Entry No. 6 — the Santa Barbara file — filed under: observatory

Palmer Observatory (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History)

A 20-inch RCOS Ritchey-Chrétien telescope donated by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network sits under a repurposed Ash-Dome (installed 2013), in the museum's Doris Faye Palmer Observatory, which opened August 1, 1968.

The move: Show up on the second Saturday of the month for the free Star Party (dusk to 10pm, co-run with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit), take turns at the museum's 20-inch scope and a row of volunteer-brought telescopes aimed at Saturn's rings or a globular cluster, then wander the dark, empty museum grounds afterward.

• 📍 Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: sbnature.org · sbau.org

last checked: 2026-07-20