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Santa Barbara

Perfect weather, beautiful buildings, excellent bars and restaurants, and activities for all tastes and budgets make Santa Barbara a great place to live (as the locals will proudly tell you) and a must-see place for visitors to Southern California. Check out the Spanish Mission church first, then just see where the day takes you.

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Experience the real

　　This tiny, off-the-beaten path historic site shelters pictographs painted by Chumash tribespeople over 400 years ago. The sandstone cave is protected from graffiti and vandalism by a metal screen, so bring a flashlight to get a good look. The turnoff is off Hwy 154 below San Marcos Summit, about 6...

Must-see attractions

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams

　　Just try walking past this place on State St if you have a sweet tooth. A Santa Barbara institution since 1949, McConnell's uses local milk and other ingredients to produce an array of flavors, from the classics such as chocolate and vanilla to the adventurous like Turkish coffee and cardamom...

　　Central, palm-tree-backed stretch of sand, right next to Stearns Wharf and the harbor (swimming isn't advisable). It's also the setting for large outdoor city events such as Fourth of July celebrations. ...

Granada Theatre

　　This beautifully restored 1930s Spanish Moorish–style theater is home to the city’s symphony, ballet and opera, as well as touring Broadway shows and big-name musicians. ...

Channel Islands National Park

　　The Channel Islands is an eight-island chain lying off the coast from Newport Beach to Santa Barbara. The four northern islands – San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Anacapa – along with tiny southern Santa Barbara comprise Channel Islands National Park. There are extensive tide pools and kelp forests,...

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

　　This thoughtfully curated, bite-sized art museum displays European and American masters – including Monet, Van Gogh and Degas – along with photography, classical antiquities and Asian artifacts and thought-provoking temporary exhibits. At the time of writing, some galleries were closed while the museum is retrofitted for earthquake protection. 　　Highlight tours...

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

　　The huge whale skeleton by the entrance whets the appetite for the city's natural history museum. The usual dioramas of stuffed animals are on display in dimly lit rooms (the bird collection is especially good on local species), but the joy of this place is that once you've learned about...

Santa Barbara Bowl

　　Built by Works Progress Administration (WPA) artisans during the 1930s Great Depression, this naturally beautiful outdoor stone amphitheater has ocean views from the highest cheap seats. Kick back in the sunshine or under the stars for live rock, jazz and folk concerts in summer. Big-name acts like Brian Wilson, Radiohead...

　　Santa Barbara’s largest and most popular beach is a long, sandy stretch sprawling east of Stearns Wharf, with volleyball nets for pick-up games, a children’s play area and a snack bar. On Sunday afternoons, artists set up booths along the sidewalk, near the bike path. ...

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

　　Embracing a romantic cloistered adobe courtyard, this peaceful little museum tells the story of Santa Barbara. Its endlessly fascinating collection of local memorabilia ranges from the simply beautiful, such as Chumash woven baskets and Spanish-colonial-era textiles, to the intriguing, such as an intricately carved coffer that once belonged to Junípero...

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

　　Take a soul-satisfying jaunt around this 40-acre botanic garden, devoted to California’s native flora. Miles of partly wheelchair-accessible trails meander past cacti, redwoods and wildflowers and by the old mission dam, originally built by Chumash tribespeople to irrigate the mission’s fields. Guided tours (included with admission) depart at 11am and...

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

　　On the harborfront, this jam-packed two-story exhibition celebrates Santa Barbara's briny history with nautical artifacts, memorabilia and hands-on exhibits both fun and educational. Find out about sustainable fishing in a kelp forest and how to raise a sail; sort trash into world gyres, visit a tattoo parlor, take a virtual...

　　The southern end of State St gives way to Stearns Wharf, a rough wooden pier lined with souvenir shops, snack stands and seafood shacks. Built in 1872, it’s the oldest continuously operating wooden wharf in California, although the actual structure has been rebuilt more than once. During the 1940s it...

Santa Barbara Zoo

　　Small (so it's perfect for young kids) Santa Barbara Zoo has 146 species covering all creatures great and small, including several not found in many other zoos. Asian elephants Little Mac and Sujatha have been together here since 1972 and are hugely popular, as are the adorable meerkats. Don't miss...

Old Mission Santa Barbara

　　California's ‘Queen of the Missions’ reigns above the city on a hilltop perch more than a mile north of downtown. Its imposing Ionic facade, an architectural homage to an ancient Roman chapel, is topped by an unusual twin-bell tower. Inside the mission’s 1820 stone church, notice the striking Chumash artwork....

Santa Barbara County Courthouse

　　Built in Spanish-Moorish Revival style in 1929, the courthouse features hand-painted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers and tiles from Tunisia and Spain. On the 2nd floor, step inside the hushed mural room depicting Spanish-colonial history, then head up to El Mirador, the 85ft clock tower, for arch-framed panoramas of the city, ocean...

　　This next-gen science museum is an interactive treasure trove of exhibits and experiences related to sound, technology, speed, light and color that are sure to delight and enlighten little ones. On three floors they can learn about music (by stepping inside a giant guitar), building a race car, or re-creating...

Latest stories from Santa Barbara

　　From touch tanks full of tide-pool critters and crawl-through aquariums to whale sing-alongs, this place is interactive, educational and bound to keep the kids happy. Parking on the wharf is free for 90 minutes with a validated ticket. ...

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