Mission Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, County

Mission Santa Barbara (seen in all the photos above), is the only one of 21 California missions that has twin bell towers.

Santa Barbara's "Queen of the Missions" was dedicated on December 16, 1786 as the 10th of 21 missions founded by Franciscan friars in California during the late 1700's and early 1800's. The only mission with two bell towers is also unique for its stone facade, which was reportedly patterned after an ancient Latin temple in pre-Christian Rome. The design is traced to a book brought to California by the Franciscans, a Spanish reprint of an architecture book originally published in 27 B.C. 

Protected like a queen bee in her hive are valuable documents archived  at mission headquarters in Mission Santa Barbara.  Scholars with access to the papers discover and report on the physical hardships and every day occurrences of the padres and native Chumash Indians  who built several missions and lived and worked on the grounds or tended to the livestock and crops. 

While farmers today are embattled over water rights in California, the mission handled such issues with a sophisticated and elaborate plan. Water from a creek located in the hills two miles above the mission was transported via a stone aqueduct, to storage tanks. Separate tanks held water for individualized needs, with a filtration system cleaning the particles that appeared naturally in the drinking water.

Right down to the tiniest details, visitors can see an accurate representation of what the mission looked like after it was built.  While several earthquakes took their toll, the "Queen" was always treated well and today, she stands proudly as the most photographed building in Santa Barbara.  Made up of eight rooms, cloister gardens, a chapel, cemetery and a beautiful fountain and courtyard, self guided tours allow you to wander at your own pace and explore.  A gift shop  sells religious items and educational materials on Santa Barbara and the California missions. Mission Santa Barbara is open seven days a week with a small fee charged for admission. Mission Santa Barbara Laguna & Los Olivos Sts. Information:  805-682-4713

More information about 21 California Missions.

When visiting beautiful Santa Barbara (one of Southern California's top destinations,) there are many great hotels in this vacation-land. Some we've tried have included a few Best Westerns, including Encina Lodge, Beachside and Pepper Tree. We've also stayed in the top hotels in the city such as Bacara, which is a beach resort...very nice, of course.