Our Campus
A department of UC San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography is located on 177 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The public exploration center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography, showcasing our research and more than 60 marine habitats.
Scripps Pier
Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier is one of the largest active research piers in the world. Originally built in 1916 and reconstructed in the late 1980s, the pier is used for a variety of experiments and has provided for some of the longest-running ocean observations in the world.
Nimitz Marine Facility
The support and management center for the academic research fleet at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, located in Point Loma on San Diego Bay.
Meetings and Events at Scripps
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus offers several ocean-view locations that can be rented for weddings, conferences, and other events.
Scripps Seaside Forum
Martin Johnson House
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Public Tours
Public tours are typically offered the second Saturday of each month.
Dining
Where to find food on the Scripps Oceanography campus, from coffee and snacks to sit-down meals.
Caroline’s Cafe
Serving healthy and creative breakfast and lunch from the second floor of the Scripps Seaside Forum.
Destiny Coast
Serving baked goods, smoothies, and sustainably sourced seafood meals and more from a cliffside patio at the MCTF Building.
Pinpoint Cafe
This sustainability-minded cafe offers coffee and food on the deck adjacent to the Eckart Building and features an ocean view beneath Torrey pines.
Blue Wave Bistro
Blue Wave Bistro from Behind the Scenes Catering features a fresh, flavorful menu from the patio outside Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
ADDITIONAL VISITOR INFORMATION
Art Collection
Collaborations between art and science provide a means of understanding and relating to science and the world around us. Learn more about the Scripps Oceanography Science-Art Collaborations.
Architecture & Historic Building Information
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus features a dozen architecturally and historically significant structures. From national historic landmarks to mid-century modern classics and more.
Coastal Meander
With sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and San Diego coastline from La Jolla Cove to Torrey Pines State Beach, the Coastal Meander Trail on the campus of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is a unique recreational amenity in the state’s network of publicly accessible trails.
International Visitors
International relations are vital to the advancement of Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s mission and daily efforts to better understand and protect the planet. Scripps Oceanography's research programs span the globe, and international partners play an important role in exploration and discovery of our ocean planet as well as in the creation of science-based solutions for global environmental challenges.
Scripps Coastal Reserve
The Scripps Coastal Reserve is a protected natural area that is part of the UC San Diego Natural Reserve System. It occupies nearly one thousand acres adjacent to Scripps campus, ranging across a complex landscape including mesa top, coastal canyon and bluff, sandy beach, rocky intertidal, submerged coastal plain and deep submarine canyon. The Natural Reserve System supports university-level teaching, research, and public service at protected natural areas throughout California.
San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area
San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area is part of a statewide marine protected area (MPA) network. This designation prohibits the take of living, geological, and cultural marine resources.
Seawater Tap
The seawater tap at the Keck building (8861 Shellback Way, La Jolla, CA 92037) is open to the public 24 hours a day. Salt water is collected from the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier seawater system, and utilized by Birch Aquarium at Scripps and labs throughout campus. The tap makes the filtered seawater available to the public.