| Dolphin Fountain or Santa Barbara's Bicentennial Friendship
Fountain (above) was created in 1982 by local artist Bud Bottoms. It is
located at the entrance to Stearns Wharf where State Street begins. The
oldest operating wharf on the West Coast was built in 1872 by John Peck
Stearns. Hollywood actor Jimmy Cagney and his brothers were part
owners of this landmark during the 1940s.
Hollywood interest in this thriving paradise began around
the turn of the 20th century and continues today with an annual film festival
saluting an industry which put Santa Barbara on the map. Before the 1900's,
it was a sleepy town. Word spread as newspaper descriptions of the wonderful
climate and natural beauty attracted visitors from the Eastern United States
who arrived for extended vacations. Resort hotels and cultural opportunities
blossomed, drawing celebrity visitors from around the globe, including
presidents, opera stars, kings, and queens.
 Pictured is a wonderful museum for the entire
family, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Rd. 93105 805/682-4711
In 1910, before the motion picture industry
centralized in Hollywood, the American Film Company opened the Flying A Studio,
the largest of its kind in the world, on the corner of State and Mission
streets. More than 1,200 movies, mostly westerns, were made in the studio's
ten-year life span. Santa Barbara continued to be a favorite getaway destination
for film stars and other celebrities. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford
owned property in the Santa Barbara hills. In 1928, Charlie Chaplin built
the Montecito Inn to cater to the
Hollywood crowd.
As you explore Santa Barbara County for the first time,
you will notice many reminders of its colorful past: old adobes with quiet
courtyards, streets named for historical figures, and picturesque Mediterranean-style
architecture inspired by the city's Spanish history. |
| Santa Barbara Courthouse (above) is located at the 1100
block of Anacapa Street. Completed in 1929, this Spanish-Moorish structure is
one of the most beautiful buildings in the U.S.
Mission Santa Barbara Laguna & Los Olivos Sts. 93105
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 1212 Mission Cyn. Rd. 93105
Santa Barbara El Presidio de Santa Barbara 123 E. Cañon
Perdido 93101
Santa Barbara Fernald Mansion/Trussell-Winchester Adobe 414 W.
Montecito St. 93101
Santa Barbara Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum 21 W.
Anapamu St. 93101
Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 E. De la Guerra St. 93101
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 2559 Puesta del Sol Rd. 93105
Santa Barbara Sea Center 211 Stearns Wharf 93101
Santa Barbara Zoo 500 Niños Dr. 93103
The Santa Barbara Sailing Club (SBSC) established in 1959
P.O. Box 1542, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
Santa Barbara Yacht Club 130
Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Stearns Wharf Box 1990 93102-1990
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