Seymour Marine Discovery Center

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is the public face of UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory, one of the premier marine research institutions on the Pacific Coast. For families, it offers something genuinely rare: a museum staffed by active scientists and graduate researchers who are studying the very animals and ecosystems on display.

The centerpiece of the indoor exhibits is the marine touch tanks, where bat rays, sharks, sea stars, and crustaceans live in naturalistic habitats designed for tactile interaction. Unlike many aquariums where touch tanks feel like afterthoughts, the Seymour Center has made them a primary attraction, staffing them with knowledgeable docents who guide children through proper handling techniques and explain the biology of each animal.

The main exhibit hall covers the ecology of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with particular depth on marine mammals, deep-sea biology, and the human impacts on ocean health. The exhibits are designed for genuine comprehension rather than superficial impressiveness — information is layered so that a 5-year-old and a 12-year-old can both walk away having learned something at their level.

Outside, the 87-foot blue whale skeleton — nicknamed 'Blue' — dominates the courtyard. This skeleton came from a whale that beached in 1979 and took researchers years to assemble. The scale is staggering even for adults.

Behind the main building, the outdoor marine mammal enclosures sometimes house rescued animals being rehabilitated, and a paved bluff trail overlooks the ocean with direct views into the kelp beds below.

For families who want a science museum experience without the sensory overload and crowds of a major metropolitan aquarium, the Seymour Center is a quiet, intellectually rich alternative. The combination of real research, expert staff, and spectacular natural setting makes it one of the most underrated family attractions in the entire Monterey Bay region.