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El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
Photo: Taken by Antandrus, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
A military fortress founded in 1782, only parts of which remain. Some parts are gradually being rebuilt.
El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, is a former colonial military building in Santa Barbara, California, United States. The presidio was built by Spain in 1782 to defend the Second Military District in California. In modern times, the Presidio serves as a tourist attraction, museum and an active archaeological site as part of El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park.
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California's oldest continuously operating theater is an elegant, intimate venue that hosts a little bit of everything, from chamber music to folk to ballet to jazz.
The cinema has 5 screens for good movies in downtown Santa Barbara with decent seats.
The cozy theatre has big screens. It sells discounted tickets on Tuesdays.
Built in 1929 and the grandest building in the town. A working courthouse, this Spanish-Moorish castle has frescoes, murals and Tunisian tilework. The El Mirador Bell Tower provides great views of the city and the bay. The grounds contain a collection of palms and specimen trees from more than 25 countries, and a printed guide to the plants is available.
A remarkably well-provisioned museum considering the size of the town, Santa Barbara's main art museum features a strong collection of Roman antiquities, as well as an impressive lineup of classical European and modern art. Frequently rotated exhibitions are among the strongest in California.