Santa Barbara County
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Santa Barbara
Population: 93,000  Elev. 33'  Visitors: (800) 549-5133 www.santabarbaraca.com

dolphins

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 19000'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.

natural historyPictured 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. 

 

courthouse
Photos © Debbie Stock

couple
 

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