The best things to do in Lompoc start where most wine tasters turn around: stay past the Wine Ghetto for La Purísima, California's most completely restored mission per State Parks, then walk the Old Town murals from Art Alley. Surf Beach is 18 minutes west. Old Town is 26 minutes from Buellton and 33 from Solvang.
The short version
- Time for one thing: the La Purísima tour, 1pm Wednesday to Sunday or 11am Saturday
- Walkers on a budget: over 30 murals around Old Town
- Beach people (and dogs): Surf Beach, with leashed dogs allowed through February
- Space nerds: Ocean Park, the closest public viewing spot
- Picking a day: Saturday, when the tour, the museum and most tasting rooms are all open
This week
- Nov6–8Buellton Fall Festival · Visit Buellton
Avenue of the Flags; Fri 4-10pm, Sat-Sun 12-10pm; carnival rides, live music on two stages; Ales on the Avenue beer and wine tasting Sat (tickets) · Free · by City of Buellton
- FriNov 6NatureTrack Film Festival · Visit NatureTrack Foundation
8th annual; reception 6pm, program 6:45pm at the SYV Grange Hall · $25 · by NatureTrack Foundation
- SatNov 7Beaver Dam Analogs workshop at Jalama Canyon Ranch · Visit White Buffalo Land Trust, with SLO Beaver Brigade and Nature's Engineers
Aimed at landowners, restoration practitioners and students. The events list calls it two-day; the event page says one full day. · $175 (limited scholarships) · by White Buffalo Land Trust, with SLO Beaver Brigade and Nature's Engineers
- SatNov 7SYV Historical Museum Vaquero Benefit Dinner & Auction · Visit Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum
42nd annual · Tickets (early bird from Aug 1) · by Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum
Quick facts
- On this list
- 13 places in Lompoc, Outside Lompoc, Surf Beach, Ocean Park, west of Lompoc and 4 more towns
- Book online
- Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm
- Dogs welcome
- Surf Beach
- Good with kids
- Ocean Beach Park
- Open Sunday
- 4 places
- Open Monday
- Skydive Santa Barbara and Floriano's Mexican Food
- List updated
- Oct 18, 2026
Counted from the listings below. Check hours and booking with each place.
Go for
- Families: Ocean Beach Park
- Bringing the dog: Surf Beach
Map
Map loads here. Each listing also has a Directions link.
Scroll the list and the map follows.
Mission, museum and murals
The 1787 mission is 11 minutes from Old Town, and the museum and the best murals are within a few blocks of each other.
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Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0 Restored 1787 mission · Outside Lompoc
La Purísima Mission State Historic Park
State Parks calls it California's most completely restored mission. Plan the morning around the guided tour, 1pm Wednesday to Sunday or 11am on Saturday, which runs about 90 minutes on a 1-mile loop from the visitor center. The trails stay open from 6am to sunset if you would rather walk the grounds on your own.
Go if you want the full mission complex; come Tuesday to Sunday for the tour and the visitor center.
- Open
- Buildings 9am to 4pm; trails 6am to sunset
- Fee
- $6 per vehicle
- Getting there
- On Purisima Rd, about 7 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- Visitor center 10am to 4pm, Tue to Sun
- Dogs on the trails and road only, not in buildings
- 35 min (20.1 mi) from Solvang Park; 28 min from Buellton
2295 Purísima Road, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-733-3713
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Town museum, Old Town · Lompoc
Lompoc Museum
Lompoc's own museum, run by Lompoc Museum Associates, about a block from Art Alley. Walk around the back of the building: the Lost Mission mural (1996) shows Mission Vieja, the first La Purísima, which the 1812 earthquake destroyed before the mission was rebuilt at today's site.
Go if you're walking the murals anyway. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- Open
- Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday; closed Monday, Tuesday. Wed to Fri noon to 4pm; Sat and Sun 1 to 4pm
- Fee
- Not posted
More details
- Closed Monday and Tuesday
- No admission price posted; call ahead if it matters
- Takes part in Blue Star and Museums for All
- 33 min (21.1 mi) from Solvang Park
200 South H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-736-3888
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Outdoor mural walk, Old Town · Lompoc
Old Town murals and Art Alley
Explore Lompoc counts over 30 murals on corners, alleys and building walls around Old Town, most of them overseen by the nonprofit Lompoc Mural Society. Start in Art Alley, where John Pugh's trompe l'oeil The Boatmen (2014) is at 112 South I Street, then walk to Last of the Titans (2003) at 135 North H Street, painted for the last Titan II launch from Vandenberg.
Go if you've an hour on foot between lunch and tasting. Grab the mural map from Explore Lompoc or the Chamber first.
- Fee
- Free
More details
- Great Floral Flag (1999), 131 South H St: the flag Bodger Seeds planted in flowers in 1942
- Lompoc's Flower Industry (1990), 102 W Ocean Ave, by Art Mortimer
- 50th Anniversary of Landsat, Ocean Ave and I St, sponsored by NASA and USGS
- Mural map: download it from Explore Lompoc or pick one up at the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
112 South I Street, Lompoc, CA 93436
Beach, rockets and freefall
Two public ways to the water west of town, one of them the closest public seat for a launch, and a skydive above it.
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Vandenberg beach and Amtrak stop · Surf Beach
Surf Beach
The beach at the end of Ocean Avenue, with the Pacific Surfliner's Lompoc-Surf stop beside the sand. From October through February you get the whole open beach and can bring a leashed dog. From March 1 to September 30, snowy plover rules cut it to about half a mile and ban dogs.
Go if you want wild dunes, a long Pacific walk and a shot at launch views. It's a beach for walking rather than swimming, open 8am to 6pm; from March to September half a mile stays open and dogs stay home.
- Fee
- Free
Go with The dog
More details
- No lifeguards; no fishing, drones or camping
- Dogs: leashed Oct 1 to end of Feb; banned Mar 1 to Sep 30
- 18 min (9.8 mi) from Old Town Lompoc
- 49 min (30.5 mi) from Solvang Park; 43 min from Buellton
Surf Beach, Lompoc, CA 93436
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County park, launch viewing · Ocean Park, west of Lompoc
Ocean Beach Park (Ocean Park)
Explore Lompoc calls it Ocean Park; the county's name for it is Ocean Beach Park. It is Explore Lompoc's pick for the closest public spot to watch a Vandenberg launch, about four miles from the launch site. It has restrooms, grills and a playground. There is no beach access from March 1 to September 30, and no fishing at any time.
Go if a launch is on the schedule. Our launch guide lists the next ones and which viewing spots are closed.
- Open
- 8am to sunset
- Getting there
- On Ocean Park Rd at the coast, about 22 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
Go with The kids
More details
- Park hours 8am to sunset
- No beach access Mar 1 to Sep 30
- 22 min (9.7 mi) from Old Town Lompoc
- 54 min (30.4 mi) from Solvang Park
6851 Ocean Park Road, Lompoc, CA 93436
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Tandem skydiving, Lompoc Airport · Lompoc Airport
Skydive Santa Barbara
Tandem jumps from the first hangar at Lompoc Airport, on the north end of H Street. The drop zone puts Vandenberg, the wine country and the Pacific under you at once. A 13,000-foot jump gives about 60 seconds of freefall, from $199; 18,000 feet buys about 90 seconds, from $399.
Go if you're 18 or older on jump day with a government photo ID. Over 200 lbs? Contact them before booking.
- Open
- Open every day. Daily 9am to 5pm
- Price
- Tandem from $199
- Getting there
- At Lompoc Airport on North H St, about 5 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- 13,000 ft from $199; 18,000 ft from $399 (starting prices)
- Must be 18 on jump day, with government photo ID
- 5 min (2.3 mi) from Old Town; 34 min from Solvang Park
1801 North H Street, Suite G, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-740-0000
Flowers, lavender and a market
The flower fields and the lavender farm are summer stops. The market runs every Sunday of the year.
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Private cut-flower and seed fields · Flower fields, west of Lompoc
Lompoc flower fields
Growers rotate stock, larkspur, delphinium and other flowers through the fields west of Old Town, so the colors and places change every year. Drive Central Avenue between Floradale and Union Sugar avenues and look from the road. These are working private farms, so stay on the pavement.
Go if it's April to September and you'll look from Central Avenue. The Flower Festival is the last full weekend of June.
- Open
- Bloom generally April to September
- Fee
- Free, from the road
- Getting there
- On Central Ave west of Old Town, about 8 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- Bloom window generally April to September (Explore Lompoc)
- Flower Festival: last full weekend of June at Ryon Memorial Park
- 8 min (3.9 mi) from Old Town; 38 min (23.2 mi) from Solvang Park
Central Avenue and Floradale Avenue, Lompoc, CA 93436
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Lavender farm, Tularosa Road · Outside Lompoc
Santa Rita Hills Lavender FarmBook
A lavender farm east of town that opens its fields for general admission from July 1 through Labor Day weekend, with guided farm tours from June 20. Kids get in free with an adult. After Labor Day it is in off season, so text or call before you drive out.
Go if it's July or August and you want lavender in bloom. The rest of the year, call first.
- Open
- Fri to Mon 11am to 5pm or by appointment; off season after Labor Day
- Getting there
- On Tularosa Rd, about 10 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- General admission July 1 through Labor Day weekend
- Off season after Labor Day: text or call 805-395-6568
- Certified Wildlife Sanctuary, so drive in slowly
- 10 min from Old Town; 25 min (15.1 mi) from Solvang Park
1900 Tularosa Rd, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-395-6568
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Sunday farmers market, Vandenberg Village · Vandenberg Village
Route One Farmers Market
A nonprofit market every Sunday, 10am to 2pm, in Vandenberg Village on the north side of Lompoc. It is closed on some major holidays. Cards and EBT are accepted.
Go if it's Sunday morning and La Purísima is next, 9 minutes from Old Town.
- Getting there
- In Vandenberg Village, about 9 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- 9 min (5.0 mi) from Old Town; 35 min from Solvang Park
3745 Constellation Road, Lompoc, CA 93436
Wine, gin, tacos and golf
The Wine Ghetto gets its own route map. These are the stops around it.
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Tasting rooms on Chestnut Court · Lompoc
Lompoc Wine Ghetto
Sta. Rita Hills wine poured on the east side of town. Park once at Chestnut Court and you can walk to Montemar, Camins 2 Dreams, Sandhi (book ahead), Ampelos and lunch at Capulín within 7 minutes. Friday and Saturday are the days nearly every room is open.
Go if it's Friday or Saturday and you want to walk between tasting rooms. Our route map has each room's hours.
More details
- 2 min from Old Town; 32 min (20.3 mi) from Solvang Park; 25 min from Buellton
1501 E Chestnut Court, Lompoc, CA 93436
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Distillery on a llama farm · Sta. Rita Hills (Highway 246)
Rock 12 Distillery
Marko Suput, from a long line of Serbian distillers, makes vodka, gin and brandy from Santa Barbara County fruit on the working llama farm he and Sarah Suput bought in 2016. Spirit flights and seasonal cocktails. Dogs and outside food are welcome, and it asks you to request a reservation.
Go if someone in the car would rather have a cocktail than another flight. 21 and over.
- Booking
- 21 and over; reservations requested
- Getting there
- On Highway 246 in the Sta. Rita Hills, about 10 min by car from Avenue of Flags in Buellton
More details
- 10 min (6.5 mi) from Buellton; 16 min (10.0 mi) from Solvang Park
6605 Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436
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Tacos and carnicería · Lompoc
Floriano's Mexican Food
Explore Lompoc counts 17 kinds of taco here, from ribeye to pork belly. It is family owned, on North H Street, and opens at 8am every day, so it covers breakfast burritos too.
Go if you want a cheap lunch or a breakfast burrito before Surf Beach, the wild dune beach on the edge of Vandenberg.
- Open
- Open every day. Mon to Sat 8am to 9pm; Sun 8am to 3pm
More details
- 4 min from Old Town; 35 min from Solvang Park
1140 North H Street, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-737-9396
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Public 18 holes, Highway 246 · Outside Lompoc
La Purisima Golf Course
The hard course in the valley: 7,105 yards over oak-studded sand hills, and the course says it is known in the area as "La Piranha". It hosted the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying school in 1996. Tee off after 2pm on a weekday and walking drops to $48.
Go if you want a real test of golf. The Grille serves breakfast and lunch to non-golfers too.
- Open
- After 2pm: $48 walk, $68 ride, Mon to Thu
- Price
- After 2pm: $48 walking, Mon to Thu
- Getting there
- On Highway 246 east of town, about 7 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
More details
- Public; 18 holes, 7,105 yards
- 7 min from Old Town; 26 min (16.3 mi) from Solvang Park
3455 East Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-735-8395
How far is Lompoc?
Lompoc sits at the west end of Highway 246, past the Sta. Rita Hills. Times are routed by car without traffic, from Solvang Park, from Avenue of Flags in Buellton and from Lompoc City Hall in Old Town.
| To | From Solvang Park | From Buellton | From Old Town Lompoc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town (City Hall) | 20.7 mi, 33 min | 17.2 mi, 26 min | Start |
| La Purísima Mission | 20.1 mi, 35 min | 16.6 mi, 28 min | 5.5 mi, 11 min |
| Wine Ghetto (Chestnut Court) | 20.3 mi, 32 min | 16.7 mi, 25 min | 1.0 mi, 2 min |
| Art Alley murals | 21.2 mi, 33 min | 17.6 mi, 27 min | 0.5 mi, 2 min |
| Flower fields (Central and Floradale) | 23.2 mi, 38 min | 19.7 mi, 32 min | 3.9 mi, 8 min |
| Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm | 15.1 mi, 25 min | 11.6 mi, 18 min | 6.1 mi, 10 min |
| Rock 12 Distillery | 10.0 mi, 16 min | 6.5 mi, 10 min | 10.7 mi, 16 min |
| Skydive Santa Barbara | 20.9 mi, 34 min | 17.4 mi, 27 min | 2.3 mi, 5 min |
| Surf Beach | 30.5 mi, 49 min | 26.9 mi, 43 min | 9.8 mi, 18 min |
| Ocean Park | 30.4 mi, 54 min | 26.8 mi, 47 min | 9.7 mi, 22 min |
| Jalama Beach | 39.3 mi, 69 min | 36.0 mi, 63 min | 19.3 mi, 42 min |
Rock 12 Distillery is the one stop closer to Buellton than to Lompoc, so take it on the way out or the way back.
One day in Lompoc
A Saturday from Solvang, built around the hours on this page.
- 10:10am: leave Solvang Park; La Purísima is 35 minutes. Park ($6 per vehicle) and walk to the visitor center.
- 11am: the Saturday guided tour, a 1-mile loop that takes about 90 minutes, so lunch comes after.
- 12:45pm: lunch at Capulín, inside the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Center, 11 minutes away. On Saturday it closes at 5pm.
- 1:45pm: the Lompoc Museum (Saturday 1pm to 4pm) and the Lost Mission mural behind it, then Art Alley and the murals on H Street.
- 3:30pm: the Wine Ghetto at Chestnut Court, 3 minutes from Old Town; Montemar and Camins 2 Dreams pour until 6pm on Saturday. Not drinking? Drive 17 minutes to Surf Beach instead.
- Dinner: stay in town with our Lompoc restaurants guide, or drive 33 minutes back to Solvang.
On a Sunday, start at the Route One Farmers Market (10am), 7 minutes from the mission, and take the 1pm tour instead.
What changes by season?
- October to February: Surf Beach is fully open and leashed dogs are allowed. The lavender farm is in off season, so call before going.
- March 1 to September 30: snowy plover season. Surf Beach shrinks to about half a mile, dogs are banned, and Ocean Park has no beach access.
- April to September: the flower fields generally bloom, and the Flower Festival is the last full weekend of June.
- July 1 to Labor Day: general admission at the lavender farm, Friday to Monday.
- All year: launches from Vandenberg. More than half of recent ones went up between 5pm and 4am; see the live list in our launch viewing guide.
Our Lompoc guides
- La Purísima Mission: hours, the $6 fee, tour times and what to pair it with
- Lompoc Wine Ghetto and Sta. Rita Hills route map: which rooms take walk-ins, hours by day and four driving loops
- Lompoc beaches: Surf Beach dog rules, Point Sal's 12-mile hike and Jalama
- Lompoc flower fields: when they bloom, where to look and the June festival
- Vandenberg launch viewing: the next launches and the spots that are open
- Lompoc restaurants open today: every kitchen's hours by day, from 5am breakfasts to Hangar 7 until midnight on weekends
- Floriano's: what to order from the 17 tacos
Heading the other way? See things to do in Buellton and things to do in Solvang.
Plan your day
- MorningBreakfast first: Best coffee in the Santa Ynez ValleyBy town, plus where to work
- MiddayGo tasting: Sta. Rita Hills wineriesCold-climate Pinot, 1971 vines
- EveningBook dinner: Bars in Solvang & the valleySpeakeasy, pub, saloon, Depot Bar
- OvernightFind a bed: Lompoc hotels: Hilton, Embassy Suites & The Village InnLaunch-view boutique inn, two Hiltons
Quick answers
What is there to do in Lompoc?
Take the guided tour at La Purísima Mission (1pm Wednesday to Sunday, plus 11am Saturday), walk the Old Town murals starting in Art Alley, and drive 18 minutes to Surf Beach. You can also watch a Vandenberg launch from Ocean Park, skydive from Lompoc Airport, or see the flower fields on Central Avenue from April to September.
How long is the drive from Solvang to Lompoc?
About 33 minutes and 20.7 miles from Solvang Park to Old Town Lompoc on Highway 246, without traffic. From Avenue of Flags in Buellton it is 26 minutes and 17.2 miles. La Purísima Mission is 35 minutes from Solvang and Surf Beach 49 minutes.
Are the Lompoc murals free to see?
Yes. The murals are on public walls and alleys around Old Town, so there is nothing to pay. Explore Lompoc counts over 30 of them, most of them overseen by the Lompoc Mural Society, and has a downloadable mural map. The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau hands out printed maps.
Can you go skydiving in Lompoc?
Yes. Skydive Santa Barbara flies tandem jumps from Lompoc Airport, 1801 North H Street, daily 9am to 5pm. Its site lists 13,000 feet from $199 and 18,000 feet from $399. You must be 18 on jump day with a government photo ID, and anyone over 200 lbs should contact them before booking.
What is open in Lompoc on a Monday?
La Purísima Mission is open (buildings 9am to 4pm), but there is no guided tour and the visitor center is closed. The Lompoc Museum is closed Monday and Tuesday. In the Wine Ghetto, Sandhi, Ampelos and Longoria pour on Mondays. Floriano's and Skydive Santa Barbara are open daily; Capulín is closed Sunday and Monday.
Is Lompoc worth a day trip from Solvang?
Yes, if you plan around opening days. The mission tour and the Lompoc Museum both run Wednesday to Sunday, and most tasting rooms are open Friday and Saturday, so a Friday or Saturday gets all three. Surf Beach is 18 minutes past Old Town.
Sources
tap to open
- California State Parks: La Purísima Mission SHP
- Lompoc Museum
- Explore Lompoc (Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau): murals and mural map
- Vandenberg SFB: Environmental (beach status and rules) and Pacific Surfliner: Lompoc-Surf
- Santa Barbara County Parks: Ocean Beach Park and Explore Lompoc: best places to view a rocket launch
- Skydive Santa Barbara
- Explore Lompoc: flower fields and Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm
- Route One Farmers Market: FAQs
- Rock 12 Distillery, Floriano's and La Purisima Golf Course rates
- Drive times: OSRM car routing (routing.openstreetmap.de), without traffic.
Last updated Oct 26, 2026. We never copy reviews or business photos. Hours, fees and beach rules change, so confirm on the official page before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
