EL PRESIDIO DE SANTA BÁRBARA
STATE HISTORIC PARK
Located in downtown Santa Barbara, El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park is a 5 1/2-acre park that preserves the site of the last Spanish fortress, or presidio, founded in Alta (Upper) California in 1782. Two of the fort‘s original adobe buildings still exist and are open to the public — El Cuartel and the Cañedo Adobe.
Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Museum Information
Location: 123 E Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Hours: Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Parking: Hourly parking is available to the public in the adjacent parking lot at 115 E. Canon Perdido Street.
Admission:
$5 for adults, $4 for seniors (62+), Free for SBTHP members, SNAP/EBT and CalFresh cards, and children 16 & under. Includes admission to Casa de la Guerra.
Tours: Guided tours at 2pm every Saturday and Sunday. To arrange a private tour call (805) 965-0093.
Before You Visit: View El Presidio SHP Visitors' Guide.
La Tiendita / Gift ShopVisiting the Presidio
A visit to El Presidio SHP begins at the Visitor Center in the Cañedo Adobe, where you will be greeted by staff, and given an orientation to the Park. The Visitor Center includes exhibits, displays on the history of the Presidio and the development of the State Park, and a one-room exhibit on the history of the Japanese community in Santa Barbara, which resided on the Presidio site in the early twentieth century. It also includes our gift shop, La Tiendita where you can find books and gifts that evoke the cultures and history of the Presidio area. You will be given a tour booklet with a map, information and images about each tour stop, and are free to experience the park on your own.
SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS
12 p.m. Screenings of the Historical Wedding Experience
2 p.m. Guided Tour
Presidio Grounds
Several portions of the Presidio are available to visitors on self-guided tours, including the Chapel, Comandancia, and Padre‘s Quarters, on the north wing of the quadrangle. Behind the north wing visitors can enjoy the 1940s Whittaker orchards and explore the exposed archaeological site of the Presidio outer defense wall. The Presidio Northeast Corner, consists of reconstructions of rooms that once housed the Presidio‘s Lieutenant as well as some of the soldiers and their families, a two-story observation tower and heritage gardens. All of these areas have been reconstructed over the past forty years and include period furnishings and displays.
Presidio comandancia. Photo by Micahel ImwallePresidio heritage Garden
Photo by Michael ImwallePresidio Neighborbood
Other buildings within El Presidio SHP are not related to the Presidio, but are historic resources in their own right, including the former campus of the 1920's Santa Barbara School of the Arts; the 1871 Cota-Knox House; the circa 1830 Buenaventura Pico Adobe; and the 1856 Rochin Adobe. The most recent addition to the Park is Jimmy‘s Oriental Gardens, a former Chinese restaurant. Visitors can enjoy the exteriors of these structures, and can experience selected interiors by patronizing our park tenants, including Three Pickles and The Pickle Room, Zaytoon Restaurant, La Playa Azul Cafe, and Panino. In addition, the surrounding area, known as the Presidio Neighborhood, includes several stunning landmark buildings including the Downtown Post Office, Lobero Theater, El Paseo, Carrillo Recreation Center and Meridian Studios.
Jimmy's Oriental Gardens Photo courtesy of the Presidio Research Center.Cota-Knox House before 1896, courtesy of the S.B. Historical Museum
Current Exhibits at the Presidio
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Nihonmachi Revisited
Santa Barbara's Japanese American Community in Transition, 1900-1940
Nihonmachi Revisited covers forty years of life in Santa Barbara’s Nihonmachi, or Japan Town, which was located on the Presidio site during the first half of the 20th century. The exhibit includes rarely seen historic photographs donated by local families, accounts of life in Nihonmachi from members of the community, and beautifully reconstructed Japanese ceramics excavated on site by SBTHP’s Archaeological Field School.
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Memorias y Facturas
Based on the book Documenting Everyday Life in Early Spanish California, "Memorias y Facturas" offers a glimpse into life at the Santa Barbara Presidio between 1781 and 1810. Featuring transcriptions and translations of fifty-two memorias (requisitions) andfacturas (invoices) for goods delivered to the Presidio, along with artifacts found on site, "Memorias y Facturas" helps imagine life on the fringes of the Spanish Empire.
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Historical Wedding Experience at the Chapel
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to step back in time and attend a wedding in the Presidio Chapel over 200 years ago? This free, family-friendly program will transport you back in time to witness an early 19th-century Spanish wedding. Immerse yourself in the magic of a bygone era as shadows on the Chapel walls come to life.
Screening Saturdays & Sundays at 12 p.m.
Host Your Event in a Place Steeped in History
We offer five unique historic venues where beauty, culture, and community come together. Whether it’s a wedding under the stars, an intimate dinner, or a meaningful gathering, your event not only honors the past — it helps preserve it.