THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Santa Barbara - 2024 (with Photos) - Tripadvisor
United States
California (CA)
Santa Barbara
Things to Do in Santa Barbara

Things to Do in Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Attractions

Things to Do in Santa Barbara

Explore popular experiences

See what other travelers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings.
See All

Ways to tour Santa Barbara

Book these experiences for a close-up look at Santa Barbara.
See all

Top Attractions in Santa Barbara

See all
These rankings are informed by traveler reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
4. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
4.0 of 5 bubbles694
Nature & Wildlife Areas
NOTE: The Garden is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Garden members have early access starting at 9 a.m.) Reservations are required for non-members due to our county-issued use permit and strongly recommended for members during peak season (April - July). As the first botanic garden in the nation to focus exclusively on native plants, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has dedicated nearly a century of work to better understand the relationship between plants and people. Growing from 13 acres in 1926 to today’s 78 acres, the grounds now include more than 5 miles of walking trails, an herbarium, seed bank, research labs, library, and a public native plant nursery. Amid the serene beauty of the Garden, teams of scientists, educators, and horticulturists remain committed to the original spirit of the organization’s founders – conserve native plants and habitats to ensure they continue to support life on the planet and can be enjoyed for generations to come. Visit SBBotanicGarden.org
See full details
See ways to experience (2)
10. Casa del Herrero
4.5 of 5 bubbles181
Historic Sites
Casa del Herrero, Spanish for “House of the Blacksmith,” was designed by famed architect George Washington Smith and completed in 1925. Created for St. Louis industrialist George Fox Steedman as a family retreat, the Casa remained exclusively in his family’s hands until 1993 when his descendants transferred the property to create a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve, protect, and share this amazing historic resource with the public. Landscape architecture was provided by Lockwood de Forest, Francis T. Underhill, and Ralph K. Stevens. Antiquarians, Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley, helped outfit the Casa alongside the well-known Hearst Castle. The home’s original collection of 16th to 18th art, tapestries, silver, furniture, rugs, library, blacksmith workshop, and more remain fully intact for tours. Tours are by reservation only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Admission for the 90-minute, docent-led tours is $50 per person. All tours are booked online.
See full details
11. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
4.5 of 5 bubbles313
Natural History Museums
Founded in 1916 as the Museum of Comparative Oology, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has evolved to include more than 3.5 million specimens covering every aspect of natural history—from mammals, birds, and marine life to geology, astronomy, paleontology, and anthropology. Newly renovated in 2018, the Museum boasts state-of-the-art interactive exhibits for all ages, paired with the Central Coast’s only planetarium, on 17 acres of oak woodland along Mission Creek. Guests learn about the Santa Barbara region’s unique and diverse natural history and then go outside to explore nature in the Museum Backyard. Visit the website for current daily admission prices and hours. Parking is free.
See full details
See way to experience (1)
1
2
3
4
5
6
…

Other Top Attractions around Santa Barbara

Learn how recommendations for the rest of the page are selected

Day Trips

From quick jaunts to full-day outings.
See all
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

What travelers are saying

  • wkbtraveler
    Jackson, MS134 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Building, Art and View, Very Helpful Security Team
    We read the negative review of security team before coming and read the Information on how to prepare for your visit. So we did as it said and left all bags on our bus and items that were not welcome at a TSA checkpoint. We were a group of 29 senior adults and found the security team to be very friendly and courteous, as we sought to be comply with the requirements on their website and trip advisor. We had a retired judge with our group and when we got back on the bus, she shared how important security is in our courthouses in the U.S. today, because of attacks on judges and others involved in cases. AS ALWAYS, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR LAWMEN AND SECURITY WORKERS EVERYWHERE AND UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE VERY DIFFICULT BUT IMPORTANT JOB. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR YOUR COURTESY AND PROTECTION!
    You made our visit to this beautiful courthouse safe and fun.
    Review of: Santa Barbara County Courthouse
    Written March 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ATraversLeMonde_2011
    Sparks, NV30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historical treasure
    Historical treasure. Must see if you're going to be in Santa Barbara. Garden could be better kept - but that may be a seasonal issue (visited in March 2024). Cemetery was off limits during visit. Overall, very spiritual and serene. Expect to LEARN a lot, as opposed to seeing a lot. Well worth the visit.
    Review of: Old Mission Santa Barbara
    Written March 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • pldj m
    188 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not too big, but have more animals than you expected
    Not too big, but organized well. Parking is $11, $25/adult. Lots of animals, even has penguins. Next to the ocean, nice view.
    Review of: Santa Barbara Zoo
    Written February 25, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Susanah A
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice place to visit
    The Botanic Gardens are a great place to leisurely walk through the grounds. February was probably not the best time to see flowers, but they had a few that were blooming.
    They have many trails besides the main trail, that you can hike, which is what we did. We had a fun time and enjoyed the scenery.
    Review of: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
    Written February 29, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Mallory T
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden Gem
    This place is a hoot! Totally unexpected. Loved the huge fireplace, and the atmosphere is so cool! We were on a wine tour with a local guide who brought us here for one last stop on our tour. It took the cake!
    Review of: Cold Spring Tavern
    Written February 21, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kaitlyn Y
    Goleta, CA8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great!
    A cool walk or trip to the beach. You can also have a barbecue here or party. There is also the shoreline restaurant next to here.
    Review of: Shoreline Park
    Written July 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ATraversLeMonde_2011
    Sparks, NV30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome but could be even better
    State Street is awesome but could be even better. Must go if you are in Santa Barbara. You have to do all of State Street to appreciate it. Some sections are mostly restaurants... with ok shopping, while other sections are replete with shops and other attractions.
    Review of: State Street Underpass
    Written March 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ATraversLeMonde_2011
    Sparks, NV30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a "must visit" in Santa Barbara
    This is a "must visit" in Santa Barbara. Small but interesting and worth the trip. Great food, decent shopping (they need more shopping).
    Review of: Stearns Wharf
    Written March 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • MOG808
    Maui, HI800 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Santa Barbara treasure
    Independent bookstores are a dwindling breed. It was so exciting to see Chaucer’s still going strong for so many years, as we moved from the area over 20 years ago. There are many local books available, a large young reader section, as well as many stacks of fiction and nonfiction books. We hope that Chaucer’s will be serving Santa Barbara for many years to come.
    Review of: Chaucer's Bookstore
    Written May 12, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Robin B
    Phoenix, AZ1,477 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful gardens; interesting home
    We went on this tour not knowing anything about George Fox Steedman (the owner) or George Smith (the architect). Sally was our docent and was extremely knowledgeable about the home and both Georges. Our tour lasted close to two hours and included all the family rooms on the first and second floors, and the servant areas on the first floor. We then moved outside to enjoy the beautiful gardens and George’s workshop. This was a five-star tour. The home is in a neighborhood. Don’t show up early. There is a small parking lot, but because of neighborhood restrictions, the gate isn’t opened up until 10-15 minutes before your tour time and there is nowhere on the grounds to hang out until the tour begins.
    Review of: Casa del Herrero
    Written November 6, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Kaitlyn Y
    Goleta, CA8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing little museum
    I loved all the exhibits. They have a really cool library. They also have dinosaur animatronics. Amazing for kids. It is amazing when the butterflies come, because they have a huge area filled with all types of live butterflies and plants.
    Review of: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
    Written July 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Edsalldw
    Ellsworth, ME343 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The view alone is worth it
    The view alone is worth the visit
    The Airfirce one used by Nixon through Bush 43 was worth the visit
    The history was accurate too bad some are so filled with Democratic lies that they can’t enjoy the excitement and energy of the best president since Eisenhower. Kind of like nit enjoying Camelot while it existed
    They should have a section on his humor. Would be good to have such leader now. .
    They do have some stuff showing it but as with space it is both scattered around but also has his own section The picture stiff at the marine one and airforce one is disorganized
    As we were there with two teens I think they should make a special effort to take interest in the teens and suggest what they might like to hear!see
    Review of: Reagan Ranch Center
    Written May 4, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Barbara
All Santa Barbara HotelsSanta Barbara Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Santa Barbara
All things to do in Santa Barbara
Day Trips in Santa Barbara
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars
© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy and Cookies StatementSite MapHow the site worksContact us

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.