Ride Through History: Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Easy Activity
Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.
What you will visit:
Santa Barbara
With the lush Santa Barbara Mountains on one side and the sparkling Pacific on the other, Santa Barbara is a precious jewel on California's Central Coast. With its golden-sand beaches, majestic mountains and rich culture, this premier resort destination offers big attractions and small-town flair. Santa Barbara's history is rooted in its origins as a Spanish mission town. A trolley tour of the downtown area is an opportunity to view the whitewashed adobe brick buildings of the Presidio and the historic theater district, including the Lobero Theatre, one of California's oldest. Along the way, you'll learn historical facts about the city's Spanish and Moorish style architecture, and admire the restored Victorian houses.
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
The palatial Santa Barbara Courthouse has been heralded as one of the most beautiful government buildings in America. Point your camera at this Spanish-Moorish style building, completed in 1929 and occupying a square block in the downtown area. The guided tour includes the opportunity to take in the Sunken Garden landscape, views from the clock tower, and the art of the mural room, where the history of Santa Barbara is depicted on elaborate canvases, stairways are lined with decorative ceramic tile, and you'll hear tales of the hallways, and the Legend of the Spanish Dancer.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
No tour of Santa Barbara is complete without a stop at the majestic Santa Barbara mission, founded in 1786. Set against a backdrop of rugged mountains, the mission's commanding presence and graceful lines leave no doubt as to why she is called "Queen of the Missions." You'll have time for photos, a stroll through the arcade overlooking the town, a stop at the gift store, and you'll receive access to a downloadable Mission Exterior Walking Tour which covers the outside points of interest in five languages.
What you will see along the way:
A narrated trolley drive takes you from the wharf to the Old Mission and introduces this lovely coastal city, affectionately called the American Riviera. Santa Barbara's history is rooted in its origins as a Spanish mission town, evidenced by its predominant Spanish and Moorish architectural style of terracotta shingles pressed against gleaming white stucco walls and its bougainvillea-draped balconies.
Points of interest
Santa Barbara Mission
Santa Barbara Courthouse
Special Notes
Minimum age is 6 years. Regular cameras and mobile devices are allowed for personal use. Tripods, monopods, flash or video photography are now allowed inside the venue. No photography for commercial use. This activity is easy walking but not appropriate for strollers or other wheeled transport. Comfortable walking shoes, local currency for shopping, and a hat or visor for outdoor walk, are suggested. Visitors are expected to be respectful. Museum-style displays are fragile, so children must be supervised.
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Easy Activity
Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.
What you will visit:
Santa Barbara
With the lush Santa Barbara Mountains on one side and the sparkling Pacific on the other, Santa Barbara is a precious jewel on California's Central Coast. With its golden-sand beaches, majestic mountains and rich culture, this premier resort destination offers big attractions and small-town flair. Santa Barbara's history is rooted in its origins as a Spanish mission town. A trolley tour of the downtown area is an opportunity to view the whitewashed adobe brick buildings of the Presidio and the historic theater district, including the Lobero Theatre, one of California's oldest. Along the way, you'll learn historical facts about the city's Spanish and Moorish style architecture, and admire the restored Victorian houses.
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
The palatial Santa Barbara Courthouse has been heralded as one of the most beautiful government buildings in America. Point your camera at this Spanish-Moorish style building, completed in 1929 and occupying a square block in the downtown area. The guided tour includes the opportunity to take in the Sunken Garden landscape, views from the clock tower, and the art of the mural room, where the history of Santa Barbara is depicted on elaborate canvases, stairways are lined with decorative ceramic tile, and you'll hear tales of the hallways, and the Legend of the Spanish Dancer.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
No tour of Santa Barbara is complete without a stop at the majestic Santa Barbara mission, founded in 1786. Set against a backdrop of rugged mountains, the mission's commanding presence and graceful lines leave no doubt as to why she is called "Queen of the Missions." You'll have time for photos, a stroll through the arcade overlooking the town, a stop at the gift store, and you'll receive access to a downloadable Mission Exterior Walking Tour which covers the outside points of interest in five languages.
What you will see along the way:
A narrated trolley drive takes you from the wharf to the Old Mission and introduces this lovely coastal city, affectionately called the American Riviera. Santa Barbara's history is rooted in its origins as a Spanish mission town, evidenced by its predominant Spanish and Moorish architectural style of terracotta shingles pressed against gleaming white stucco walls and its bougainvillea-draped balconies.
Points of interest
Santa Barbara Mission
Santa Barbara Courthouse
Special Notes
Minimum age is 6 years. Regular cameras and mobile devices are allowed for personal use. Tripods, monopods, flash or video photography are now allowed inside the venue. No photography for commercial use. This activity is easy walking but not appropriate for strollers or other wheeled transport. Comfortable walking shoes, local currency for shopping, and a hat or visor for outdoor walk, are suggested. Visitors are expected to be respectful. Museum-style displays are fragile, so children must be supervised.