//
Small rural park that contains the trailhead for Rattlesnake Canyon, one of the most popular local hikes. Its name comes from the sinuous nature of the trail, not any particular concentration of rattlesnakes, although like anywhere in the California backcountry, you should be alert for them.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Located on in the foothills just above the city, the Garden features exquisite exhibits of California native plants displayed in beautiful landscaped settings. Walk along a meadow, through a canyon and redwood forest, across a historic dam, and along ridge tops that offer sweeping views of the Channel Islands. Established in 1926 as an educational and scientific institution, it is the oldest botanic garden in California dedicated to the study, conservation, and display of native flora.
This large, well-presented museum is - literally - a hidden treasure. Highlights in the eleven exhibit halls include regional natural history, a life-size Blue Whale skeleton, and a rare skeleton of a pony-sized "pygmy mammoth."
Still often referred to as the "County Bowl," this 6,000-seat amphitheater hosts some surprisingly big-name acts for a city the size of Santa Barbara, including Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, and Radiohead, and you'll get to see them in a smaller venue than you might if you caught them in L.A. or San Francisco.
Known as "The Queen of the Missions," Santa Barbara's "Old Mission" is a superb example of California's Franciscan Spanish architecture. The tenth California Mission to be constructed, it was consecrated in 1786 as the first of Father Lasuen's nine missions. Today, Mission Santa Barbara is both a scenic wonder and a fine anthropological study of original native culture in the surrounding area. Santa Barbara is the only California mission with twin bell towers, owing to its status as a cathedral in the early days of California statehood. It also has had a longer continuous association with the Franciscans than any other mission, and a longer continuous history of choral music than any other mission. The headquarters of the mission system in the 1830s and 40s, it is where many of the archives of the California missions are held. Note the adjacent pottery kiln and tanning vat ruins. The mission also features a small but well-regarded rose garden. The mission continues to be used as an active church, with regular masses on Wednesdays, Sundays, and holy days. Admission to Masses is free, but a small donation is customary.
Roughly bounded by State St to the west, Micheltorena Street to the south, Olive and Laguna Streets to the east, and Constance Ave to the north, this area was where most well-to-do residents lived when Santa Barbara first started to attract that class. As a result you'll see large, impressive houses in a variety of architectural styles, including late Victorian, Craftsman, Mission Revival, Romanesque, and even including a couple of eye-catching Mid-Century Moderns. As anywhere if you're looking at residential architecture, please respect the residents' privacy.
Across the street from Alameda Park. Something of a cross between a park and a botanical garden, it features a large pond with ducks and turtles, as well as numerous differently themed plantings, most with labels describing the different plant species. Local wags sometimes refer to it as "Alice Keck Park Park," but you'll often hear it just called "Alice Keck Park" since many people are unaware that "Park" was Alice's last name.