Santa Barbara's architecture

Santa Barbara's history and architecture.

The spirit of Spain.

Plan your visit and things to do in Santa Barbara today!

Soon, the Old Mission and El Presidio fort were built (both can be toured today), and soldiers from Portolá’s party settled here. Downtown streets — De la Guerra, Cota, Gutierrez, Ortega, and Carrillo — memorialize these early residents. California joined the United States in 1850. A botched 1851 survey left Santa Barbara with misaligned streets and inconsistent block sizes. Blame Salisbury Haley, who tied his survey chains with rawhide that shrunk and swelled with the weather. (In spite of his goofs, Haley got a street named for him.) The coastline runs eastwest here, and provides a southern exposure and mild climate similar to that of southern France. This earned the city a nickname, The American Riviera®.

Fast forward to 1925, when downtown was shaken into rubble by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Architecturally, the earthquake was a big win for the city: Civic leader Pearl Chase convinced city planners to rebuild in a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style inspired by the Old Mission and recently completed Lobero Theatre. Her creative efforts, seen in the iconic red-tile roofs and whitewashed adobe walls, are remembered in a delightful beachside park named in her honor.

Many buildings here date from that era: the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, with its Moorish flourishes; the hidden courtyard and fountains of El Paseo; and countless white stucco buildings adorned with ornamental iron work, painted tiles, and arched doorways.

PLAN THIS ITINERARY

THE LOBERO THEATRE is Santa Barbara’s premier performing arts venue, featuring an exciting variety of modern dance, ballet, jazz, lectures, classical music, opera and contemporary music performances.

The Lobero Theatre is proud to be home to many of Santa Barbara’s outstanding performing arts organizations, including State Street Ballet, Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Sings Like Hell, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Flamenco Arts Festival and others. We welcome you to join this prestigious group by renting the Lobero Theatre yourself.

Address:

33 East Canon Perdidio Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/lobero-theatre/

EL PRESIDIO DE SANTA BARBARA

Address:

123 E. Canon Perdido St.

Santa Barbara, CA

https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/el-presidio-de-santa-barbara/

OLD MISSION SANTA BARBARA Due to county and state COVID-19 mandates, docent guided tours are not available until further notice. Self-guided tours are now open Mon -Sat from 9:30am -4:00pm and Sun 11:00am – 4:00pm. The Mission Gift Shop, parking lot, and restrooms are open 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. When visiting, please remember to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and follow any safety precautions. Please visit Old Mission's website at https://www.santabarbaramission.org/tours for our visitor and safety guidelines. Travel back in time to Santa Barbara’s earliest days at the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara. With its grand double bell towers, lush gardens and the majestic San Ynez mountains as a backdrop, the Mission is one of the city’s most picturesque landmarks. Known as “Queen of the Missions” for its exceptional beauty, the Santa Barbara Mission was founded by the Spanish Franciscans in 1786. More than 200 years later, it’s still an active parish church and a vital and enduring element of Santa Barbara’s architecture and cultural landscape. History comes alive as you explore the grounds, church and on-site museum, where you’ll see fascinating 17th-century art, artifacts and re-creations of the Mission’s living quarters and kitchen, complete with an original adobe wall. Outdoors, you can admire the graceful architecture, explore the colorful gardens, and take in expansive views of the city and the Pacific Ocean. Old Mission Tours and Hours The Mission is open daily for self-guided tours Mon – Sat from 9:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. & Sun 11:00am – 4:00pm. Admission is $15.00 for adults, $13.00 for seniors, $13.00 for active military, $10.00 for youth 5-17 and free for children 0-4, and includes access to the museum, church, Sacred Garden and cemetery. Hour-long docent-guided tours are available Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m., Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Docents share insight into the Mission’s history, architecture and its most precious artifacts. Private tours are available by advance reservation for groups of 10 or more. Address: 2201 Laguna Street Santa Barbara, CA https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/old-mission-santa-barbara/ SANTA BARBARA COUNTY COURTHOUSE For a firsthand look at one of the country’s most beautiful public buildings, look no further than the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Designed in the Spanish-Colonial style and completed in 1929, the fully operational Courthouse is an iconic Santa Barbara landmark with its distinctive four-faced clock tower, red tile roofs, elegant arches and verdant sunken garden and grounds. Through the self-guided tours, you can get a visual history lesson from the elaborate hand-painted murals, marvel at ornate wrought-iron chandeliers and climb to the top of the clock tower for an incredible panoramic view of Santa Barbara and beyond. Courthouse Hours and Free Tours Due to COVID-19, the interior of the Courthouse is currently closed to the public and docent-led tours are currently unavailable. Self-guided tours are available of the exterior and you can digitally visit the Mural Room through this virtual tour, where you will learn more about the history, architecture and artists who created this iconic Santa Barbara centerpiece. Address: 1100 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, CA https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/santa-barbara-county-courthouse/