Rating: A for Fun Zone; plenty of options! Ages: Toddlers up
Directions: State Street at Cabrillo Boulevard. 101 exit at Garden, turn toward the ocean, turn right on Cabrillo to the pier.
Contact: 682-4711 for information about the Sea Center
Season: Year-round, but generally the warmer, the better, 7 a.m. – midnight.

You could spend hours out here! This 1900-foot long wharf was originally build by a Vermont native in 1876 to accommodate ships. It’s the oldest wooden working pier on the West Coast. Through the years, several fires burnt at least part of the Wharf – the most recent was a spectacular blaze in 1998. The Ty Warner Sea Center, which is located on the Wharf, is operated by the Museum of Natural History and features marine exhibits, including touch tanks that are particularly popular with children. Watch pelicans. Enjoy boat rides to see whales during winter, 969-5217. Sea lion cruises, wharf fishing, sunset cruises, parasailing, gift shops, and all kinds of food. Local sculptor Bud Bottoms created the bronze dolphin fountain located at the foot of Stearns Wharf. There are similar dolphin fountains in Santa Barbara’s sister cities Dingle, Ireland, Toba, Japan, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Yalta, Ukraine.