With Santa Barbara’s reputation as a beautiful travel destination, complete with beaches, stunning architecture and inviting appeal, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with opportunity — and it’s even easier to even forget about the places that don’t directly meet the eye. But once you do know what’s there, you won’t want to miss out on the chance to build your perfect vacation. Here are the places in Santa Barbara County that you’ll want to add to your list of musts.
Featured Photo: Courtesy of Haizhan Zheng
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara
805.962.2526
This marine life experience shares the opportunity to learn about what lives below the water’s surface — specifically, ones that reside in the Santa Barbara Channel. A surfaced jellyfish or piece of kelp will become recognizable after exploring the Sea Center’s exhibit “Dive In: Our Changing Channel,” and even with the smallest interest in marine biology, visitors can use what’s learned to also experiment with common tools used by the experts. The Sea Center is also part of the White Abalone Restoration Consortium, which is working to revive this snail species from its near-extinction status.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
2201 Laguna St., Santa Barbara
805.682.4149
Established in 1786, the Mission now stands as an opportunity to learn about local culture and admire the older architecture and 15 acres of grounds; some even still reside here, mainly being Franciscan Friars. Some of the sights to be seen include the church, cemetery, multiple gardens and a museum, all of which provide an immersive, vast experience that will transport you into Santa Barbara’s history. Self-guided and guided tours are both available and events are also sometimes held, too — sip on some wine or beer and get to know the history even more intimately if that’s preferred.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
1130 State St., Santa Barbara
805.963.4364
This art museum has been open to its community since 1941 and is currently home to pieces created in a plethora of mediums and representing many different international origins. In fact, the Museum is home to 25,000 pieces, each of which tells a unique story that hopes to educate and inspire those who choose to visit. Origins for the art can span all over the world, but many of them are specific to China, India, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East. There is a permanent collection that visitors can rely on seeing, but there are also specialized exhibitions that some will be lucky enough to see as well.
Lotusland
Cold Spring Rd., Montecito
805.969.3767
Lotusland offers over 37 acres of beautifully curated gardens and architecture to be explored, and the peaceful atmosphere isn’t something to miss. While it is home to many specific and special gardens, some include aloe, fern, Australian, Japanese and water gardens. Among all of Lotusland’s gardens are some species that are threatened by habitat destruction, but here, they are protected, researched and conserved, making Lotusland a powerful cause to contribute to in addition to admiring its beauty. The property itself is rich in history and prominence, having been used for similar purposes dating all the way back to the 1880s.
State Street Promenade
Coming to Santa Barbara means it’s almost necessary to check this off of your list. State Street is at the heart of the city’s downtown and encompasses as many as 10 blocks of shops, restaurants and places to visit, all of which is only available for pedestrians. With so many choices and ways to customize an experience on State Street, it can be easy to fit into any schedule — and it’s worth it just as it is easy. Additionally, there’s a farmer’s market held every Tuesday on blocks 600 and 700 from 2:45 to 6:30 p.m. and a marketplace every Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. that both spotlight local artistry, food and so much more.
Coronado Butterfly Preserve
495 Coronado Dr., Goleta
805.966.4520
There are 9.3 acres of this preserve, and it’s all dedicated to protecting the native wildlife, insects, trees and plants, including eucalyptus and native coastal sage scrub habitat. Luckily, there are also hiking trails and meadows open to the public so that anyone will have the chance to embrace Santa Barbara as being home to many species. And true to its name, California’s largest Monarch butterfly groves are nearby and can be actively enjoyed during butterfly season. The most ideal time to visit for peak action is from November to February, but any time of the year will still be beautiful and lively.
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
136 East De la Guerra St., Santa Barbara
805.966.1601
Santa Barbara is rich in history and stories that need to be told, and the Historical Museum has been dedicated to sharing them since 1932. To tell these stories, the Museum showcases anything ranging from art, clothing and furniture — they create an educational experience that will draw anyone in and let them leave as a much more knowledgeable Santa Barbara visitor, or even resident. Just like many other museums, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum frequently hosts events and talks to take their mission to inform beyond their exhibitions.
The Funk Zone
137 Anacapa St. (near lower State Street), Santa Barbara
Contact them here.
Unique to other famed Santa Barbara locations, the Funk Zone encompasses multiple historic buildings, businesses and creatively educational art installations. Visitors can build their own experience based on preference, such as by exploring art via local galleries, tasting the food of popular cafes and restaurants, or perhaps even indulging in a combination of both. To fully commit to the Funk Zone experience, they provide a mapped guide so that each location can be fully appreciated in a way that will be memorable yet efficient. The Funk Zone even hosts the occasional event to spotlight the different participating artists and create a deeper experience for anyone interested.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Established in 1786, the Mission now stands as an opportunity to learn about local culture and admire the older architecture and 15 acres of grounds; some even still reside here, mainly being Franciscan Friars. Some of the sights to be seen include the church, cemetery, multiple gardens and a museum, all of which provide an immersive, vast experience that will transport you into Santa Barbara’s history. Self-guided and guided tours are both available and events are also sometimes held, too — sip on some wine or beer and get to know the history even more intimately if that’s preferred.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
This art museum has been open to its community since 1941 and is currently home to pieces created in a plethora of mediums and representing many different international origins. In fact, the Museum is home to 25,000 pieces, each of which tells a unique story that hopes to educate and inspire those who choose to visit. Origins for the art can span all over the world, but many of them are specific to China, India, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East. There is a permanent collection that visitors can rely on seeing, but there are also specialized exhibitions that some will be lucky enough to see as well.
Lotusland
Lotusland offers over 37 acres of beautifully curated gardens and architecture to be explored, and the peaceful atmosphere isn’t something to miss. While it is home to many specific and special gardens, some include aloe, fern, Australian, Japanese and water gardens. Among all of Lotusland’s gardens are some species that are threatened by habitat destruction, but here, they are protected, researched and conserved, making Lotusland a powerful cause to contribute to in addition to admiring its beauty. The property itself is rich in history and prominence, having been used for similar purposes dating all the way back to the 1880s.
State Street Promenade
Coming to Santa Barbara means it’s almost necessary to check this off of your list. State Street is at the heart of the city’s downtown and encompasses as many as 10 blocks of shops, restaurants and places to visit, all of which is only available for pedestrians. With so many choices and ways to customize an experience on State Street, it can be easy to fit into any schedule — and it’s worth it just as it is easy. Additionally, there’s a farmer’s market held every Tuesday on blocks 600 and 700 from 2:45 to 6:30 p.m. and a marketplace every Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. that both spotlight local artistry, food and so much more.
Coronado Butterfly Preserve
There are 9.3 acres of this preserve, and it’s all dedicated to protecting the native wildlife, insects, trees and plants, including eucalyptus and native coastal sage scrub habitat. Luckily, there are also hiking trails and meadows open to the public so that anyone will have the chance to embrace Santa Barbara as being home to many species. And true to its name, California’s largest Monarch butterfly groves are nearby and can be actively enjoyed during butterfly season. The most ideal time to visit for peak action is from November to February, but any time of the year will still be beautiful and lively.
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Santa Barbara is rich in history and stories that need to be told, and the Historical Museum has been dedicated to sharing them since 1932. To tell these stories, the Museum showcases anything ranging from art, clothing and furniture — they create an educational experience that will draw anyone in and let them leave as a much more knowledgeable Santa Barbara visitor, or even resident. Just like many other museums, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum frequently hosts events and talks to take their mission to inform beyond their exhibitions.
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Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
This marine life experience shares the opportunity to learn about what lives below the water’s surface — specifically, ones that reside in the Santa Barbara Channel. A surfaced jellyfish or piece of kelp will become recognizable after exploring the Sea Center’s exhibit “Dive In: Our Changing Channel,” and even with the smallest interest in marine biology, visitors can use what’s learned to also experiment with common tools used by the experts. The Sea Center is also part of the White Abalone Restoration Consortium, which is working to revive this snail species from its near-extinction status.
More info: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
