NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM SANTA MARIA CALIFORNIA

It is Our Mission to inspire and educate our community through regional collections and to promote the discovery and appreciation of the natural world.

The Natural History Museum of Santa Maria (formerly the Samuel J. Perry Natural History Museum) is a non-profit organization, which was founded in September, 1996 through an endowment made in memory of Samuel J. Perry.

In keeping with the Museum’s ongoing mission to inspire and educate through discovery and appreciation of the natural world, the variety of programs and events offered over the years have always focused on local habitat. Public installations, traveling exhibits, historic home tours, hands-on displays, special presentations, school tours and celebratory events are but a sampling of what has been provided to the community.

Open to the public and free of charge, the Museum documents nearly 5,000 visits a year by young and old alike. Currently dependent upon member dues, visitor donations, sponsorships, donor gifts, fund-raising drives, grants and the generosity of volunteers.