Spanish Settlement
The first Europeans to settle in this region were the Spanish with the founding of the Santa Barbara Presidio in … READ MORE
Month: October 2016
Great Read!
Empty Mansions reveals an enthralling mystery of wealth and loss, and a secretive heiress named Huguette Clark. Though she owned … READ MORE
Great gift, vintage design
If you’re like us, you love quintessential vintage California images, and these tote bags by the California Citrus Company feature … READ MORE
In The Saddle
In the Saddle: Horses, Santa Barbara, and the Way of the West April 20 – September 3, 2017 Our visitors experienced … READ MORE
Stars, Snapshots and Chanel
Experience the 1970s and 1980s social scene on America’s Riviera through high fashion and photographs by Beverley Jackson. As the … READ MORE
The Arts Movement
Beginning in the last quarter of the 19th century, Santa Barbara developed into the most important art colony between San … READ MORE
A New Century
Santa Barbara became the center of the movie-making world when the Chicago-based American Film Manufacturing Company opened the largest production … READ MORE
Paradise in the 19th. Century
On April 25, 1908, Santa Barbara welcomed the Great White Fleet and it’s estimated fifteen thousand sailors with a tremendous … READ MORE
Chinatown & California Statehood
Santa Barbara, like many California cities, once had a Chinatown. Beginning in the 1850s, Chinese immigrants began arriving in Santa … READ MORE
Santa Barbara under Mexican Rule
With Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821, Alta California came under Mexican rule. Arguably two of the most important results … READ MORE