands to Thursdays through Sundays starting April 1.
Members special: March 18-31, museum entry on Thursdays and Fridays is reserved for museum members, volunteers and donors. New members can take advantage of the offer by joining at https://sbmm.org/support/.
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Indoor Exhibits: March 18-31: Members only: 10 a.m.-5 p.m, Thursdays and Fridays. All welcome: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, beginning April 1.
All Welcome: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, Museum Store: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center: 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays.
Safety & Health Protocols:
• Admission limited to six groups of nine or fewer people at any one time in the museum itself, and a total of six people in the Museum Store.
• All SBMM staff and volunteers have been trained on new safety and health protocols.
• SBMM reserves the right to deny entrance to anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19.
• All visitors ages 3 and older must wear masks or face shields at all times inside the Museum, Museum Store, and on the fourth floor. The Museum Store offers disposable masks for those who do not have them.
• Groups should remain together and stay six feet apart from other visitors.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers are located at guest entrances and in high contact areas.
• SBMM kiosk attendant(s) will have Treasure Maps with age-appropriate questions about the museum. Children who answer the questions will receive stickers and paper hats to take home. New coloring books/sheets with crayons are also available and can be taken home.
• Reusable bags will not be allowed in the Museum Store.
Four new exhibits on view at the museum:
• The visiting exhibit Arthur Beaumont: Art of the Sea — 53 paintings by the US Navy’s Artist of the Fleet that document American naval history — on display through May 31. The artist’s son will speak at the museum, 7 p.m. April 15, providing insight into his father’s work. Visit sbmm.org/santa-barbara-event/geoffrey-beaumont.
• Santa Cruz Acoustic Range Facility (SCARF) describes the work of a General Motors Defense Research Lab on Santa Cruz Island, 1966-90, which developed an underwater acoustic measuring system to track naval vessels and measure their noise profiles.
• On this Spot in History with Erin Graffy de Garcia tells little known stories about Santa Cruz Island, Castle Rock, and the Harbor.
• Love Letters to the Sea provides a crafty way for visitors of all ages to express what the sea means to them by creating artistic letters and envelopes that can be sent to environmental leaders.
For more, visit sbmm.org or call 805-962-8404.