Original historical documents, including the Treaty of Ghent and the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, are preserved in this gracefully designed house setting, along with the writings of renowned authors, scientists and statesmen. Sm..

Housed in an elegant Italian Renaissance-style structure expanded in 1998, the museum reigns as one of the country's outstanding regional art museums. It was founded in 1941 through a collaborative effort between private citizens and the city governm..

Built in 1872 by local lumberman John P. Stearns, this 2,640ft pier, lined with small shops and restaurants, is the oldest working wooden wharf in the state. The playful Dolphin Fountain, commemorating the city's bicentennial, graces the State Street..

Exhibits in this complex of Spanish-style stucco buildings, which sits on 11 acres in a wooded canyon, display the flora, fauna, geology and ethnography of the West Coast. The Chumash Indian Hall contains one of the state's largest collections of art..

Set amid 30 lush acres of cacti and palm gardens overlooking the ocean, the zoo contains some 500 animals of 160 species displayed in environments that approximate their native habitats. Discovery and play areas are popular features with youngsters.

Some 5mi of trails meander across 65 acres of wooded canyons, open meadows and high ridges in this pleasant site. More than 1,000 species of native California plants grow here, including redwoods, cacti and rare Channel Island varieties. In the north..

Shining star of Santa Barbara's architectural renaissance, the L-shaped Moorish courthouse (1929) surrounds a verdant sunken courtyard and garden. Above the cornice of the facade's Anacapa Arch is chiseled the city's motto: "God gave us the coun..

Enveloped by the bustle of modern Santa Barbara, this reconstructed Spanish fortress, which once covered an area equivalent to a square city block, formed the earliest nucleus of the city. Completed by 1788, the presidio served as the region's milita..

Administered by the Santa Barbara Historical Society, the museum presents a well-organized collection of artifacts that chronicle the region's colorful past. Highlights include a Chinese joss house altar from the city's 19C Chinatown, Victorian costu..

Its twin pink-domed towers rising majestically against the foothills surrounding Mission Canyon, the church of California's 10th mission dominates the city both physically and spiritually. Santa Bárbara has never ceased to serve as a parish church th..

This newly expanded museum in Waterfront Center explores the maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel-from native Chumash coastal life through commercial fishing, military use, yachting and coastal trade. Visitors can join a high-speed virtual e..

Hidden amid the rocks off a one-lane road high in San Marcos Pass, this small cave (closed off by a metal gate) allows visitors a glimpse of rare Chumash pictographs. Although the secret to the meaning of the symbols-executed some 400 years ago-died ..