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Reviews With Photos - Lotusland

House

Ganna Walska Lotusland is a fascinating place full of history, rare plants, and a reflection of a remarkable woman who had a vision for her garden. She had quite a life! 6 husbands! Because of the residential neighborhood it is tucked away but just past Cold water Elementary School, the gate is on the right. The city put a lot of restrictions on the property which is the reason for limited hours and reservations needed. There is a formal garden with roses and fountains near the house, a beautiful Japanese garden, Australia garden, cactus, fern and begonia gardens and much more. I highly recommend the docent tour since I would not have learned much or known what to see otherwise. 2 hours doesn't cover everything but we saw a lot. The place is set up as a foundation unlike other gardens so entry fees are higher. Still quite worth the visit.

Genezaret C.

It's a huge beautiful garden with an insane variety of plants, flowers and trees. There are so many unique characteristics of this garden that make it an exciting place to explore. The Japanese garden was favorite as was the abalone pool. The garden is so well maintained and the staff are friendly, while strict with the rules. They have many Koi fish that are named! It was really cute to see especially the new addition. I've heard so many good things about this place, I think one visit is satisfactory because it can be difficult to get tickets.

Liliana M.

2 hours is the perfect amount of time to explore Lotusland. I opted for self guided to go at my own pace and take pictures. I reserved tickets about 6 weeks before and paid $120 for two tickets. They limit the amount of people per reservation time which makes the experience peaceful. Lotusland is a beautiful spot with a variety of different gardens. There are volunteers stationed throughout who are very kind and knowledgeable. If you love nature, come and check it out.

Joan W.

There are over 20 different style gardens! My favorites were the Japanese and water garden with its lotus flowers. This place exceeded my expectations. Lotulsand is up there with the Huntington Garden and Filoli in terms of impressiveness and fabulousness. Unlike the other two they are a bit more restrictive with visitors. It's open only 9 months out of the year and there are 2 sessions. Each session is 2 hrs., either 9:30-11:30 or 1:30-3:30. They also are restrictive on parking and cannot accommodate late arrivals. You can go on a tour or wander the garden at your leisure. I think the tour is better if you really want to know the history and information on the plants. I don't think it's as good if you have specific places you want to see and and have to move at someone else's pace. For a tour, 2 hrs isn't enough time to get through everything especially if people in the group have a lot of questions. For a list of other Japanese gardens check out my list: https://bit.ly/3CLXWV9

Victoria S.

Beautiful gardens, we were lucky to see some lotus blooming (June-Sept), you can easily see everything in 2hrs. I recommend getting there 20min before your time slot to allow time to check-in, park, etc. I would try to visit the water garden first (lotus) before the crowds so you can take pictures. It was bit pricey $60, but it's a nice place to visit once. We decided to do the self tour so we can pace ourselves & take pictures. They don't allow tripods but I don't see why not, especially if there's no one around you. It didn't feel crowded, they limit the number of tickets per day. Make sure to reserve your tickets at least 3 weeks in advance, it comes with parking for 1 car.

On the right path.
Richard A.

Lotusland is quite the treat!! Hidden among beautiful houses in this gorgeous neighborhood. It was clean, quiet, serene and very beautiful. It's a loop trail of many beautiful landscapes, plants and trees from across the globe. I was there on a Friday morning at 9:30. It seems like they keep the entry numbers down and that helps a lot for the peacefulness of it all. You can do a guided tour or self guided tour. Parking was easy, the restrooms were very clean and there's a small gift shop. $60 may be a bit pricey, but it's worth it to keep this treasure alive. Lots of spider webs, so be aware. The spiders love this place too!! It's truly amazing that this use to be a residential property. Stop by for a visit and bask in the tranquility of it all.

Ryna D.

Ganna Walska Lotusland is often touted as one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in America. Some would even say in the world! I've wanted to visit for some time now so when a friend was visiting town, I decided to get tickets for us. The grounds and gardens are definitely exquisite. It is most certainly worth your time if you enjoy visiting gardens. That said, in my opinion, it's overpriced. I say this relative to other famous botanical gardens in Southern California. For example, Huntington Gardens is bigger, has more to see especially when you include the library and exhibits, and yet not only is it cheaper, they offer free admission on certain days. So if you are trying to decide which garden to visit, I'd say prioritize Huntington over Lotusland.

Jill T.

Lotusland should be on the bucket list of anyone coming to Santa Barbara. It's like nowhere else in the world. Truly magical. Get a guided tour if you can since there's much to learn about the history and plants, but non-guided is fine too if you want to linger on your own. It's worth every penny but reservations are required and sometimes needed weeks in advance.

Entrance for docent tour
Julia R.

Lotus land is such a hidden gem. I had heard about it online and could never get a reservation but my mom and I lucked out and were able to book a docent led tour ($75 each) one week ago. It was an amazing experience and our guide Lyn was AMAZING. She was incredibly knowledgeable and patient answering all of our questions and showing us every garden on site. I am now planning on getting a membership so I can go next season because it was so beautiful and peaceful. The tour lasted about 2 hours and it was about 2 miles of walking, though you can do self guided tour reservations and go at your own pace and explore any area you want. Highly recommend for a day date or a girls trip!

A bee in the cactus garden
Patricia B.

The most amazing gardens I've ever toured. The docent tour is well worth the cost. I was glad we had someone knowledgeable to lead us around and tell us the stories about the various rare plants and gardens on the property. Since you are limited on your time there you certainly want to make the most of it and I am not sure we would have been able to on our first visit without a docent. The gift shop is small but has lots of lovely jewelry, fragrances, and other items. Worth stopping in before you leave. I bought our tickets months in advance of our trip and I'm so glad I did because this really was the highlight of our long weekend in Santa Barbara.

My happy place, just refreshing coming from the desert! Did the docent tour and well worth the two hours, must have done 10,000 steps and enjoyed learning every step of the wa

Japanese Garden
Zan L.

One of the most beautiful botanical gardens that I have ever been to. There are many different eco zones that you can walk through either in a self guided or docent lead tour. This was my first visit so we chose the self guided tour and honestly I didn't see any other people until towards the end, aside from a few staff members that are there to answer any questions that you may have. You're allowed to be in the gardens for 2 1/2 hours which is plenty of time to stroll through the entire property and really take in the beauty of everything. My favorite part was the cactus garden. It is a bit expensive, being $50 per person, but it's definitely somewhere that everyone should go at least once. In fact, I drove up from Los Angeles specifically for this place. Getting reservations ahead of time is necessary because the spaces fill up and they have a limited amount of people that are allowed in each time, which is nice because it never gets too busy. I definitely plan to go again in the future and this would make a amazing date or special occasion location.

Wine in the garden
Lindsay W.

I won tickets to LotusFest 2023 and took a few friends to enjoy the gardens and try some wine. I didn't realize my day would be so much more! The beauty of this place along with the history and facts about all the plants swept me away. Hidden in Montecito, the minute you step on the the first path you are taken almost literally to a different place. The best surprise was the white lotus still blooming in September when they typically go only into July. All the staff and volunteers guided us through the gardens and answered any question we had. The wine at the event was superb. New favorites include Summerland Winery and Bien Nacido. The ticket prices were reasonable since you spend the afternoon in the garden while allowed to drink and be merry along the way and listen to live music. I can't wait to visit Lotus Land again, perhaps early on a foggy morning for the still and silence!

Lotus flowers and giant water lilies

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2 months ago

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21 days ago

After enjoying the garden, we took advantage of the location and drove around the area where celebrities and the wealthy live.

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6 months ago

Beautiful garden and well kept, not sure it's worth such a high price though. The staff was super nice.

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We enjoyed our docent lead tour with Marcia. She was very knowledgeable and delightful to spend two hours with.

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Ask the Community - Lotusland

Are dogs allowed?

I don't believe so. It is not a park, but a botanical garden, and these usually don't allow pets of any kind.

Do you need to make a reservation?

Yes, reservations are required.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Lotusland

Back in the 1940's a rich and eccentric lady named Ganna Walska decided to build a garden in the hills of SB.

Mentioned in 14 reviews

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Cat Therapy

Cat Therapy

4.6
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I have to come here whenever Im in town. The kitties are all so lovable and are up for adoption. I…read morealways book an ho session. It's not a Starbucks style cat cafe like Fluffy Tail in Tustin or Cat Cafe in San Diego bur its a nice place to chill with the kitties.

This is exactly what I needed! My beautiful cat suddenly passed in January and it has been a…read moredifficult time. I was so excited to find a place like this that houses cats that are ready for adoption. The cats have been fully vaccinated, microchipped and have been spayed/neutered. They have reservations available to come pet and play with the cats. You can pay for a 15 minute session or a one hour session. It's such a win-win since the cats get socialized by the people going there and you get the opportunity to live on the cats. Well, I came for an hour and basically cried the whole time as I got to pet and play with the cats. Of course there was one, in particular, that looked similar to mine that I just lost. They crawled up on my lap and just let me pet them and cry. Very therapeutic! Please come support Cat Therapy as they help facilitate finding safe homes for these loving cats. Or better yet, come adopt one of your own. The facility is beautifully designed with toys, boxes, bowls to sleep in, scratch pads and indiscreet litter boxes. The cats freely roam so the doors stay locked to be sure they don't accidentally get out. Just ring the bell when you arrive. They also sell merchandise. This was well worth it! Thank you for the therapy and the chance to enjoy your cats.

Sanctuary Centers

Sanctuary Centers

2.9
(23 reviews)

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Sanctuary is the prime example of amazing mental and co occurring disorder therapy and as well as…read morethe people who make up this very caring environment .Anyone who says anything negative is simply ignorant and doesn't accept the program and the problem's they Face

Carpinteria Arts Center

Carpinteria Arts Center

4.8
(6 reviews)
$

While wandering Linden Avenue, it's hard to miss the Carpinteria Arts Center. We have walked by it…read morewithout experiencing its charms until yesterday evening. We'd had an early dinner, strolled down to the beach, and were headed for our car when we heard live music. Turns out that there was a live concert of rockabilly music happening. Free, too! We entered in to their courtyard and found chairs facing the band, with a dance floor set up, as well. The Rockin' Henry's were on a break, but soon returned. A nice sized crowd was on hand to enjoy beer and wine, music and dancing, in a family-friendly environment. The Rockin' Henry's are a family band with both parents, two teenage daughters, and their charming 10 year old son playing a scaled down upright base, singing lead and backup vocals, alternately, it was an event to remember. Their style is definitely rockabilly, and got people up on their feet to dance. One downside was that the sound balance was off, so that it was very hard to hear the vocals. That was a shame, as there was a lot going on in the performances. Clean restrooms inside the gallery building made for convenience. I didn't study the paintings in the gallery, though I should have, as what I could see from my courtyard seat, the art looked colorful and well-displayed. We'd look forward to attending other events at this comfortable venue, especially for music performances.

I love it here. Lots of space to enjoy looking at the art which is always great. Live music events…read morein the summer months. Well designed place. I felt welcomed there. Not to snobbish. Carp is an upscale beach town and locals are very proud of the place. It is one of my favorite places . . Art Center offers a variety of classes for children and adults. I'm an artist and a teacher so I'm really appreciate this center.

Coastland

Coastland

5.0
(6 reviews)

As I was walking downtown Carpinteria with my family we stumbled upon this locally made and sourced…read moreshop. The shop has a variety of home decor and trinkets, bath and beauty items. As we walked in we were approached by a girl that told us everything in here is made by students and all the profits from the shop go back to them. When I heard that I knew I had to get something even if it was small, to help support. I kept with the theme of avocados as a festival was going on across from the shop for the weekend and grabbed a handmade avocado bath bomb.

I love a store with a mission, and Coastland 100% delivers in that area. Attracted to the store by…read morea sign outside "support our students", I entered Coastland. With a nice selection of soaps, key chains, bracelets, cutting boards with hilarious quotes, and other eclectic products for good prices, I was thrilled to discover that Coastland is a nonprofit organization that trains high school students to produce all the products sold in the shop! The proceeds from sales goes back to purchasing materials for the students. I love the business model. Additionally, their products have that unique flair that only high school students can contribute. I found two great gifts for my nephews including a wooden Minecraft box and wooden journal cover with Animation. I love the Star Wars themed cutting board. The prices are very reasonable! The staff member who was working there shared with me her story, as she had been one of the high school students who had made art and returned to work here post-graduation. Full circle! I love it! I wish this business every success.

Lotusland - gardens - Updated July 2026

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