Old Mission Santa Barbara

We couldn’t resist stopping by the Old Mission Santa Barbara, the iconic building featured in the intro of the beloved Santa Barbara series. As fans of the show growing up in Russia, my wife and I felt a thrill standing before this historic site. Just seeing the mission’s beautiful exterior brought back memories of the series’ opening scenes and the drama that kept us glued to the screen. As Mason Capwell once said, ‘Sometimes the past is like a shadow. It follows you wherever you go.’ Being here felt like reconnecting with those memories.

Fantastic Mission to visit. A perfect example of a Spanish colonial Catholic church in America. Wonderful tour with a lot of very beautiful sites and exhibits. Really get the feel of centuries of Franciscan history with well worn floors and gorgeous gardens. Very serene and peaceful. Inexpensive admission and a terrific gift shop with a good variety of souvenirs and devotional items.

"Visiting the Santa Barbara Old Mission was a truly enriching experience. The historical significance and architectural beauty of the mission captivated me. The peaceful atmosphere and well-preserved surroundings provided a glimpse into the region's past. The knowledgeable guides enhanced the visit with insightful information. Overall, a must-visit destination that offers a blend of history, culture, and serenity."

Another beautiful Mission by the California coast. Everytime I am in Santa Barbara, I always stop by the mission and was lucky to come by when the rose garden was in full bloom. This Mission is always well kept and the people behind it always make sure everything is organized and maintained. It's also one of the busiest MIssions, there are a lot of visitors even on a weekday but they have plenty of parking. There's also a cafe truck on the side and they have good tasting coffee.

There is a beautiful rose garden located right in front of the mission which I highly recommend exploring if you are also going inside of the Mission. It is a beautiful property and people were picnicking on the grass I it front it is perfect for that. When we were there, there was goats grazing on the pasture next door that you could look at. There was accessible bathrooms and plenty of parking. There was also a lovely gift shop.

I've been to maybe 6 missions down the PCH and this is definitely the biggest. They had more information and historical artifacts to check out. I loved the cemetery.

Very good preservation of the history of the Spanish Missions as it is one of the few remaining. In the 18th and 19th Centuries they were all just a one day walk apart. Now, most no longer exist. Interesting architecture, plaza/yard, 3-D art, and cemetery garden.

Very cool site. Museum and other placards were really informative and I feel like I got a good idea of everything overall. There's a self guided tour with audio, but you should bring your own headphones and phone (there's QR codes to scan to hear everything). They also do guided tours, not sure on the frequency but it took us about an hour to do self guided from.the time we areived and when we were done the guided tour was starting (& also quote a large group for a Friday early afternoon)

We couldn’t resist stopping by the Old Mission Santa Barbara, the iconic building featured in the intro of the beloved Santa Barbara series. As fans of the show growing up in Russia, my wife and I felt a thrill standing before this historic site. Just seeing the mission’s beautiful exterior brought back memories of the series’ opening scenes and the drama that kept us glued to the screen. As Mason Capwell once said, ‘Sometimes the past is like a shadow. It follows you wherever you go.’ Being here felt like reconnecting with those memories.

Fantastic Mission to visit. A perfect example of a Spanish colonial Catholic church in America. Wonderful tour with a lot of very beautiful sites and exhibits. Really get the feel of centuries of Franciscan history with well worn floors and gorgeous gardens. Very serene and peaceful. Inexpensive admission and a terrific gift shop with a good variety of souvenirs and devotional items.

"Visiting the Santa Barbara Old Mission was a truly enriching experience. The historical significance and architectural beauty of the mission captivated me. The peaceful atmosphere and well-preserved surroundings provided a glimpse into the region's past. The knowledgeable guides enhanced the visit with insightful information. Overall, a must-visit destination that offers a blend of history, culture, and serenity."

Another beautiful Mission by the California coast. Everytime I am in Santa Barbara, I always stop by the mission and was lucky to come by when the rose garden was in full bloom. This Mission is always well kept and the people behind it always make sure everything is organized and maintained. It's also one of the busiest MIssions, there are a lot of visitors even on a weekday but they have plenty of parking. There's also a cafe truck on the side and they have good tasting coffee.

There is a beautiful rose garden located right in front of the mission which I highly recommend exploring if you are also going inside of the Mission. It is a beautiful property and people were picnicking on the grass I it front it is perfect for that. When we were there, there was goats grazing on the pasture next door that you could look at. There was accessible bathrooms and plenty of parking. There was also a lovely gift shop.

I've been to maybe 6 missions down the PCH and this is definitely the biggest. They had more information and historical artifacts to check out. I loved the cemetery.

Very good preservation of the history of the Spanish Missions as it is one of the few remaining. In the 18th and 19th Centuries they were all just a one day walk apart. Now, most no longer exist. Interesting architecture, plaza/yard, 3-D art, and cemetery garden.

Very cool site. Museum and other placards were really informative and I feel like I got a good idea of everything overall. There's a self guided tour with audio, but you should bring your own headphones and phone (there's QR codes to scan to hear everything). They also do guided tours, not sure on the frequency but it took us about an hour to do self guided from.the time we areived and when we were done the guided tour was starting (& also quote a large group for a Friday early afternoon)

Truly one of the most beautiful and historical wonders of Santa Barbara. Growing up here in SB we had yearly tours through the Mission grounds in Elementary, Junior High, and High School. We were always amazed at the majesty and history of this special place. And now as an adult the Mission holds lots of fun memories of family and friends, with many picnics there beside the Rose Garden, and with that incredible view of the city. Still a favorite place to take out-of-towners, or for an escape from all the worries of the world. Also remember to take your camera. Picture perfect!

Being an educator in the state of California, we teach units introducing our students to the history of California's Missions. There are 21 missions that are built throughout the state. You have an opportunity to visit one if you live within any of the regions of California. While embarking upon a road trip to Santa Barbara, we stopped by Mission Santa Barbara. I absolutely enjoy visiting missions within the state and I wanted to see how this mission compares to missions that I've already visited. Upon entry to the property, you'll notice a large grassy area out front that provides a view of the ocean. They were getting ready to show a family friendly movie on the lawn, so people were securing a spot with their blankets. When you look toward the mission, you'll see the beautiful Spanish-inspired architecture that is prevalent at all of the California Missions. One thing that I found to be a bit unique was how they allow guests to explore the property. Most of the area is inaccessible to visitors as they don't want people to disturb the flora and fauna of the plants in the area. You also can't get close to the fountains out back. Also, when you buy a candle and write your message for a loved one, you aren't allowed to place it in the designated area yourself. They told us that since the area is prone to fires, that we are to place our candles out front and that they would carefully place them with the others at the end of the day. It felt a little impersonal to me as I'm used to placing my own candles at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Just like other missions, there is a grave yard where you can see where several people who've made contributions to the area are buried. Many are buried in tombs made of stone and some are in the mausoleum in the corner. There is more leniency to explore this area and you can get a little bit closer to read the tombs and pay your respects. There is a church for people to pray and spend time taking in the beautiful architecture of the building. You will also walk past several displays that have artifacts from when the mission was first built. Several painting also line the walls of the building. As you exit the small museum, you'll walk into the gift shop. They have snacks too, so you can grab a small treat before you leave. Mission Santa Barbara is absolutely beautiful. Its prime location makes it ideal for family to spend quality time in an area that's always hosting tourists who come from all over the world. I'm glad that we had the opportunity to visit another Mission in California. It just would have been ideal to be able to get up close and personal with some of the areas in which exploration was prohibited.

Beautiful and historic location, one of the great 21 California missions. We stopped here during a visit to Santa Barbara and enjoyed walking through grounds and gardens. The gift shop has many interesting items for sale as well. Recommended.

Nice grounds. There's a gift shop beside the ticket desk. There's also some nice artifacts with descriptions and kitchen that you can walk into. The cemetery and mausoleum is also open to the public. The church holds services and happened to be booked for a wedding so we hurried through while we had the opportunity. There's also public restrooms below the main doors close to the parking lot.

This was my husband and I's first time visiting Santa Barbara on 11/9/24 and we were on the SB Trolly Tour. Once we made it to the Mission, we were told we can get off the Trolly, stretch our legs, use the restroom if we needed to or go inside the gift shop to look around or purchase something. Once my husband and I walked in, a very tall Caucasian woman approached us and asked if we needed any help? We told her we were looking for the restrooms. She informed us they were downstairs and to the right of the gift shop. Once we finished doing that, we went back into the gift shop to see what they had and to possibly purchase some candy. The same tall Caucasian woman saw us walking around the shop, immediately stopped assisting customers that were at the register to ask us once again, "Can I help you?" She said it in a way as though she wanted to know why we were there. I told her we were on the tour. She said, "What Tour?" I said, "The Trolly Tour!" Then she was like, "Ooooh the Trolly Tour!" She said, "I just wanted to know if you needed any help! And I noticed your beautiful blouse as well and I hope I didn't offend you!" Right! Clean it up now! We were the only African Americans in the gift shop and she made sure she kept her eye on us! I did not see her run up to any other guest like she ran up to us. Following us around the store with her eyes. My husband and I are both retired Law Enforcement for California and he's a retired Vet and we didn't appreciate her making us feel as though we wanted to steal something out of that gift shop. We both knew she was racially profiling us. We ended up leaving out and not purchasing anything. We both felt very offended. We will never step foot in that shop again. And just think, it's supposed to be a religious gift shop as well.

Had a wonderful time at the Santa Barbara Mission. Amazing history and the property is beautiful! I highly recommend the tour and experience.

Super easy and convenient to purchase tickets on site. Parking was a breeze as we arrived for the first self-guided tour, mid week at 9:30 a.m. It was nice since it wasn't crowded (compared to the time we left). It's a one-way route. The garden is viewable but not accessible as it's closed off to the public. I thought the garden would be bloomed but perhaps June isn't the month to view the blooms. There were many rooms with displays about the history of the mission. I'm not into cemeteries or mausoleums but there is one off to the side. My favorite was the colorful chapel.

Absolutely gorgeous grounds! We didn't have time to go in but the park outside was stunning. You get an ocean view and a great park to have a picnic on. The rose gardens are gorg too. The building is well kept and there was ample parking even on a Sunday.

Loved visiting this beautiful mission that never closed down unlike the rest in California. I made a point of attending Sunday's 12:30 guided tour and we had a great guide who illuminated the complexities of history. Nothing is black or white but there are so many factors to consider. Highly recommend checking out if you can!

The Santa Barbara mission  is a National Historic Landmark. It is also known as "Queen of the Missions". It is also famous for the unique twin tower. Santa Barbara Mission was the 10th of the 21 Spanish colonial missions founded in California. The mission was consecrated December 16, 1786, by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, as a church for the chumash. The  Santa Barbara Mission is known for its Spanish Colonial architecture and the beautiful arches. There is a parking lot to the left of the mission which is spacious and has numerous parking spots. For the mission  general admission, the tickets was $15 each. Their gift shop is irresistible. They have wide variety of nice Merchandises,  and souvenirs. They also sell wines. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I enjoyed walking through history. The Historic Mausoleum is situated in the center of the cemetery at Old Mission Santa Barbara.  Since 1893, this simple structure has served as a final resting place for numerous Franciscan friars and a number of prominent citizens who were part of the history of Santa Barbara. The main church is such a magnificent piece of art, from the altar to the paintings and to the Sculptures. You can see the impact of the Chumash tribe on the decorative art throughout the church from wall to ceiling. The main church is located between the garden and the Mausoleum. There are many small museums inside the mission to walk you through that era. The mission is open every day from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM for tour, except during masses, weddings and funerals. We went twice to the Mission during our trip to Santa Barbara. The third time was with the Trolley tour. How lucky we were!! We really enjoyed spending time at the Chapel and walking around the mission. We saw a few food trucks during our visit, which was nice to get a drink or a quick snack

We went to see the Sistine Chapel exhibit a few months ago located at the Mission. Just spectacular. These were prints made on a cloth type of material of various sections of the Sistine Chapel located in the Vatican in the full dimensions as the original. Ticket-$25 Locations of exhibit (no longer in SB). But see: https://chapelsistine.com/ After, we looked around the various Mission exhibits which were included in the entry price. We have been to this Mission several times over the years. We have been to all 21 Missions in CA, 4 in AZ, and 3 in TX.

I'm in love with this beautiful place, the museum and church are beautiful, I can take so many pictures, have a sit and enjoy the garden.

Even better than our first visit. We were able to take the self guided tour and with the help of a volunteer docent enjoy seeing the spectacular chapel. Set aside a little time to visit this historic old California mission. Your whole family will enjoy it.

I feel so lucky to live within walking distance of our beautiful Mission! This is definitely a tourist attraction, but a great place to bring your loved ones when they're visiting. Mission Santa Barbara has undergone many changes throughout history due to natural disasters, but still maintains its beautiful structure. The Mission has a museum, gift shop, masoleum, and several gardens. I love the rose garden which is located across the street. It's an area where people can have group gatherings and special events, but also an area to absorb nature and the beautiful roses screaming for your attention. Well they don't scream, but roses love attention, afterall they do have a conscience. They also offer guided tours inside the mission, the sacred garden, cemetery, and museum. Prices for adults are $15, youth (5-17) $10, and children under 4 years are free. More prices and discounts available on their website at santabarbaramission.org/tours Now that we are returning back to events, their newest one is coming up on May 12, 2022, and it's called "Bee Green!" This includes wine, beer, and appetizers in the Sacred Garden and a viewing of their new museum exhibit. Apparently this will be a summer series of events. Sounds like a great time to be had. Overall, a beautiful place to bookmark and explore if you're in the area!

Worth a visit if you have an hour in Santa Barbara. There is ample parking to the left of the mission and the audio tour is very good. They tour goes into great detail about the Cumash people and what role they played in mission life. The mission is one of the few remaining actively inhabited missions in California. Since cell service can be spotty up here, you will need to connect to the mission wifi to get access to the audio recordings of the tour. They have picnic tables to the left of the parking lot and you can also visit the stations of the cross in the garden.

This place is pretty cool to view the architect, learn about history of the church, or just hang out in the surrounding area. One thing though make sure that you come to this place outside the Sunday service time so you can enjoy all the area of the church.

We were nearby and decided to stop at the mission. We opted out of visiting the interior grounds due to the entrance fee. I felt it was alot. It was still nice to see the exterior grounds and take a couple of pictures of the area. It is beautiful on the outside. If your in town you should at least see it from the outside. The nativity is still currently setup for the holidays.

I stopped by for a lunch break and it suit my purpose well. There were tables by the walkway. However, I was surprised at the pricey entrance fee. I decided to skip the tour and use the exterior free grounds. The "gardens" people mention is more like a large lawn with rose borders. It is beautiful against the mountains. I have seen similar architecture with glorious grounds minus an entrance fee, hence the rating. BTW, on Sun. there is limited parking as they close off the main lot.

The views of Santa Barbara are worthy from here even if you don't pay to do the tour. There is a rose garden directly in front of the mission and the homes in the neighborhood are gorgeous to look at. This is one of the few Missions that charges a fee to go inside. It is $15/adult and right now they require you are fully masked throughout the tour. We like to visit Missions if they happen to be in the city we are visiting but you cannot take their history as truth. This particular Mission used choice words that made it seem like the Friars did the Chumash people a favor when we all know the Missions, Friars and Spaniards completely oppressed the native Californios. This is the reason why I give it 3 stars. Wish SB had a Chumash museum. Come here to take some photos but skip the tour.

I did not get a chance to visit the tour. However the exterior place is nice and awesome. I would say it's awesome for photos and there is nearby rose garden you can also visit which is walking distance.

Beautiful mission! As a 4th grade teacher, I love visiting all the missions. This one is probably one of my favorites! The lady who got us set up with the tour was very friendly and helped us figure out the WiFi. Admission fees are very reasonable and everything goes back to helping maintain the mission. The mission self paced tour was laid out well. I loved going into the church itself. The cemetery was also cool to explore. I'm part of the De La Guerra family, so it was cool to see the resting spot of some relatives. After the tour, we spent time walking around the grounds. Everything is kept up very nicely. There is plenty of parking which makes the visit go that much more smoothly!

Great variety of selections and low calorie yogurts are also available! They have incredible service!

First time visiting Santa Barbara Mission. In December the mission displayed the nativity scene. Free parking at the church. Didn't get a chance to visit the inside of the church, took pictures of the fountain and the outside of the church.

Rating it a 3 as the tour was much too pricy. Beautiful views though and a cool stop.

This is a must visit for tourists. Below's a quick overview of some details - They provide guided tours for interested folks but those are fairly limited (twice in a day I believe) and it's totally ok if you're not able to make it to those. - As someone looking to explore this place on their own, I'd recommend keeping aside a couple of hours to walk through the museum and artifacts. - There's a ton of interesting facts that you'd get to know if you're willing to dive deep and patiently explore each section. - There's a huge garden as well for families looking to hangout and chill.

This is good spot to visit if you are in the area. The rose garden is the best part. The mission itself and staff weren't very welcoming. It's disappointing as they should encourage people to know Christ with welcoming demeanor. The cost is $15 per person which is pricey in comparison to other missions that charge $6. If you really want to see mission grounds head over to La Purísima Mission State Historic Park or Santa Ynez mission. SB ushers need some training in welcoming all people to the mission.

Finally coming home from our four day trip and I check to see if we'll have enough time to see this Mission. Yes we do, so visit #4 here we come. You know out of all the Missions we seen through out the weekend this one was the most priciest one. That's fine and all but alot of the place was roped off. This is more of a tourist attraction than an actual Historic landmark, when you walk through the grounds it seems like walking through a Disneyland ride. There wasn't too much information on Santa Barbara Mission while walking the grounds as we found on the other Missions so that sucked. Inside the museum you learn mostly about the Chumash people which was pretty interesting. #10 of #21

Very well-curated, informative, and interesting tour. The one dissonant and unsettling aspect is that after listening to Pope Francis's beautiful Laudato Si, talking about the scale of the environmental crisis and the urgent need to reduce our waste, you exit through a three-room gift shop with junky trinkets and plastic throwaways. It is understandable that the gift shop helps bring in revenue, but it would be great to native plants seeds, organic food products, and other objects more aligned with the values expressed through the tour.

The California Missions are all special. We enjoy visiting all of them. Mission Santa Barbara is one of the lovelier ones. The grounds are immaculately maintained. The Church is large and beautiful. For a nominal fee, you can do the self guided tour with audio if you want to learn more about Mission Santa Barbara and its history. We like to attend mass when we visit. Then we explore the grounds on our own and take pics. One of the "Must See" spots to go in Santa Barbara.

Yelp 100 Challenge 2019 - # 79/100 Docking a star because they charge $12 to get into the church. Granting that you get to visit the mission with the fee, but still visiting churches should be free IMHO. Some people just want to visit the church and not go through the mission. Anyhow, parking was free.

Must visit in Santa Barbara. Nice to know history and connect the religious dots. Self guided tour cost $12 per adult and worth taking as it is not too costly. You get to see sacred garden, museum , graveyard and coffins inside. Obviously church too but that is accessible without ticket too.

Mission Santa Barbara is serene with a flow of positive energy everywhere you walk. It is an amazing building based on history and the divinity you feel walking through the chapel or the gardens.

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful missions I have visited in California so far. The grounds are well kept and the gardens are so beautiful with their variety of roses all around. The church has these large, detailed statues inside. My favorite part of the tour was the cemetery. Very peaceful with a huge fig tree providing a lot of shade around. Note: Admission is $12 for self-guided tour. They do have docent led tours, so make sure you check their website or call head for the tour hours. Free parking.

I suggest visiting this place if you come to Santa Barbara and are into history. The outside view is gorgeous! It's pretty limited in terms of what you can see unless you pay for a tour. We did a self guided tour for $12, you can pay more to have a tour guide. With the self tours, you walk through inside, see a garden, cemetery, and a small museum. Took 45 minutes to complete the whole thing, museum pretty small but great explanation of history of Santa Barbara and how it was founded. It's pretty close to the history museum and botanical gardens too! So great way to spend the day around the area! Free parking available too!

My family and I would always swing by here to look at this fascinating Old Mission of Santa Barbara. I've had a school project for this Mission back in Elementary and I would say that it was my favorite and the best project I've ever done in my life. The last time we had mass here was during the month of March and it was an outdoor mass. Was a beautiful and great mass outdoors. But tbh, it's better to be inside and have mass. We never had the chance because you needed a reservation, but I think now you don't need one. Too bad we had to leave on Saturday early in the morning. Would definitely come back here for mass indoors and touring the museum.

At $15/adult and $10/kid. If you're a family of 4, I'll save you the 50 bucks. You pay, and you walk into the courtyard. This courtyard has changed over the years, but blah blah, it's a courtyard. Then you walk through the church and blah blah, it's the church. You have benches that face one direction and there's a picture of a cross somewhere. Keep going and you end up in the side-cemetery where they buried a bunch of people. Padres... Chumash natives that they conscripted to help build the place... Families, you name it. The only way out is back through the church and into the museum area. After that, there's a gift shop and tchotchkes. Paying a visit to the Mission Santa Barbara felt exactly like paying state and federal income taxes.

I was confused about what the "self-guided tour" involved (audio guide?). But it's literally just the admission to be able to walk around the garden, cemetery, museum, church, etc. For $12, I think it was a tad pricey, especially relative to the other missions we had viewed. But in my opinion, it was the most beautiful! We spent a little over an hour doing the tour. We came around 10am on a Sunday. The girl who sold us our tickets really emphasized that we couldn't enter the church during the mass at 11, but the woman at the church entrance was inviting all the visitors in. If attending a Catholic mass is not commonplace for you, I definitely recommend trying to come before a mass. That way you get to see the church empty beforehand to take photos, as well as during the service if they will allow it!

It's a beautiful mission if your in Santa Barbara. It has a park across the street were you can picnic. A beautiful garden also. They have artifacts that dates back to the 1700's and even a dinosaur fossil. It has a nice little gift shop and a campground across the street if you want to go camping. But definitely worth checking out.

I'm a history buff so enjoy visiting missions in California and this is certainly a spectacular one to spend a couple hours at. Guided and self guided tours are available. At the time of this writing a self-guided tour is $9 per adult. We came at noon on a Sunday just as the late morning mass was ending (yes, it is still an active church) so we started our self guided tour outside in the historic cemetery and mausoleum. We also went through the museum which is full of historic artifacts and information. Once inside the church I was impressed with the altar which reminded me of many old ones I have seen in South America. There are also some interesting sculptures to the rear of the church and several paintings created a couple hundred years ago hang on the walls (some darkened by years of soot). Very cool and a great place to spend a quiet moment of reflection or prayer. There is also a gift shop inside. Next to the parking lot is a nice little path amongst olive trees with the 14 stations of the cross. A worthwhile stop while in Santa Barbara which you can make as long or short as you want depending on your interest.

ADA Fail! As a native Californian, I've always loved our missions. Now that I use a wheelchair, not so much. If you are on wheels, you cannot even get into the gift shop to purchase admission. (Installing a 5" ramp would alleviate that problem). One must ask someone to go inside, find an employee who will come out, access your situation, direct you to the church office which they will unlock from the inside so you can roll through and into the cloister. Then you have to go back to the gift shop and purchase admission. After that everything is accessible until you get past the sanctuary and find the cemetery accessible by 5 steps. Folks, 5 steps is unacceptable and inaccessible. The ADA. Is 50 years old! Why should a wheelchair user be a second class citizen? (Perhaps that was what the native Americans thought.)

Okay. First off, never in my Yelping life did I imagine I'd be reviewing a mission, so let's just take a moment and think about the time we live in. We had a short getaway to Santa Barbara and my boyfriend mentioned a beautiful mission he's visited years prior that he wanted to see with me. The moment I saw the gorgeous, rose colored church overlooking the huge front lawn, the cross and the view of the ocean, I knew I was in for a lot of good pictures! The view was breathtaking. The fountain with the lily pads were dreamy. The birds chirping, the breeze from the nearby ocean, the folks scattered around with family and friends near the botanical garden...we couldn't have chosen a more beautiful day to visit. We realized there's a gift shop that had someone at the front moderating the capacity inside. There was also hand sanitizer conveniently placed outside encouraging everyone to sanitize prior to entering the store. Now if you readers have been following me for a while, you'll know I am a sucker for trinkets and little collectibles. There was no way I was not leaving the store with something. If you see the photos you'll notice several different kinds of beautiful and elaborately designed crosses hanging on the walls. At this point, I thought of texting my mom tinder which one would catch her eye. Unfortunately, the reception was terrible (even when my boyfriend walked it outside to catch a signal), so I trusted my gut and chose the one I thought they'd like. I chose the beautiful mini nature stone design that is gray and blue with the bird painted on it that has a candle holder. Lo and behold, I get home and mom had her eye on that one too. I felt so happy! Also, I couldn't get enough of all those mosaic-inspired mirrors. Once I have my own place, I'll have one of those in one of the rooms. I also loved the jewelry. The store is small but filled with little goodies that are perfect for anyone to purchase something of their liking. I'll definitely be back. The service by the employees was very kind and efficient as well. In addition to the store, there is also a tiny walkway called the Olive Garden path which leads you to a beautiful mosaic-design of Jesus that is used for each summary in the brochure provided in the beginning of the short walk. There is an extension to the path that leads to another garden that is only open on Wednesdays that we unfortunately had to miss since we were there on a weekend. Next time! PARKING Available for free in the lot adjacent to the church

Historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara! When we entered the beautiful Mission church and admired the art paintings, and the magnificent architectures, and sculptures of the church it was indeed a special place with a rich history. It's still an active parish church yet today and at the time of our short visit I guess we were fortunate that there was no service actively going on so we were able to walk freely inside almost up to the altar (the altar section is roped off). The unique altar was built by the native Chumash people. The church is not open for tours during its services. We just missed the last self-guided tour of the day (last tour was 4:15p) so I was bummed about not being able to see the Sacred Garden, Historic Cemetery and Mausoleum, as well as the museum. Self-guided tours and docent-accompanied tours are available at the Mission. There are small admission fees associated whether you go at your own pace or with a docent guide. As we were leaving the Mission grounds we heard the grand double bell toll from the towers and the priest came out to welcome parishioners. The grounds are well kept. There are plenty of parking available to the side of the Mission grounds. Review #1019

Pretty grounds! I haven't made it here on my other visits to Santa Barbara, so I wanted to check it out. The Mission ended up being temporarily closed due to COVID, but my sister and brother and I enjoyed took pictures in the front and walking around the olive tree garden looking at the mosaics depicting the stations of the cross.

There is more to Santa Barbara than its pristine beaches that lined along PCH. On my recent trip up the California coast, I made a stop at Santa Barbara and visited the Mission. Unfortunately, I came after hours so I was unable to tour the inside. But coming after its closing have its own perks. There weren't that many tourist, and I found parking really close by. It is beautiful and peaceful here. Take the family and take a visit to the Mission Santa Barbara to learn more about California's history. The cost to visited went up over the years. Current price is $13. You can either opt to join the guided tour or do it at your own pace. Would highly recommend spending some time here if you are visiting Santa Barbara.

Very pretty landmark of Santa Barbara. Currently closed due to COVID but you can explore the external building and there's a garden across the street!

It was a cool walk around California history for just $9. It took us about an hour watching the full video in the viewing room and taking a self guided tour. I wish the "self guided tour" included more info on the brochure, it was just the names of locations and didn't go into the deep history/cool story of the mission. We heard some snippets from the more expensive tour with a guide and it was really informative- but I will say it carefully danced around the Native American assimilation and their own vibrant history... as a 'history nerd' it was hard not to interject. I definitely recommend watching the full video in the viewing room to get a better foundation for the tour than the overly simple map

I love the Santa Barbara Mission. It is one of the prettiest of all of the So-Cal Missions and is known as the "Queen Of The Missions." I lived near this mission for about two years in the 1990's. I love the neighborhood. It is beautiful, quiet and peaceful. I always enjoyed hearing the mission bells chime on the hour. You can tour the mission for a fee. I think it's worth it, once or twice. However, it is a bit somber and quiet. I'd do the tour on an overcast day and if it's sunny out just enjoy the park outside. The gift shop is nice and a great place to pick up Catholic & Christian souvenirs. While touring the mission might not be for everyone, I would encourage everyone to stop by, take some photos on the steps out front, walk through the rose garden across the street and relax in Mission Park and enjoy the view. When it's windy, I enjoy flying kites in the park

Way to expensive for a self guided tour. It is $25 a person for a self guided tour, but if you have EBT it's only $3 a person.

Is there a more beautiful mission in California than the one in Santa Barbara? I have seen many of them--but not all--and I would say this one is, by far, the prettiest. There are guided tours but they fill up quickly and you should check the hours beforehand. Or you can take a self-guided tour ($9 for adults, $4 for kiddos) which is still a good way to enjoy the mission at your own pace. Lots of history here, including in the cemetery next to the church. The young girl who was the basis of the book, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" is in the cemetery. There is a lot to do in Santa Barbara but let the mission be one of your must-dos. I have visited many times and it never gets old for me.