What a great hidden gem of a museum! Family and I stumbled here by accident because my son needed to find a restroom after shopping at Warbler Records across the street. It's somewhat off the beaten path as it's few blocks away from Downtown Santa Barbara. That's probably why the place was fairly empty during our visit. I love the adobe architecture of the building. It almost looks like a small mission turned into a museum. The front entrance to the museum faces De La Guerra Street but we entered from the side entrance through its beautiful courtyard. It was empty on the day of our visit but I can see this place getting busy if people rent the courtyard for weddings and events. The museum isn't that big but there were enough exhibits to keep us busy for about an hour. It was great seeing the history of Santa Barbara through its regular exhibits as well as some special ones. Admission is free but my wife and I felt compelled to make a donation because we loved the place so much. We saw a glass donation box by its gift shop so we put some cash in there to support the museum. Will try to make this a regular stop on our future visits to Santa Barbara. read more

My partner and I were looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday in town. We have already explored much of what the Central Coast has to offer so we decided to revisit an attraction. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum came to mind after noticing their Project Fiesta exhibit was going on. It also just so happens that Yelp's "Travel Like A Local" campaign is going on simultaneously, so the timing was impeccable. This museum is a hidden gem somewhat off the beaten path. It is a few blocks from downtown State Street and two from the historic Presidio. Most tourists unfortunately miss it. Yet, this beautiful adobe building with a humongous boat anchor in front is worth visiting. Heck, there's no reason to not enter since it's completely free to the public (donations appreciated)! Upon entering, to the left is a gift shop with many local books and souvenirs. Yet it's easy to be distracted by the gorgeous central courtyard with a water fountain as its focal point. This is a popular venue for weddings, dances and other celebrations. Be sure to get a photo of an original Camino Real Bell, the marker used to connect the California Missions. There is also the Glenhill Library here. Many don't know that if you sneak out the back gate, you can step back into time with dirt ground, lush fruit trees, and La Casa Covarrubias. The museum also features a permanent exhibit called The Story of Santa Barbara. It's the perfect introduction to the Central Coast's long history of the native Chumash people, the influence of Mexico and the Spanish, the 1925 Earthquake and more. Upon my most recent visit was an unexpected discovery, an exhibit on Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community. I knew of the historic Mattei's Tavern, Inn and Stagecoach Stop after it was recently renovated and became part of a new luxury Auberge Resort in Los Olivos. Little did I know that he became a well-known artist. His first free-sketch was of Leutze's 1851 painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware at only 15 years of age! Prominent guests of the Tavern recognized his skill and sponsored his studies in San Francisco and New York. To this day you can see his art on the walls of the Tavern, but also here. Another current temporary exhibit is of Old Spanish Days/Fiesta, Santa Barbara's pride and joy. 2023 is its 99th anniversary! I had no idea that Fiesta was originally started to celebrate the opening of the Lobero Theatre. To this day, it remains the oldest running theater in California. The photos of almost a century caught by camera and shared at this exhibit are spectacular. All in all, whether it's your first visit to Santa Barbara or you're a life-long native, a visit to this museum is a must! read more

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I've likely been to Santa Barbara 100 times over the last 30 years. Never knew that this charming gem of a museum existed until yesterday when thumbing through the Passport 2 History book. We already knew we'd be visiting The Presidio of Santa Barbara and Casa De La Guerra, but didn't realize that the Historical Museum was close by, and well worth seeing. So glad I dug deeper into the list of venues! We arrived around 3:45 PM. The sunlight hitting the exterior of the building was getting to that golden-glow stage of the day. The whole building seemed to be quietly basking in the light. Native plantings, wildflowers and aloes are featured in their gardens. While not profusive, they still highlight and soften the grounds. Once inside, we paid in the gift shop, then headed in to see the exhibits. The first feature was a colorful multi-media presentation celebrating Santa Barbara's long-running Fiesta. The video on the main screen in the center of the room was bizarre in it's Hollywood Anglo take on the Spanish / Mexican heritage of the event. (Before the days of political correctness and cultural sensitivity.) Stars of the Golden Age of Tinseltown (like Ida Lupino and Robert Taylor) were present for Fiesta festivities back in the day. Behind that gallery lay a watercolor collection of all 21 California Missions by artist Edwin Deakin. The display was subtle, and beautifully lit. To the left is a large wing dedicated to what I assume is the museum's permanent collection. I was really impressed with their presentation of so many varied objects. They've embraced the concept of layering their displays, creating dimensional spaces where there's texture and depth from ceiling to floor. They even have their own hall of mirrors effect, with the reflections showing off more of the historic pieces. Victorian-era gowns mix with furnishings and accessories, accented with artworks of many kinds. The eye doesn't know where to look first. So many beautiful things to see! The lighting is dramatic, which draws you in to the next space and the next. Placards describe the displayed items, while others give historical tales of local residents who provided extraordinary roles to the development of the Santa Barbara we see today. All I can say is, "Well done!" Back though the gift shop, another wing lies. I wouldn't have realized it, except Dear Hubby pointed me that way. The museum counts itself lucky to have many works by Western artist, Edward Borein. During his career he was a working cowboy in various parts of the American West, and even internationally. He then became a renowned artist, drawing and painting scenes from the life he lived on the frontier. He hobnobbed with luminaries like Will Rogers and Walt Disney. Spending the last third of his life living an working in Santa Barbara during his productive artist period, they consider him a native son. While the facility isn't very large in comparison to bigger city venues, it's a perfect place to sample several hundred years of Santa Barbara history, plus some very special artwork. We spent a little over an hour there, and could have lingered longer. I learned a bit about Miss Pearl Chase. Turns out that after returning to Santa Barbara from a trip out of the area, she alit from the train and was dismayed to see her town "dusty, drab, with untended buildings, and scarcely any landscaping". She took it upon herself to nudge the city officials to adopt the Spanish Mission-style architecture as a unifying theme. She also advocated for public gardens and general beautification of the town with a botanical flair. She's credited with urging the lush look of the city we enjoy today, taking advantage of it's Mediterranean-like climate to full, colorful advantage. Highly recommend this charming museum! read more

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I thought it might be helpful to future bride and grooms who may be considering getting married at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum to hear about this space from a different perspective than what you may typically read about in reviews. I would love to offer the light and lines perspective of how the Santa Barbara Historical Museum unfolds from a wedding day experience and how it presents in photography. As someone who sees spaces in terms of light and composition, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum captures the authentic rustic elegance that Santa Barbara is known for. The property first unfolds and presents itself first with the more intimate of the two courtyards. The pergola archway with green foliage crawling throughout the thick wooden beams is the focal point to the space and makes for a beautiful ceremony location. The layers of green photograph incredibly well under this archway in either direction. I've photographed weddings here where the guests face the pergola and also weddings in a rotated orientation where the guests line either side of the pergola with the couple at the far end. The sunlight at this location moves in the direction of the larger courtyard, so either ceremony orientation looks spectacular. There are so many fun layers of Spanish themes to layer in to my photographs; from the fountain in the entrance courtyard, to the Spanish overhangs and architecture, to the succulents and landscaping that runs throughout the property. One of my favorite spaces to photograph couples for golden hour is just around the corner to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. You can see the wall textures and architectural layers in the photos I posted. Everything about this space photographs Santa Barbara's rustic elegance. I absolutely LOVE photographing at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum! read more

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The current exhibit, BOREIN AND HIS CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, was fantastic once we finally found them open. Signage and online presence do not agree on hours of operation. They really need to be more transparent about hours. Part opened at noon and the other part opened when the second staff decided to show up. They apparently need 2 staff to have the entire museum open. The exhibits are certainly worth your time. Good luck getting in! read more

Such a fantastic venue! We had our school's prom here tonight and it was awesome! This would be a great venue for a wedding, or quince, or any other party. Nick was our site manager and he and his staff really took care of us and provided an awesome experience for our students. In fact, the whole management team was friendly, accommodating, and downright lovely. We will definitely be back and I look forward to returning for any occasion when I can make my way back. read more

This is one great little museum, situated within walking distance of the downtown Presidio. This is a modest, well maintained building, made to look like an old adobe building with a large courtyard and very tasteful but water friendly landscaping. We came because of a small exhibit of the silent film era. Did you know that they were making films in Santa Barbara long before Hollywood? 1910 to 1916. And you can watch some of them. You can sit down and view four films that survived that era, made by the Flying A movie company, all digitized with appropriate piano music background. You will love the cowboys, villains, heroines, captioning, and melodrama. And then, there are the great, early fan letters. This fun exhibit will be there until mid August, 2012. Free entrance and parking, donations accepted. Great little gift shop too. The remainder of the museum is interesting too. There are displays of artifacts, period costumes, and interesting placards giving you an "in a nutshell" summary of early California history in Santa Barbara. You will recognize the names of the people who had a profound influence in developing Santa Barbara.. We have cities and streets all over California named after them. We spent a good 2 hours there, and did not feel rushed. Glad for the free parking right next door, important since you must pay for parking in most areas. read more

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We visited this museum in January this year. I looked into Santa Barbara, see what else is to visit in town. We visited SB several times, saw the Mission, visited the Art Museum a few times, El Presidio, etc. So what else can you visit? I read about the Historical Museum on line, saw it from outside many times when we were in SB, but never went inside. Don't underestimate it! It's off the State Street, you can walk to it in a minute, it also has free parking! You can spend at least an hour inside. The staff is nice, it's free and there is a lot to learn about the history of Santa Barbara and California in general. It's far from being boring, they have a lot of interesting things on display-paintings, objects, photographs, sculptures, etc, with great descriptions and explanations and some interactive screens. Who knew there was a movie studio in SB during the silent era? You learn a lot and at the end you can stroll and relax in their beautiful gardens behind the building. They also have temporary exhibits, the one we saw it was very interesting "Spirit of the West"- paintings of a Swedish artist (Carl Oscar Borg) who fell in love with SB and stayed in the area for most of his life. They also have guided tours in the weekends at 2 PM, but we missed it, didn't get there on time. Check their site, hours and visit it next time you're in SB- it could be a rich experience and learn more about the fascinating history of the area! read more

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We have lived in SB for decades and hadn't visited this museum! When you walk in there is a reception-gift shop area. Admission is 7$ and we spent 1.5 hours absorbing the rich SB history that was presented . Starting with some incredible authentic clothing and stories of Pearl Chase to the lives of the De la Guerras. Very well done with facinating displays that helps explain SB history. The Chinese altar is incredible! The museum has a pretty courtyard that was being set up for wedding reception. Great looking venue for parties! read more

Santa Barbara Historical Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Yelp says open Sunday. Website says closed Sunday. Groupon says open Sunday. Their voicemail says open Sunday. Some places say Saturday open 10am - 5pm, some say open 12pm - 5pm. We showed up BOTH days - Saturday and Sunday, August 7th and 8th and the museum was CLOSED both days. Someone there needs to get their act together. Very frustrating. read more

My husband and I had our wedding in April at the museum. My husband lived in Santa Barbara for years and we met in Santa Barbara so we knew we wanted to find a special place in town to host our magical day. We had a large wedding (about 320) so we were fairly limited on venues to host such a large group. The museum is PERFECT for large weddings and the best part this gorgeous location is very private. My husband loved the fact no one could see our wedding from the street. We rented the upper and lower courtyards and used every inch of the space to create a "Wedding festival". The museum events team (huge shout out to Lyndsay) was amazing and worked with our wedding planner (Kelly Leonard at Event of the Season) to execute flawlessly! We had multiple food trucks and food stations, a latte bar/cart, fire dancers, a stage with a band and even showed a video we made. Needless to say, we went all out with fun and planning and could not have done it without Lyndsay at the museum being so supportive and accommodating. I will post more pics when we get the professional ones back. I wish I could afford to throw more parties at this special space! Yes, the rental fee is not cheap for this event space and you will absolutely need a planner who knows the venue and the coordinators, however, this is the BEST place in SB to have your wedding. The space is breathtaking with the old Spanish American settler feel of Santa Barbara. You can have a very large and unique event here and Lyndsay can help connect you to vendors the museum recommends and contracts with. A few things to keep in mind: you will need a full service wedding planner since all vendors you use at this space must have contracts coordinated and approved by museum. The museum staff is very cool and accommodating but, don't try to go it alone without a planner or you will not have a fun time planning or enjoying your event. I am happy to share the vendors I used if anyone wants to message me. Keep in mind the museum is so charming you will save on floral arrangements--you don't need much to make this space special! The Museum also has a special contract with Bella Vista for lighting Design to ensure the look and feel you want for your special day. Our upscale bohemian wedding festival here was amazing and all our friends said without a doubt it was "the best wedding they have ever attended" Thank you to all who helped and especially Lyndsay make our dream wedding festival happen!! With love, Dr. Casey and Shannon Barbaro read more

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Great, small free musueum. Gives a great overview of local history in an hour. There was a special exhibit on SB's hippy community.

We came here today to look at wedding venues. I was really in love with this place online and really excited to see it. We took a last minute trip up north and stopped by here. We waited 20 minutes to speak with coordinator as we understood she was touring someone else and we hadn't made an appointment. The staff member at the front said the coordinator did not have another tour for over 1 hr so she could show us when she finished up. After waited the coordinator then walked up and told us no she could not show us because she had a million things to do and seemed annoyed at the idea we asked. She was very unfriendly and unwelcoming. We didn't feel wanted or like our business meant anything. She felt annoyed and like she had more important things than impressing potential clients. We asked a few questions since she was in "such a rush". We decided to leave and will not be back. They lost having a wedding there with us. Maybe hire more friendly employees and ones who actually care about people. Terrible impression! read more

A nice small museum with friendly and helpful staff members. Their collections focus on Spanish, Mexican and American periods including the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake. Suggested donation is $5.00. This is a good one hour stop but not a must see museum. read more

Santa Barbara Historical Museum - Part of a Chinese shrine exhibit. - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Amazing paintings and wonderful exhibtion of Santa Barbara's multi-cultural past! I went for the Colin Campbell Cooper exhibition, very impressive show! Admission free, suggested $5 donation, easy parking downtown. A must see! Gift store has a nice assortment of specialty unique SB items items and local history/art books. I got a Santa Barbara magnet for my fridge and a vintage aerial view note card. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

I was visiting Santa Barbara for a weekend getaway with my wife. Whenever we go away, we generally focus on three things; our holiday holy trinity, if you will. Visual (sightseeing), Experience (entertainment / food) and Cerebral (learning about history & culture). In less than one hour at the Museum, we gained great insight into the history of Santa Barbara, from the natives who once thrived here, before European disease was introduced, to the Spanish settlement, up to near present. The displays were quite interesting and well informed. With this base of knowledge, we wandered the town on foot with a much greater appreciation for what Santa Barbara is all about. Esthetically, the grounds are very beautiful and peaceful. A wonderful place to pause for a few minutes and enjoy the day. read more

FABULOUS! How have I lived in Santa Barbara all this time and NEVER been here?!? Located just 2 blocks from State Street (and next to my favorite bakery!), the SB Historical musuem is a real treasure. We heard that the museum had a great exhibit about the old silent film studio that was in town a century ago, so we popped in on a sunday afternoon. The Silent Film exhibit is tempoarary, so catch it while you can! There are some great old films projected onto the wall and comfy couches to sit in. And the permament collection is AMAZING! Who knew that SB had such a colorful past?? Bandits, Spanish Explorers, inventors, psychics, and more artists than I would have guesed. In fact, there is a fine display on Ed Borein's works and a great example of the arts and crafts movements. Oh, and a GIANT gold-gilded Chinese Shrine. All of this just 2 blocks off of State??? AMAZING! And when you've seen the galleries, you can wander outside into their courtyards! So sunny and bright! All I needed was a margarita! Just wonderful. Free parking lot (which means no pesky parking tickets!), a great gift shop with local goods, and very friendly and knowlagable staff. We had to run after about 45 minutes, but I'll definitely be back for one of their free tours - Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00! read more

Had my wedding here and loved every moment here! It was very important to us that we have an outdoor venue where we could hold the ceremony and reception. This was the perfect place! The venue is spacious and beautiful, guests could party it up on the dance floor or take a nice stroll. The weather was perfect in September and we didn't even need heat lamps. We worked with Erika the rental coordinator, Rincon Catering and Bella Vista Designs. They made our wedding venue gorgeous! read more

Wonderful museum just a couple of blocks from State Street / downtown and really worth a visit. The place has great, rotating exhibits with rooms that showcase the history of Santa Barbara society and culture. You can learn a lot in just a short time about our beautiful city. Outside are beautiful grounds that remind you of old California. Be sure to check out the old Meridian Studios just down the street. Now, they have a suggested donation at the front but you can give them $1000 if you're Oprah. Or, just walk in for free with your tail between your legs. But try and give them at least a couple bucks. It's worth it. read more

Quaint, worth a stop. We spent an hour or so reading through the history of Santa Barbara. Very insightful and the kids enjoy the colorful displays. read more

Absolutely fabulous venue! My husband and I held our ceremony and reception here and can't say enough good things about the staff and venue. We worked closely with Lyndsey for months leading up to our wedding date and she was incredibly gracious, patient, and professional with our many questions/requests. Our wedding was absolutely magical. This venue is such a gem of the downtown area and made us feel like we were on vacation from real life. Our guests loved the venue as well and the space we had for our 100+ guest list was more than enough. Hands down best place we could've booked for our wedding! read more

Before I get into the actual review, I would like to say that I am actually giving this museum four and a half stars. Unfortunately, the half star does not show up so I am going to just give it four. This is an interesting little museum where you can learn more about Santa Barbara. For someone who is as interested in history as I am, this was a must see for when I visited Santa Barbara. There were exhibits inside which as I said earlier, talked about the history of Santa Barbara from the Indians who first lived on the land to the Spanish who came over to now through the usage of mostly artifacts and art. While this is not necessarily the place I'd suggest visitors to see first, it is definitely a place that they should go to and see while in Santa Barbara. When I first found out about this museum, I knew I would have to go here if possible. So I checked to see its location relative to the other attractions that I wanted to visit and I saw that it was not too far away from most of the other places that I planned to go to, making this an automatic no-brainer to visit. The museum isn't too far away from State St, which is basically the main street in Santa Barbara, home to restaurants, stores and many other things. So why not give this museum five stars? Quite honestly, I felt that there was something missing. Museum staff were friendly so that wasn't the issue. It's free although there's a suggested donation but that wasn't the issue. Maybe because it was when I went there, I had not slept the day before? Who knows but I just feel that it's not worthy of five stars. I still highly recommend it but I'm not quite sure if this is somewhere I would take kids to. read more

We wish we had started our trip to Santa Barbara here. It gave a nice overview of the history of the city. Not too overwhelming and a nice introduction to the people that have called Santa Barbara home. The staff was friendly and we were there during a special exhibition, which was displayed beautifully. read more

Santa Barbara Historical Museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Such a beautiful space! From the moment we sent our inquiry email to Heather on our search for a wedding venue, she was so quick and gracious to respond with a welcoming smile, and didn't hesitate to give us a tour of the beautiful space. She were accommodating and always available. SBHM is truly magical, we heard so much praise of the space at our wedding, thank you. read more

This is a very nice little museum a little off the beaten path of State Street. It is free with a suggested donation of $5. Staff are very friendly and the exhibits are fantastic. Beautiful paintings along with many historical artifacts showing the history of Santa Barbara. Worth a look. read more

If you are planning a wedding, be careful here! This is an absolutely beautiful place. It was everything I dreamed of in a wedding location. However, we really struggled with the event coordinator and her lack of communication while we were trying to book our special day. We were in the process of booking our vendors for the location and led to believe that there was no rush in terms of signing a contract/payment for the Museum. Contractually they are allowed to let anyone who pays them book their venue. Remember this!! The difficulty took place when other people came to book the venue and the event coordinator made a shoddy attempt at communicating with my family. Although I'm sure she thought she communicated effectively, we had no idea she was going to give away our date to another patron if we didn't sign the contract/pay immediately. Those details were not messaged clearly. To make a long story short, our date was given away with no communication/reasoning whatsoever at the time. We would have been more than happy to put down money to secure our location, but were not made clearly aware. To make matters worse, we did not receive any follow-up communication until a week later, despite our best attempts. In a follow-up conversation, we were told that an emergency had occured and communication was impossible. This would not have been as difficult to take if the event coordinator would have been more forthcoming with the facts of the situation prior to giving away our date. Basically, make sure you read the fine print of the contract and be willing to put down money as soon as you're sure. Your date may be at stake if you don't. read more

My wife and I had our wedding reception here in July. It is the perfect venue for any event and the people are incredibly helpful and accommodating. There are sections to the courtyard that we used which made the event feel even bigger than it was. The sun went down and lights went on. Everything looked awesome. Would recommend to everyone. read more

This is a lovely and charming place which captures the flavor of the area. The buildings are nice, Spanish style and the exhibits well composed. Another special feature are the beautiful paintings within many of the dioramas. read more

Small, but worth checking out (especially those visiting for the first time and that are interested to know a little on the history of santa barbara). read more

I LOVE DJ'ing Weddings at Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The lower courtyard is great for Wedding ceremonies and at night I love to rock the upper courtyard with Santa Barbara DJs at Scott Topper Productions. Really fun working with Action Photo Booth to enhance the reception with fun props! read more

We recently had the honor of attending a wedding here and it was absolutely stunning!!! It had plenty of room for roughly 200 people. Large dance floor and the location down below was just magical for the ceremony. Beautiful Beautiful!!! read more

What a great little museum! Interactive, informative exhibits. I saw the exhibit about Spain's influence in America (a lot more than I realized!!!) and also checked out the permanent exhibit on the history of Santa Barbara. What a gem of a place go and enjoy :) read more

This is most hidden gorgeous venue in Santa Barbara! If you are looking for a true Santa Barbara style-esque wedding you cannot go wrong with the beautiful adobe style courtyards. My husband and I live in the Bay Area, although lived in Santa Barbara prior and wanted to find a venue in Santa Barbara that truly showcased the style and beauty that is SB and to share our love for this town to our guests! We wanted a central location and everything to be outside. We had our ceremony in the lower courtyard, held cocktail hour in the middle courtyard and then moved up to the upper courtyard for the ceremony. We only had about 120 people and the space can accommodate much more. You could easily do everything in the lower courtyard to save money as well. The grounds are just stunning and it fit our summertime, Southern California theme perfectly. The staff and Lyndsay (Rental Coordinator) were extremely friendly and easy to work with. -Some things to note-it's not cheap, but the price is not outrageous and very much in line with other venues in the area (most likely much more affordable than a nice hotel and much better!) The plus side is that it's historical, unique and beautiful and you are not stuck in a cookie cutter banquet room. You can choose to be outside under beautiful lighting and there are also inside options as well. -You have to bring everything in, such as rentals, etc. They have a list of recommended vendors are are flexible and allow you to be creative. We brought in our favorite Mexican food, Los Agaves and even had a churros served in the courtyard as a late night snack. -No parking, although it's centrally located. We told guests to find parking, walk from their hotels or take an Uber or Lyft and everyone showed up :) Beautiful spot and highly recommend!!! Thanks Lyndsay and Historical Museum!! read more

We loved having our wedding at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, it was one of our top picks and definitely was everything we were hoping for and more. In preparation for our wedding, everyone we worked with was always very responsive, nice, and personable. We had a few special requests closer to our wedding date which Lyndsay, their event manager, helped accommodate and made sure our day went without a hitch. She was awesome! We have no complaints - my husband and I along with our guests LOVED this spot as it's such a beautiful, historical venue in a great location. I just wish we could've had a longer event...10:00 pm came too quickly! :) read more

Our daughter's wedding was held here last weekend. Wow, what a beautiful location. It upholds the "Mission" look and has 3 separate leveled areas. We held the ceremony on one level, a cocktail hour on the second level, and the reception on the third level. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that you have to rent EVERYTHING else. They don't provide tables or chairs in the rental fee. You must use vendors from their approved list for catering, lighting & sound. So you're choices are limited. However, we used Los Agaves for catering (the very best!); Discount Party Rentals for tables, chairs, linen; and an exclusive lighting company on their approved list. Everyone knew where to set-up and were familiar with the museum and its rules. The wedding was a dream. Erika, the event coordinator, was very pleasant to deal with and always returned our calls. I would definitely recommend this place if your looking for an amazingly beautiful location to hold a wedding or special event. read more

Our family has lived in Santa Barbara for 5 generations, so we take great interest in our local history. We've enjoyed this charming museum for years, but today when we visited we were put off by the unfriendly receptionist demanding that we "check in" by giving her our zip code. Common sense dictates that if you're going to ask for donations you should do so in a more pleasant manner. read more

What a cool museum! It was a great way to familiarize myself with local history since I moved to sb recently. I enjoyed learning the story behind all those street names and historical landmarks. Their courtyards are beautiful and in the back there are these cool old adobes. Best of all, the museum is free so i can come back and learn more whenever i feel like! Oh and the gift shop has a lot of great books and locally made jewelry thats super cute! read more

Probably the best museum in Santa Barbara. Free admission, free parking, fabulous staff. Museum artifacts are one-of-a kind and changing exhibits are AMAZING! read more