Five Beautiful Santa Barbara Gardens and Parks

Santa Barbara is one of the most BEAUTIFUL Cities in California featuring amazing parks and gardens many open to the public for free. Here are some of my favorites:

1.  Alice Keck Memorial Gardens, 1500 Santa Barbara Street

Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden features a large botanical collection of 75 different tree and plant species included in the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden Self-Guided Tree & Plant Tour; koi pond; sensory garden with audio posts and interpretive Braille signs; low water-use demonstration garden, walking paths, picnic areas; and Gazebo. Designed by local Landscape Architect Grant Castleberg (who also designed Shoreline Park), this was the location of the El Mirasol Hotel.  I actually attended one of the last weddings held there.  When Alice Keck died, she deeded the property to the City of Santa Barbara with the intention of the grounds becoming a public park.  A beautiful and informational book was written about the history of the property and the gardens by Anne-Marie Castleberg, wife of the Architect, "Alice's Garden".  Available on Amazon. 

The newest garden within the park is the sensory garden area where visually and physically impaired visitors can enjoy the variety of scents and sounds as well as the interesting textural variation of the foliage of many plants installed here. A butterfly garden has been installed and includes host plants for butterflies and moths.

For more information visit this location on the map.

2.  Alameda Kid's Park, Located on the corner or Garden and E Cota Streets.

The playground at Alameda Park is known as Kid’s World. It is among our largest and most popular playgrounds. The Santa Barbara community was involved in the design and construction of Kid’s World in 1993, and it remains a major attraction for families. The various parts of the playground are designed to accommodate children from 2-12 years of age. There are nearby restrooms and reservable and drop-in picnic areas, and Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens is right across the street.

The playground will be temporarily closed to the public from September 5 to December 15, 2017 as it undergoing complete renovation.

For more information visit this location on the map.

3. Santa Barbara Courthouse  and Sunken Gardens, 1100 Anacapa Street

Occupying an entire city block, the grounds contain a collection of palms and specimen trees from more than 25 countries. The courthouse hosts many events, particularly at the Sunken Garden, site of the 1872 courthouse.

The Courthouse (known as the most beautiful public building in America) also offers tours of the Courthouse and Clock Tower (recently restored).

The courthouse is composed of four buildings, totaling 150,000 square feet (14,000 m²). It includes a Jail Wing, which is no longer used to hold prisoners. Visitors may take elevators to the summit of the 85 ft (26 m) "El Mirador" clock tower, which has labeled photographs that show what the viewer is looking at in all directions.

Currently, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse is undergoing several restoration projects in the various wings, and just finished restoring the disintegrating fountain in the front.  ^{(information from Wikipedia)}

4. Mission Rose Gardens - Across the Street from the Santa Barbara Mision

The A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden, adjacent to the Santa Barbara Mission, contains over 1,500 rose plants and is maintained throughout the year by Rose Society members, Parks Division staff, and volunteers.

For many years the All-American Rose Selections designated the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden as one of 130+ demonstration rose gardens throughout the country, displaying the top performing new rose varieties developed and selected each year after an extensive two-year trial program where they are judged on 15 characteristics – from disease resistance and flower production to color and fragrance.  A significant portion of the roses displayed in the garden are past A.A.R.S. winners.

For more information visit this location on the map. Click here for directions.

5.  Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens - 1212 Mission Canyon Road

9 am to 6 pm ~ March – October
9 am to 5 pm ~ November – February

Garden Shop & Garden Growers Nursery
9 am to 5:30 pm ~ March – October
9 am to 4:30 pm ~ November – February

$12.00 Adults
$10.00 Seniors (60 + years)
$8.00 Children 13 – 17, college students and active military with ID
$6.00 Children 2 – 12 years

Admission is free for the following:
Children under 2
Active military personnel in uniform
Garden members with valid membership card
Dogs on leash! 

for detailed information, click here