Best Things To Do in Santa Barbara, California

Are you looking for what to do in Santa Barbara?

PLACES TO SEE

Sanata Barbara Attractions

  • Santa Barbara County Courthouse
  • Mission Santa Barbara
  • State Street
  • Museums: Santa Barbara sightseeing is incomplete without a visit to its museums. These include- Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
  • Parks and Zoo attractions in Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Zoo, Shoreline Park, Arroyo Burro County Beach Park, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Lotusland.

THINGS TO DO IN SANTA BARBARA

  • Visit the Santa Barbara beach Waterfront and Stearns Wharf.
  • Observe the museums like Carriage & Western Art Museum, Karpeles Museum.
  • Catch a show at Lobero Theatre of the Granada theatre.
  • Shop till you drop- State Street is one of the state's great shopping streets, with lots of local boutiques and the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Centre.

Other Tourist places in Santa Barbara

  • Moreton Bay Fig Tree
  • Chase Palm Park
  • The Santa Barbara Art Foundry
  • Santa Barbara Visitor Centre
  • Santa Barbara Bowl        
  • El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
  • Santa Barbara Historical Museum
  • Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum
  • Reagan Ranch Centre     
  • Cold Spring Tavern
  • Casa del Herrero

Below we have a list of things to do in Santa Barbara and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Santa Barbara getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Santa Barbara with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Santa Barbara

Here is the list of things to do in Santa Barbara and tourist attractions in city.

  1. State Street

    Outdoors, Food And Drinks, Market, Shopping Center

    To really get a feel of this gorgeous city, you should definitely make a trip to State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.A lovely little strip teeming with shops, boutiques, restaurants, major department stores, movie theatres, spacious sidewalks and varied restaurants serving fantastic food at reasonable prices. State Street is essentially a highlight in this extremely ‘tourist-friendly&r...Read more
  2. Santa Barbara County Courthouse

    Landmark, Educational Site, Architecture

    It’s rare to find a Courthouse touted as an important cultural and architectural landmark in the area, but this unique property is well worth the visit. The Santa Barbara County Courthouse in sunny California has been a source of much civic pride since 1850, its establishment as a small Greek-Revival Courthouse that was the seat of the local government. Attracting visitors and tourists fr...Read more
  3. Mission Santa Barbara

    Religious Site, Museum, History Museum, Outdoors

    Renowned as the ‘crown jewel’ of the California Missions, this site has been painstakingly preserved. Mission Santa Barbara, or Santa Barbara Mission, is a Spanish mission founded by the Franciscan order in the vicinity of present-day Santa Barbara, California. The grounds of the current mission are located on the crest between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. The mis...Read more
  4. Santa Barbara Waterfront And Stearns Wharf

    Landmark, Walking Area

    Stearns Wharf is indisputably the most beautiful wharf on the California coast. Santa Barbara’s most popular landmark today, it is lined with souvenirshops and several places where you can sample seafood.  The SB Shellfish Co, located near the south end of the wharf has some amazing lobster bisque and also offers full lobster dinners at very reasonable prices. Named after its builder...Read more
  5. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

    4.5 (1159 Votes)
    Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

    Outdoors, Garden, Botanical Garden, Observatory

    Located in Mission Canyon, with sweeping views of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands,the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 78 acre botanical garden that displays California native plants in natural settings, encompassing a range of cultivated displays as well as stands of natural coast live oak and riparian woodlands. Containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigen...Read more
  6. Lotusland

    4.8 (587 Votes)
    Lotusland

    Outdoors, Garden, Park, Botanical Garden

    Can you honestly say you know the difference between a cactus and a euphorbia? A trip to Lotusland, Santa Barbara might give you a fighting chance. Featuring varieties of cacti, euphorbias, palms, bromeliads, aloes, eucalyptus, cycads, and many rare and precious plants, Lotusland is a lush 37-acre estate and botanical garden tucked away in the foothills of Montecito, California. Additional gard...Read more
  7. Santa Barbara Museum Of Art

    4.4 (787 Votes)
    Santa Barbara Museum Of Art

    Art Museum, Museum, Observatory, Educational Site

    An interesting variety of pieces from different cultures congregate at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art to the delight and admiration of visitors. Established in 1941 in a construction that was initially the Santa Barbara Post Office, the biggest modifications that Chicago architect made for the transition were the simplification of the facade, the construction of the galleries the Ludington Cou...Read more
  8. Arroyo Burro County Beach Park

    Outdoors, Garden, Observatory, Aquarium

    Referred to as Hendry's Beach by the locals, with much fondness, this is the perfect place to meet for either brunch or get a cocktail at sunset. A picturesque beach park, one can stroll or jog along the sandy shore, watch for whales, surf fish, swim, or ride the wild surf – this really is the complete recreational beach experience. You’ll often find the wide, spacious beach overrun...Read more
  9. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

    Museum, Military Museum, History Museum, Observatory

    The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located on the water's edge of the Santa Barbara Harbour, and has a myriad exciting and educational exhibits on display in a sprawling gallery space of nearly 8,000 square feet. Offering a wide range of educational programs including docent tours, and Tall Ship tours, the Museum also has daily HD screenings in their large-screen Munger Theatre that is shaped...Read more
  10. Santa Barbara Municipal Airport Image
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    Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district of Santa Barbara, in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is owned by the City of Santa Barbara.The airport covers an area of 830 acres (336 ha) and has two asphalt runways: 11/29 measuring 6,890 x 150 ft (2,100 x 46 m) and 3/21 measuring 4,988 x 75 ft (1,520...Read more
  11. Santa Barbara Surfing Museum Image
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    The Santa Barbara Surfing Museum was started in 1992 by local surfers Kim and Duke Boynton. The museum was created to preserve the history and culture of surfing in Santa Barbara and to educate the public about the sport.The idea for the museum came about when the Boyntons were cleaning out their garage and found a collection of old surfboards and memorabilia. They realized that there was no pl...Read more
  12. Sea Center Image
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    The Sea Center, located in Santa Barbara, California, was started in 1987 by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum was founded in 1916 by William Leon Dawson, a local naturalist, and was originally known as the Museum of Comparative Oology. Over the years, the museum expanded its focus to include other areas of natural history, such as geology, anthropology, and marine biology...Read more
  13. Eeeww At The Zoo Image
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    The Eeeww at the Zoo in Santa Barbara, United States was started in 2010 by the Santa Barbara Zoo. The program was created to educate visitors about the importance of conservation and the impact of human actions on the environment. The zoo recognized the need to engage visitors in a fun and interactive way to promote conservation efforts and raise awareness about endangered species.The Eeeww at...Read more
  14. Santa Barbara County Society, Santa Barbara, United States Image
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    The Santa Barbara County Society was established in 1891 in Santa Barbara, California, United States. It was founded by a group of local citizens who were passionate about promoting education, culture, and community development in the county.At the time of its establishment, Santa Barbara County was experiencing rapid growth and development, and there was a need for a central organization to co...Read more
  15. Alpha Resource Connections, Santa Barbara, United States Image
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    The library Alpha Resource Connections was established in 1995 in Santa Barbara, United States. It was founded by a group of community members who recognized the need for a central resource center for individuals and families affected by developmental disabilities.At the time of its establishment, there was a lack of resources and support for individuals with developmental disabilities in the S...Read more