During a recent visit to Santa Barbara, Kate took Sophie and me on a day of culture. We stopped at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art first and then walked the short distance to the Historical Museum. The two museums are actually a great pairing; you could easily stop for lunch or an ice cream in between the two- that’s a pretty wonderful afternoon, if you ask me! And it’s an efficient way to learn a lot about Santa Barbara’s history in just an hour or two.
Permanent Collection on Santa Barbara’s History
There’s a permanent collection in the Historical Museum that takes the visitor through Santa Barbara’s history from before it was populated to more recent times. There were native Chumash in the area before the Spanish arrived and eventually other groups. I liked how balanced the museum was in terms of covering the life and contributions of the different populations.
Borein and his circle of friends special exhibit
Borein was one of those most famous artists to originate in Santa Barbara. This special exhibit highlighted his art and the famous friends he had. The art was great- just the kind of thing I’d love in my office 🙂
Are you getting married soon? 🙂
I think my favorite thing, on the warm sunny Fall day that we visited, was the courtyard behind the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. It’s fun to learn about Santa Barbara’s history but envisioning the fun parties that have and will taken place was quite enjoyable. If you have an upcoming event like a wedding (or vow renewal!) you might want to check out the lovely spot.
Of course we spent some time thinking through where the ceremony would take place, drinks, dinner, dancing. Alas, I think it’s a while before Sophie will be getting married (I hope!) but I’m pretty sure this place will be here for her when the time comes.
And we passed through the very small gift shop on our way out. There were some fun posters and Santa Barbara trinkets.
I wrapped up the visit with a reading of this nice little poem near the exit. I hope you’ll plan for a bit of time at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. It’s a lovely little treat!
Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 E De La Guerra St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
