Love love love! Easy to spend the day here and I recommend it. But also fairly easy to get to, so it's perfect for a meditative reset time in the middle of a busy day. This space is so special. Lots to explore. Lots to learn. Lots of care and love here. Don't want to say too much. Just go and see and be surrounded by the trees, flowers, rocks, peace, and magic. Fantastic gift shop too! read more

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My son and I have been here to this Botanic Garden twice before about 10 years ago and decided to revisit it this morning on our trip to Santa Barbara. We headed over around 11:30AM, right after checking out from our hotel. They are celebrating their 100th Anniversary. WOW!! Admission is $25 for adults and a bit pricey for what you get, in my opinion. It's definitely a beautiful place full of nature, greenery, fresh air, peace and zen. I was a little disappointed at the lack of flowers in the whole property. There were only some poppies on the meadow where you walk in and that was it. I also didn't like how there are literally no rangers or anyone to help you around the trails. I understand you are just on your own, but it's dangerous that there's no one to help you if something goes wrong. No First Aid Kit, either. I also remember them having a big, beautiful waterfall on the trail and it wasn't there this time. Why? They have free parking and there are some restrooms at the entrance and we saw one on the trail. They have a very nice gift shop with some snacks/refreshments, books, magnets, shirts, candles, artificially looking flowers, etc... We bought few gifts that my son and I liked. Got a nice fresh, clean scented Mango/Pineapple candle, ($25), an organic rose water spray to splash all over your body ($17), an interesting cooler can with crystal water that keeps your water cold in the fridge ($8). A 16 oz. can & a tiny white heart shaped magnet ($5.20), insanely expansive! I may or may not revisit in the future. read more

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We found this botanic garden because it's dog friendly and made a reservation for Sunday afternoon. You need a reservation because they want to limit the amount of people who come in each day plus parking is pretty tight. In the springtime, this garden is really beautiful with all the wildflowers and redwood forest. It can get pretty hot and sunny in certain areas so sunscreen and a hat can be helpful. Overall, it's a beautiful place to explore with your dog :) read more

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STEPH JUDGEMENT: A garden showcasing native CA plants. It's not a huge or fancy garden, à la the Huntington, but still worthwhile. It felt more natural and wild, with lots of dirt paths and trails. The hubby and I enjoyed the many fun, imaginative structures, particularly the rope bridge. The lab and art gallery in the Island View area were cool, and their gift shop had a lot of great items. There was also a nursery near the shop where you can buy plants. We liked that It emphasized conservation and education, with lots of helpful volunteers and staff. We had a really nice time and were glad we checked it out. read more

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WARNING, please make a reservation prior to showing up to the botanic garden. It'll make your life that much easier! If you don't show up with the reservation chances of them turning you away are high. It is $25 per individual and parking is included. Upon entering the garden you have access to plants native to the state of California, which include the Redwood trees (my favorite)! There's different types of terrains and u can traverse throughout the garden in dirt or paved trails. It's a good place to bring children around since they have many interactive activities throughout the garden. Overall, I recommend you wearing clothing suitable for warm weather. This garden exploration can take you anywhere from half an hour to maybe two depending on how interested you are on what they have to offer. read more

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What a surprise! Fabulous gardens that are well maintained and marked. They had various trails leading to some of the areas. You could use different walkways to get to the same place. Many isolated areas where you could just sit relax and listen to the surroundings. A great place to bring kids as they had several play areas for kids. A family friendly environment. And close to the gardens there is a path to take you to an overlook of the ocean and hills. read more

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Relaxing away from it all.... - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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It's been 3 years since I've been here last. I saw a tiktok video during my search for ideas for my family trip. I knew my toddler would love the new kid area. I was correct. She also had a blast walking in the garden area and trails was a fun little adventure for us. I loved every minute there. It's so peaceful. If you have any hour or more to spare come visit this wonderful garden. read more

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Santa Barbara, CA Not to be missed in the springtime for all of the wildflowers. The redwood grove is a treat and this property is very well taken care of. read more

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Had a family trip to Camarillo CA from our east coast home. Had a free day and decided to visit Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens and just loved it. Our kids are in their 20s, and this garden was so beautiful and lovely to walk around. If we lived locally we would be members and I would visit often. There are volunteers everywhere happy to help. They even gave us lunch recommendations in town, which was great. This is a great place to just hand out, rest, lay in a hammock, and organized beautifully. The air smells great. There are little huts and things they use for events with kids, we just loved them all. Can't say enough about it. We took a family pic there and we think it came out so well because we had just spent the day here. Be sure to visit the building across up on the hill. The way the views are amazing. read more

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It was a rainy day and we went just after it rained. It was a little Muddy when you head down to the kids section but overall we had a great time. The trees and grass smelled amazing with the fresh rain.. the water was flowing fast from the recent rain. They have memberships for individual family children and pets. Stopped in the shop on the way out and got a cute tea towel and pressed flower necklace from a local artist. So glad we spent a couple hours here! read more

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Lovely gardens, native plants and trees. Wonderful trails and great place to walk barefooted all over. Sweet creek. read more

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We went here with our reciprocal membership from Descanso Gardens. I had no idea this garden was so magnificent! We learned that this garden is dedicated entirely to California native plants and trees! What a glorious tribute to the local nature! We were lucky enough to see the wildflower bloom and got to pass through the redwoods forest. There are several great little hikes so it's a nice light workout too. The gift shop is also delightful! They have a unique selection of items that I've never seen anywhere else. Overall, so worth the trip! It's always a little miracle to witness California wildflower superblooms and I look forward to returning in other seasons to see what else this garden has in store. read more

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$20 a person. It was a cute walk and great for photos! We went when it was raining which made it more of a vibe. Not a hard walk at all. Parking was free. Cute little mini house for children that we thoroughly enjoyed ! The man at the check in counter was a sweet heart. read more

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The grounds of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden are diverse and stunning. I've been to a handful of botanic gardens, but I think this may have been the first that required paid admission ($20 for adults.) That caught me off guard for a moment, but figured it takes so much to maintain the grounds that it probably just goes to supporting those initiatives. Luckily, they take all forms of payment so it was so problem. I was surprised to discover how vast these grounds are. We basically started off on what felt like a quick little hike in the woods among the redwoods, explored some of the dry climate succulents and then worked our way on up to Conservation Gallery Center on the top of the hill to watch the sunset (which was peaceful and spectacular.) Although we weren't able to cover everything it was time well spent and a beautiful and worthwhile adventure. read more

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I've spent a lot of time in Santa Barbara since marrying a native over a decade ago, but until the other weekend, I had no idea the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden existed. Matt B. obviously failed me, but I've forgiven him this lapse, as he hadn't been himself since he was a child. I feel like the botanic garden is somehow under the radar for Santa Barbara attractions, maybe because it's a little bit tucked away. If you haven't been and are even remotely curious, you should make immediate plans to visit. It's an amazing place, especially if you have kids to entertain. You can book timed entry tickets online (and according to the website, reservations are required), but we were able to walk in at 10:30 on a Sunday without a lick of trouble. Parking was easy, and we bought tickets on the spot and headed in. There was a very nice guide by the entrance who gave us the lay of the land. The botanic garden is on 78 acres, with friendly trails and a bounty of indigenous California plants representing eleven different ecosystems. People seem to hate on the place for its lack of exotic flora, and sure, the desert section is a more thorough collection of the drought-resistant plants we have in our front yard. But did you know you can see a full-on redwood grove less than three miles from downtown Santa Barbara? It's incredible, worth the price of entry all on its own. We met up with friends in the backcountry section, which was paradise for our three collective children. It was essentially a giant playground that felt like it grew from the earth. The kids ran along tree stumps, climbed on rocks, and had a little hang sesh inside a fort made of latticed branches. They played on a tire swing hanging from a sturdy tree, and climbed across rope nets going up to a small overlook. There was a child-sized maze and a climbing area with a log structure and a tiny wood teeter-totter. We crossed a low creek on our way out, making our way across the rocks. We all had a lovely time, as well as a long nature walk with the kids--a sort of trial to see if they were ready for hiking. We got two hours of constant, spirited outdoor activity, with almost no complaints from the children. I loved the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and suspect that our next visit will be with a membership in our pocket. Members enjoy reciprocal benefits with hundreds of gardens and arboreta across the country, including a few where we live in Los Angeles. We've decided to keep our kids away from YouTube and video games as long as possible, and one of the best tools at our disposal is the power of the great outdoors. read more

Our second time here since New Years week 2025. It's a great fun hike and my grandsons like all the multitude of kids activities in the trails. The flowers are starting to bloom. Highly recommend if you are good on narrow steep trails of dirt, crossing several boulders over a live stream to continue in pathway and more. Not for handicap individuals. It's a canyon and this comes with natural hazards read more

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Beyond underwhelming!! A botanic garden with barely any botanics! LOL. I visited in May which is typical blooming season, but 85% of the gardens looked dead. Definitely not worth the price. Huntington Gardens is better. read more

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This was my first time visiting the botanic garden, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised! We came on a very hot morning, but most of the trails were covered or at least partially shaded, which made walking around much more comfortable. There are plenty of peaceful rest areas along the way, many with charming benches made from tree trunks that blend beautifully into the natural surroundings. One of the highlights was the interactive kids' area. It's such a thoughtful and fun space, complete with forts and mini mazes that are perfect for little explorers. One thing I really loved is that they allow dogs on leashes. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the garden with our pups. There aren't many beautiful spaces like this that are dog-friendly. We also stopped by the nursery, which features a lovely variety of native plants. It was a great place to learn more and even pick up something for our own garden at home. Overall, it was a peaceful and enjoyable experience. Perfect for families, nature lovers, or anyone looking to relax and reconnect with the outdoors. I'll definitely be back! read more

My aunt from the UK was visiting us in Los Angeles and wanted to see Redwood trees. We didn't have time (or energy) to drive for hours up north, so I found this palce online because they have a Redwood section. The whole garden was pretty and organized very well. We went in May so the weather was warm but plenty of shade throughout. The Redwoods were definitely our favorite part. It was a cute secluded portion of the park that took us about 10 minutes to slowly walk through. These Redwoods are "young", so they're not the HUGE trees you think of, but they're very tall and very beautiful. It's a great place to see if you don't want to drive all the way up the coast. Wear comfortable shoes. Take water. The whole garden took us around 90 minutes. read more

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This is a regional must-see. And by must-see, I mean it is one of the best curated collections of California native plants within one of the most beautiful settings on the Central Coast. The nursery is excellent, well-stocked, and fair in price. read more

The Santa Barbara botanical garden was a nice garden that showcased many of the local plants and species that are native to the area. The meadow was the most beautiful part of the garden and was really enjoyable to walk through. There were many other nice places to walk through but I didn't feel that they compared to the meadow. Overall, we were happy we came here but likely wouldn't return a second time. read more

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My sister and I had a wonderful time today. We had a reservation for 2PM and thought we missed the 2PM tour, but were told there was only one at 11AM. Our self guided tour took a little over an hour. Mostly all of the plants were in bloom and it was a beautiful day. I highly recommended for some zen and tranquility. read more

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I love this botanic garden. Staff is always so friendly and willing to share their knowledge. I've visited a couple times now and always so amazed that they have the beautiful redwoods and well curated garden areas. They have plenty of benches around the garden to sit and rest. I have used my AHS pass to receive complimentary admission both times and really appreciate that perk. This time I also went out to see the conservation building and got a little glimpse of the Channel Islands this time! read more

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This place blew my mind. I was coming thinking it'll be a regular garden but it was such a diverse place with all kinds of different plants and trees! This is definitely a place you have to go to multiple times to fully enjoy everything it has to offer. read more

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've been there twice in the last couple of months, really enjoyed both times. The poppies are blooming in the meadow right now, with the mountains in the background there is no prettier site! I also love the very old dam and the waterway that leads to the Mission. The redwood grove is also incredible, a taste of Yosemite here in our own back yard. Across the street, be sure to take a hike to the top for some exercise and fresh air. We saw deer and enjoyed touring the art gallery. read more

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Amazing trails and very well kept grounds! Highly recommend! Easy for all ages and also can get a good workout if you're wanting something like that read more

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We Have the Flower 78-acre garden that's dedicated to preserving CA native plants and displaying them in their natural setting. With over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous species, this garden has more to it than meets the eye. The Good: *Fairly inexpensive at $20/adults & $12/kids *Extremely friendly staff, especially the guy running the parking lot (more on that later) *Five miles of well-maintained trails that'll ensure one gets their steps in for the day. *Good signage to inform visitors of what they're looking at and why. *Great place to bring kids of all ages, as there's lots of fun interactive things for them to do. The Meh: *Reservations required (more on this down below). The Ugly: *Don't be dummies like us and show up without a reservation. I mean, technically, yes, you can--but you really shouldn't, and I'll tell you why. And, no this isn't some outdated covid measure, it's because quite frankly their parking lot fucking sucks. Narrow with a deep slope and extremely limited to less than 100 spots, it's a real shit-show is putting it quite kindly. Fortunately, the parking lot god was there to aid and abet our misdeeds and found us a place to park. Conclusion: Great place for kids and nature enthusiasts to visit, but just make sure to plan ahead. read more

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Beautiful gardens!!! Love all the different trails especially the Redwoods area! The Conservation Center was awesome too!!! Loved the different displays on Lichen and the creative printing art activity for visitors to do!!! The Zines are great too!!! read more

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My sister suggested stopping here on our way back home from Solvang. She and my brother were heading to San Diego while we (hubby & I) were bound for Temecula. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity since we were going by there. We are so happy we did! Bought our military discount entries at the window. The young lady there was very sweet & friendly and her eyes brightened when she asked if this was our first time. She wished us a good day and to enjoy the garden. Our first stop of course was the gift shop full of very cute items. I bought a shark mood ring & t-shirt with bugs on it that becomes colorful in the sun for my grandson, wood earrings, and locally made almond brittle. It came to a little under $40 of which goes back to help the garden. It was beautifully laid out with the different areas indicated in the map. It was a beautiful, warm day perfect to be out and about and appreciating the beauty of nature so well maintained. It was challenging for me to go up & down some of the steep steps made of rock and to walk long distances with my fake hips (and being way out is shape!) but my hubby & sister graciously gave me support as we were traipsing along the various paths. It was well worth it! We loved the redwood grove, the children's maze, and everything else about this well appointed garden. We only saw a portion of this magnificent place! We definitely will visit again and see the rest of it! read more

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Lovely experience for first time visitor. We left the foggy beach and drove to the SB Botanical Gardens den. There is a desert plant are, a meadow and a redwoods walk which is shady and cool and will make you think you,ve been transported to the. A Redwoods National Park! We heard deer rustling, saw hummingbirds squirrels and lizards. Water was steaming into a pool near an old aquifer that captured water and sent it down for storage at the Mission. There was a kids' storytelling trail, and we enjoyed the nice store near the entrance. A sign pointed to a picnic area so that will be our next adventure. Highly recommend. They have a reciprocal arrangement with the Ventura Botanical Garden, so bring your membership card. We purchased our tickets online, so we'll remember for next time! read more

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A beautiful native plant garden with a wonderful plant nursery and gift shop. If you're hoping to buy books about California native plants and history, they have a lovely selection. I was able to pick up some small pamphlets as well which will be useful when I go walking. Their merch was very cute and I also liked that they had some general Santa Barbara merch so I could get my souvenir shopping done in one go. I was fortunate enough to grab a Ray Hartman Ceanothus as well and it looked healthy and beautiful. The view of the mountains past the meadow right st the entrance is one of my favorite views ever. I was very impressed by the redwoods and big wide Sycamores. I'm from the Los Angeles area so the river and waterfalls were a treat. Across the street from the parking lot there is also a Channel Islands section I would have missed had my friend not pointed it out. Overall very beautiful and unique compared to other botanical gardens. I love California native plants and am so glad to visit and support a garden that aids in their research and conservation. read more

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Meadow and mountains - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We made reservations yesterday for 10am online. It was $20 per person and when we arrived checking in was very easy. Getting there when the garden was opening is ideal as the parking lot and gardens were getting quite busy as we left around (11:30 on a Monday). The trails were well kept and there was tons of art to see as you were walking. I highly recommend to support the gardens and visit! read more

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Surprised I never wrote a review of this place. Been coming here on and off for over 20 years, although it's been over 10 years since I was last here. It has changed a bit since then. Price has definitely gone up. It's currently $20 for adults and $12 for kids between 3 and 12. I also noticed it added several kid-oriented items throughout some of its trails. I saw a small zip line and maze area for kids. The main focus of this garden is preserving California's native plants. It has 11 main sections. Redwoods section, which is on the north end of the garden, is my favorite, but my kids love the Backcountry section, which has 4 subsections specifically designed for kids to explore. Parking is free but the lot is small and narrow. read more

Most recent visit was unpleasant as the noise of a leaf blower was continuous for the two hour visit. Then it rained and I was hoping that at least the leaf blower would cease to be operated! Much to my chagrin it was still be used! read more

Nice place to walk around and soak up nature. I thought it was cool how in one part of the garden they had different sections for each of the Channel Islands unique plant life. read more

Love this small, but mighty garden tucked away in the Santa Barbara hills. It's a great place to meander with little hiking trails. I usually spend a couple hours here and my favorite spot is the redwoods. Since it's been a wet winter, we were accompanied by sounds of the flowing creek and rushing water, which was so soothing. If it's a clear day, make sure you cross the street for a view of the ocean and islands. BONUS: they allow leashed dogs!!!! Not aware of many gardens that are dog friendly :) Staff is friendly, there's a small parking lot, and as of April 2023 it's timed entry and you can purchase tickets online. read more

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This botanic garden is lovely. It specializes in California plants, which is great. It's not as large as other botanical gardens in Los Angeles, but it is perfect for a short visit while stopping in Santa Barbara. We loved the redwood forest, which felt like a stop in Sequoia. We also liked how much space was dedicated to children and their exploration/imagination. A treat for any kid and parent after a long car ride! Staff were friendly. Parking was easy. Bathrooms were clean. read more

Walk through many biomes and you will get your steps in! We loved the redwoods best. Photos are from a new children's space with a maze, tire swing, and tree houses. We had guest passes from a friend so did not pay the twenty dollar admission and life was good. Surprisingly dogs are allowed. Not wheelchair friendly if you want to go far. read more

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This is a serene and tranquil space to take a stroll through. From this garden, there is a short moderate hike you can access. My favorite part about this garden besides the stream and sequoias are all the spaces for kids to enjoy, including but not limited to a reading nook, tire swing, climbing structures, and a hut. read more

We came by on Monday and it was a nice stroll through the vegetation. We went for the Redwood Forest first and it was nicely shaded and easy to navigate to. Then we went thru some bridges and saw mini waterfalls. Even went across the street to the conservation building to see if we can see the Channel Islands from the 2nd floor. Our family of 4 got complimentary admission to the garden using our AHS membership and reciprocal benefits. read more