We eloped at the SB courthouse and couldn't be happier with this decision! Booking the ceremony was fast and easy online. We brought our paperwork and we're married in a very intimate and beautiful ceremony outside. I love everything about this Courthouse, it's spacious, clean, historical, with great views. Hassle and stress free too. 10/10 recommend for anything looking into this route for a wedding. read more

December 22, 2022 Good Morniing : This is (Nominated) Justice Of The Peace Ms. Karin AE Brown. I am at the Carpinteria Best Western Plus @ 805-684-5868 Room 210. Please telephone me as soon as possible. I need office information. Also, I have an (SSID) Ocular Disability, no car and am in need of Para-Van Transport. Thank You. Sincerely, Ms. Karin AE Brown read more

I went to the courthouse today because they put my name wrong on my marriage license. Not only did they refuse to correct their error, the supervisor came out and loudly went over my request so anyone in the building could hear what I was there for. I felt this was very rude and made me very uncomfortable. There has to be a better way of getting things done than the middle of a busy office and loudly telling other peoples business. Definitely not a fan. read more

We parked at the Paseo shops and after walking around for a bit we decided to walk to the court house which is a 8 min walk from the shops. I instantly fell in love with how beautiful it is and how there were so many different areas to explore and take pictures. It's a great place to explore it have your lunch on the grass while enjoying the beautiful view of the courthouse. read more

See all

Wicked place to visit. Make sure you see the tower, the clock room, murals and roam the halls. Beautiful place to be enchanted by. read more

See all

The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a place you have to visit! Hopefully you visit here as a guest, and not a defendant, or being charged with anything. :) It is best to visit here on the weekend when court is not in session. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Most of the SB Courthouse is open to the public on the weekends, and it is worthy of your time to visit here. Most of the time you will see people taking wedding pictures, or even having wedding ceremonies on the grounds. Tip: Be sure to take the stairs/elevator to the to Clock Tower, the 360 degree views of Santa Barbara are amazing! Best part, it is free! Something to consider: During the SB Fiesta's, the SB Courthouse sets up a stage on the grounds and you can watch Spanish dancing while you sit/lay on the grass area. If you do come to this event, do come early as it gets really crowded. It is a really cool experience! Street parking is a challenge, and I suggest parking at one of the nearby parking garages. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse is definitely a top place to visit when in SB. The court house is open to the public and has gorgeous views of the town as well as open spaces to chill and to enjoy the weather. The clock tower is probably the most popular thing to check out and the views up there do not disappoint. The tower gives a complete 360 view and is absolutely beautiful. The tower entrance is not hard to find once inside the main building. The tower can be accessed through the flight of stairs or an elevator. Parking to get here can be tricky, but the surrounding blocks have free 75min parking! There are some spots that are 75 min free parking Mon-Fri, but just make sure to read the parking signs. The courthouse was one of my favorite places in SB and I highly recommend people to check this place out! read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - tower view! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had my wedding ceremony here. Really beautiful place! Open to the public so we just picked a spot and had a quick small ceremony. Luckily there was hardly anyone in the garden area. Sadly there was a private event inside and we could not get any pictures inside. read more

See all

Attended a wedding here. Place is beautiful and open to everyone free of charge. Place is a working courthouse but on the weekend you can walk around. The clock tower is definitely a spot to go up and look out over the city. Great views of the city free of charge. The clock mechanism is also worth a look. The art murals and architecture are awesome. The grounds are well maintained. read more

See all

Really beautiful setting. I didn't fully experience everything, but the grounds are well kept. It's understandable why weddings are always using this venue for photos. There were folks up at the clock tower - I'm not sure how but it must be on their website. There were other families having a picnic on the lawn. It was very picturesque. Street parking can get tough, but we managed to take in and photograph the pretty view of the building and grounds after a quick walk around the corner. read more

Heads up...the whole inside of the courthouse is closed to the public. We took a Lyft to visit only to see a sign saying "tower closed". We thought that we could still enter the groundfloor but the guard said the whole inside was off limits since Covid. They need to update their website and have signs out side that reflect you can't come in at all. Only able to walk around the building, and there is surprisingly very few places to sit in the ground surrounding the building. read more

If you visit Santa Barbara he need to come by and check out the courthouse. One of the older buildings that is still standing. As great views from the tower of the town and the ocean. Seems to be a tourist destination spot and I can see why. If you have some extra time and your close to it I would suggest coming by and taking some pictures from the tower. Also gives you a good layout of the city. read more

The courthouse garden is used for Friday night movies, last night they showed some like it hot and it was a perfect night! We pic nic'd with friends and watched a great film with the beautiful courthouse as the amazing back drop. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - You must go at noon to put your blankets down and save your spot. Make sure it is breathable fabric and your chairs are low back. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Breathtaking 360-degree A must see You can either take the stairs to see the insides of the tower or take the easy, relaxing elevator read more

This is totally worth a stop. The building is beautiful and really nice to wander around in. Both the inside and outside really encourage a sense of calm. I have been a couple of times now and will probably stop by every time I'm staying in Santa Barbara. This time I found out there are tours so next time I'll attend one of those! Also the law library is nice! read more

We arrived right when the courthouse was closing BUT we were able to enjoy and photograph the spectacular scenery outside. I've never scene a courthouse this majestic and ornate. It resembles the spacious lawns of a renowned university. Enjoy your visit. read more

See all

What a gorgeous piece of architecture and so far I consider this my favorite spot in the city! The perfectly lush green expanses of lawn surrounding this grand building are calling my name for a picnic and a childlike roll in the grass, LOL. The view from the top is incredible! Got lots of Instagram-worthy shots from this vantage point high above Santa Barbara and visual proof of why this expanse of the coast is referred to as the American Riviera. The (free) elevator takes you right up into the tower, otherwise if you are not hanging with a whiney 7yo, you can walk up the 5 flights of stairs for a little workout with your view. Definitely must-do if in SB! read more

See all

Love going here when we can, my Dad considers it one of his favorite places - going to guess that has a lot to do with it being free! The building and grounds are beautiful. Do what you can to check out the clock tower in the Bisno Schall Clock Gallery and see the clock. You can only see it Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. There's a great mural that surrounds the clock. Also make sure and take the stairs (you can also take the elevator) all the way to the top, you get a lovely view. read more

Definitely a beautiful building with a unique, historical architecture. The interior and exterior features of the building looked really nice. There's even a tower that you can walk into, and once you reach the top, you will see a lot of enjoyable views (as shown in my pics). Keep those cameras handy when you're at the top. A must see for any visitor in this city! read more

See all

I DON'T NEED NO STICKIN' STAIRS OR ELEVATOR TO GET TO THE TOP! BACKGROUND: Since 1850 this site has been the home of local government and a place of civic pride and celebration. Visitors from around the world come to see the courthouse, mural room or grounds; and hundreds get married in the Mural Room or in the Garden every year. The County Board of Supervisors ordered the construction of this now historic courthouse in 1926, after the smaller Greek-Revival courthouse was damaged in an earthquake the previous year. STATS: Street parking (read the signs) Great place for a picnic Peaceful place for relaxing Free to explore EXPERIENCE: Visiting a friend recently we took a little look around the places that I've seen, but never experienced. The Courthouse is one of those places , where the architecture and history makes me go ah!!! The Spanish Colonial Revival style building from the Spanish tiled floor, to the murals and pictures up the walls to the decorated ceilings offers so much old world Spanish art, and so much history to go along with it. Although there is a prisoner wing, it is no longer used or accessible and unfortunately we reached the entrance to the tower too late, it was closed. Pfft, I don't need no stickin' staircase or elevator to get to the top, too bad there are security cameras all over or I would have just climbed to the top. I've seen pictures Santa Barbara from the top and they are amazing. I will almost definitely be back if only to visit the crown of the courthouse for the breathtaking sight. I'm sure the trip up the tower will give this review a 5th star. #ART #ARCHITECTURE #CULTURE #SANTABARBARA #COURTHOUSE Review #10 read more

See all

Didn't get to have the whole experience as we popped in here to kill some time before dinner and they were closing in 10 minutes at 5pm. The gentleman at the desk was more than happy to let us scope the place out and didn't make us feel unwelcome for showing up so close to closing. The interior is pretty cool to check out and see the old courtrooms, beautiful architecture and the relaxing lawn area outside. Didn't get to go to the clock tower which will give u a great view of city for FREE!. Next time!!! read more

See all

This lovely Spanish Colonial Revival style building was built in the early 1920s. The building is surrounded by lush green lawns and a beautiful tropical garden. I love the architecture of this building, it is so intricate and detailed. The ceilings inside the building are hand painted and one can see giant murals on the walls. The tiles on the floor and the old style phone booths give such an ancient touch to the Courthouse. It made me feel like I'm completely in a different era. There are a lot of weddings and special events that take place here all year around and I can see why. This place is picturesque and it is given that all the pictures are going to turn out to be memorable and beautiful. This Courthouse is still fully functional and is an office space for many lawyers. There are many law offices around this building too. Definitely, make sure that you see the beautiful view of the city from the topmost floor. Every angle of the view gives you something different to see. It is beautiful! read more

BEAUTIFUL. I am SO excited that I was able to see this gorgeous historic landmark. I KNEW this was a must-see for me while staying in Santa Barbara and I only had one full-day here - on my birthday - which was a Sunday. As this is a still functioning and in-use courthouse for the county of Santa Barbara - I didn't think I would be able to see it on Sunday - but it was open - doors thrown wide to welcome me with a friendly lady sitting at the welcome/info desk to advise me that I was free to roam around to my heart's content. Yay! I did just that - I roamed, I took photos of small nooks and crannies, I saw the historic chambers, I marveled at the light fixtures, I walked to the lookout and saw the beautiful view of the city, I walked on the lawn, I did it all. I probably spent an hour or more inside - and easily found parking on the street as it was a weekend and no courts were in session. This is a beautiful spot --- be sure to see it if you are in town. I'm jealous of those who get to use this as their actual courthouse. read more

Beautiful architecture and worth going to the top for a breezy view. Free 75 min parking in front. Worth going to the docent your that starts at the mural room on the 2nd floor. I wish sharif were a bit livelier and engaging, and open to questions - I still don't know why there are little branch looking things in the middle of the rose window. I'm thinking he didn't want to just admit that he didn't know ;) Kids couldn't sit through it much but I'll be back if I'm here for work or something on my own. read more

How to Get Married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse: http://bycherryphotography.com/blog/how-to-get-married-at-the-santa-barbara-courthouse/ Santa Barbara Courthouse is one of the most jaw-dropping gorgeous courthouses that you can get married in. I have shot full weddings and small civil ceremonies/elopements in which the couples have come in from Canada, the East Coast, and even England! Everyone has said that as soon as they saw photos, they HAD to get married here. The building architecture celebrates the city's Spanish heritage, is filled with natural sunlight and grand open hallways, you can walk around the grounds for over an hour and get so many photo ops that you'll feel like your photos were taken at 10 different locations. read more

See all

Stunning. What a shock to wander in here and see one of the most exquisitely preserved Aundalusian architecture you can imagine. Everywhere you turned, there would be gorgeous colorful mosaics in little crooks and crannies, stunning iron-wrought lamps with horse feather glass, wonderfully crafted mission-style furniture. We walked up the stairs and peeked into any areas we wouldn't be arrested for trespassing and oohed and aahed over the oil paintings and al frescoes. What a joy. read more

Beautiful architecture. Unfortunately, the top was closed to the public which I was told that you could view the whole city of Santa Barbara. When I came here, there was a wedding going on which was pretty awesome. Had a short photoshoot here. The architecture definitely was European-influenced. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

I decided to come check out the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, as many Yelp threads said it was a "must-see" on a day trip to Santa Barbara. I did not really understand what could be so great about a courthouse, but I trusted Yelp, and I'm so glad we did! This is so much more than a courthouse - as they lady explained at the info desk, it is a magical building! This building has such amazing architecture with amazing design and art throughout the whole building. There are so many paintings, tile details, large wooden doors, and other small details that make this building amazing and so fun to walk through. You could probably walk through this building several times, and continue to find new amazing details. Also, they work very hard to preserve this building, as it is quite old, and while we were there, there was a whole room that was closed off because they had specialists in there that were working to preserve the beautiful mural on the wall. It is so awesome that they put in so much care to ensure that people can enjoy this building for years to come. I heard that there was an amazing view from the lookout point on top of the building, so we decided to make the trek to the top. On the journey up, you can see the mechanisms of the clock that chimes of the hour, and right as we walked past it, it began to ring! It was so cool to see it happening, and we were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Once we reached the top, it was truly amazing. With the help of the picture guides on each side of the lookout point, you are able to see all the different landmarks throughout the area. You can even see the ocean from there! I love lookout points, and I was truly amazed being up here. Outside the building, it is still so beautiful! Large fields of green grass, beautiful trees, and even more art and architecture to admire. I'm so glad that I was urged to come here, and I seriously encourage anyone new to Santa Barbara to check this place out. It's free and such a wonderful experience! read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - Enjoying the beautiful view on top of this building! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

This place is one of the most historic buildings in the area. It's a gorgeous example of Andalusian architecture and has a huge garden in the back. During the summer they hold large outdoor movie nights on the grass. The interior decorations are exquisite, and if there's no wedding happening, it's worth it to see the old courtroom. Go up the clock tower for a 360 view of Santa Barbara. It's worth it to take the stairs, mainly because the elevator is really slow, but also because from the stairwell you can look into the clock gallery on the third floor and see the clock's mechanisms. read more

See all

It's a little hilarious that this building is a courthouse. Those things tend to be utilitarian and ugly. I know Santa Barbara is a gorgeous place, but come on, it's being ridiculous here. I went with my boyfriend, my mother, and her massive camera. She was snapping pictures at every corner, taking in every marvelous detail. The building is an architectural beauty and the inside is equally impressive, with high ceilings, pretty stairs, and a second floor courtroom decked out in grand muraled walls. The lawn is another sight to behold, wide and lush with green. The best part of the courthouse, though, is the rooftop. The building isn't massively tall, but it's tall enough to provide panoramic views of Santa Barbara. On a clear day, you can look off of any of the four sides and have your breath taken away. The rooftop wasn't crowded when I visited either, and my mother had a field day. I don't blame her. read more

The courthouse was voted on TripAdvisor as the top attraction in Santa Barbara. Yes, it doesn't sound very interesting, but it's a must visit if you're in town! Make sure to make it up to the view and climb the stairs (resist the urge to take the elevator) to watch the clock/bell at work. The view, although not super high, is breathtaking and gives you a good look at the beauty of Santa Barbara. We saw high schoolers doing some sort of club activity here (maybe MUN?) but that didn't stop us from enjoying the courthouse. You are free to walk he grounds--no intrusive security guards or large tour groups. It didn't feel so touristy/museum-y either which for some reason made me appreciate the experience all the more. The best part of all--it's free! You won't need to set aside a ton of time here (maybe 30-45 min). There's ample street parking around the courthouse, at least on a weekend so get over here stat! read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - View from the top - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My family and I really enjoyed our visit to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. This Courthouse has been around since 1850, and is filled with beautiful murals and tiles throughout. We found a free 15-minute parking off of Anacapa Street, which was more than enough time for us to snap some pictures of the main grounds, check out the chapel, as well as take the elevator to the Viewing Tower (on the 4th floor) to catch a beautiful view of SB! Everything is free for you to roam around to - the Mural Room (on the 2nd floor), the Law Library (also on the 2nd floor), Hall of Records, the Grounds, the Clock Gallery (you can see it behind the casing while coming down the stairs from the Observation Tower), as well as the 4th floor viewing tower. This place is opened everyday except Christmas, so you can check it out on any of the 364 days :P Definitely a neat place to check out while you're in Santa Barbara! +Viewing Tower (Observation Tower) on the 4th floor (elevator access available) +free 15-minute parking off of Anacapa Street read more

See all

I'm sure people would love to see the picture of my dog at the court house, if I could I would give it 6 stars! read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - My dog enjoying a nice Santa Barbara day at the court house! (He loves big bird) - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've been fortunate to have attended a few weddings at the beautiful Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Some of the best views of the city are offered here and inside is filled with terrific photo opportunities throughout its exquisite Spanish-style architecture. On our last visit there was some construction going on so unfortunately the clock tower was not accessible. This is a must-see for visitors and locals alike. The grounds and the building are gorgeous and make for a pleasant afternoon diversion; just show up and explore for free. Pro tip: during summer evenings people gather at the courthouse's Sunken Gardens to watch free movies under the stars. Find the showtimes online (usually Friday nights) and bring a blanket or low-back chairs, snacks, and beverages, and you're all set. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - On the ground floor looking up a spiral staircase. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My best friend and her now husband got married at this courthouse and it was beautiful! They rented the mural room and that process was really quick and easy. It was also considerably cheaper than other wedding venues we were looking at. The parking situation was super easy too because 1) there were lots of available spaces in their big parking structure and 2) it was cheap (approx. $1.50 an hour). There were tourists walking around the courthouse, but that didn't bother us because they were respectful of our celebration and gave the bride lots of compliments haha. read more

See all

I recently got married in the mural room. It's a little tricky on how to navigate on what to do next after you talk to Linda and book the room. Luckily a family friend knew a judge and he took care of of some of the confusion. Just remember if you get married on a Saturday, people will be around! July brought a TON of tourists. It was giving a bit of anxiety. Luckily I had a day of coordinator who was able to keep people out of the room for the whole 10 mins we were in there. It's a beautiful space and makes for gorgeous photo ops! read more

See all

Santa Barbara County Courthouse, which is really really close to Downtown SB (or actually in there) is really really cool and surprising. It's a courthouse, yes, and functioning. But so why would anyone want to go in? On their own free will? Because it looks really cool and...old.:O It has Spanish roots there, spiral staircases, courthouses, there's a room where you can have a wedding reception but can be seen of all the incredible artwork and decor in there. There's also, on the 5th floor, a beautiful view of parts of Santa Barbara. There's also a clock tower on the 4th floor that you can see a part of (but can't be open/gone in unless by appointment). Let's go to court guys. Enjoy the history (: read more

Wow this is a beautiful building and a courthouse to boot - kinda unbelievable! The view from the tower is great and the clock gallery is cool (we happened to be there when it was open from1-2pm on Saturdays). The murals on the second floor are beautiful (we saw a wedding wrapping up there). Worth a stop for this free attraction. Also at 2pm they have free tours. We did not have time to do this. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - Great views! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is a really cute spot if you're looking to fill 1 hour of your time in downtown Santa Barbara. The Courthouse is beautiful and surrounded by green grass. The clock tower was opened on Saturday afternoon when we stopped by. You can either take the elevator or the stairs to the 4th floor where it opens out to the deck. It's actually not that tall but you get a good view of downtown, the mountains, and all the way towards the beaches/ocean. There are scenery panels on each side of the deck to show you what you're looking at. Great place for pictures both on the deck and outside on the grounds. Bring a picnic basket or food if you're interested in eating outside. read more

The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a gorgeous venue for a wedding ceremony. My fiance and I visited the Mural Room first on our list of wedding venues. Nothing could compare after, so we wed in December and the rest is history! We got married in December 2014 at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Historic Mural Room. The room is glorious with Spanish style architecture, high vaulted ceilings, spectacular original mural paintings from the 1800's, wrought iron work, wooden pews, colorful Spanish tiles, and natural sunlight shining through every window, hallway, and door. It is truly awe inspiring for a wedding ceremony. This is a highly sought after venue for the ceremony component of a wedding. I called and spoke with Linda Van der Wyk at the County of Santa Barbara months in advance to try and book a preferred date. She was so helpful in discussing possible dates and times, which are booked at least 6 months in advance so be prepared! It's so worth working out. I had planned a fall wedding, but opted for a December wedding just to be married in the gorgeous historic Mural Room! My only complaint (4 stars instead of 5) is the strict time structure they have on renting the room. Due to the fact that the room is booked up well in advance (on Saturdays) it made it difficult to find a great date and time to hold a wedding. We're thankful we made it work though! The price is totally reasonable for such elegance. Our family and friends enjoyed wandering the courthouse grounds, taking photos in the clock tower, and enjoying the ambiance before and after our ceremony. We are so happy we chose this location for our ceremony. read more

Santa Barbara County Courthouse - The best moment! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all