Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara: Photos, Reviews & Location

Over 80,000 artifacts & objects tell a detailed story of the history of the city of Santa Barbara.

At a glance

#2 of 7 Historical landmarks in Santa Barbara #14 of 52 Tourist attractions in Santa Barbara

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

1.9 km from the center of Santa Barbara

Rating breakdown

5 ★78%
4 ★16%
3 ★5%
2 ★0%
1 ★1%

136 E De La Guerra St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

sbhistorical.org

(805) 966-1601

Photos of Santa Barbara Historical Museum (87)

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Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara – photo 1

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Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Santa Barbara Historical Museum?: Santa Barbara Historical Museum is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 255 reviews.
How does Santa Barbara Historical Museum rank in Santa Barbara?: Santa Barbara Historical Museum is #2 of 7 Historical landmarks in Santa Barbara by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Santa Barbara Historical Museum located?: 136 E De La Guerra St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 — 1.9 km from the center of Santa Barbara.
How can I contact Santa Barbara Historical Museum?: Phone: (805) 966-1601 · Website: sbhistorical.org

Reviews (8)

Judith Garcia 2024 May 30

We stopped here on a whim and it was a good stop. Thoroughly covers the history of the area.

Tatiana Hoover 2024 Apr 19

This museum was one of our stops on our tour is Santa Barbara. It has some interesting exhibits and collections and they are displayed in interesting ways. For example, we enjoyed the historic photos of downtown from the turn of the century projected on the walls of the museum. Past the museum gift shop is the Edward Borein Gallery with an excellent collection of his works. The museum is accessible, and the displays are thoughtfully done for accessibility. Street parking. The museum is also available for events and it has a beautiful courtyard for weddings!

Evelyns Party Rentals 2024 Apr 06

Always a pleasure to work with this venue, perfect for anyone looking to have their wedding.

Craig Wallace 2023 Dec 23

Veri interesting museum with a great exhibition detailing Santa Barbara history from the Chumas people through the present day. Free admission.

Bree M 2023 Oct 09

Free admission.
I liked the exhibit in the back left corner about the Chinese Meterologist, and the historic dresses.
There is a model of the Dana Point Pilgrim ship/brig that burned a few years ago.

Manuel Girisch 2023 Feb 19

Very nice museum about the Santa Barbara history. Also many beautiful paintings. Really worth a visit. Parkinglot availiable. And the best: it is free!

White Sage Admin 2021 Jul 20

We love the true American Riviera vibe of this venue. Not to mention the amazing flexibility of being able to host a full bar! Our clients love the guest experience of being in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara with the option to after party on State! With so many ways to use the spaces along with larger than average capacity, this is a go to venue for any couple looking in SB!

Matt Roberts 2020 Feb 20

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!