El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park

This is a beautiful historical site! Our food tour guide told us many weddings and events happen here and this structure is one of the longest structure to stand in Santa Barbara along with the Courthouse — they endured the earthquakes that happened in 1978. If you have the chance, definitely walk in and see the designs and architecture of the building.

To begin with I should mention that we got married during Old Spanish Days, which took this from being a great venue to the best ceremony venue ever. My husband and I are from New York and found it difficult to find a Catholic Church in Santa Barbra. To add to the difficulty, my husband is not Catholic himself. These limitations made it really hard to find a church for us to get married in, but since that’s where I’d always imagined my wedding, we didn’t give up. El Presidio ended up being the perfect venue for us. A rebuilt museum of the oldest Catholic church in Santa Barbara, El Presidio is no longer a traditional church so it allows non-​denominational ceremonies of all kinds in a very Catholic setting. Rain, the coordinator at El Presidio, was very helpful in getting us all set up to walk down the aisle on one of the busiest weekends in Santa Barbra. There was a private parking lot for our wedding and great rooms for our wedding party to pass time before the ceremony. El Presidio is built in the traditional adobe style so even at the beginning of August there was no problem with us being overheated in the church during the ceremony. The venue itself required almost no additional decorations which was a great cost saver for us. We only added candles. Rain really knew all the tricks for elevating our ceremony to the next level, including ringing the traditional church bells as we exited the church for the first time as husband and wife. I highly recommend this venue for anyone looking for a traditional venue that is open to something a little funkier. Overall working with Rain and El Presidio was such a joy and allowed us to have the wedding ceremony I’ve always imagined.

I attended a wedding ceremony here and can only speak to that experience, but I really like El Presidio Chapel. It is a bit plain on the outside, but the inside is especially gorgeous as the chapel was reconstructed recently (in 2005 I believe.) In fact, the chapel is so gorgeous that it really doesn’t require much decoration or extras to make it come alive. The acoustics were pretty spectacular as the music echoes through the site. The chapel was also well sized for small to medium sized events and it is also a fairly short walk from downtown which made it very convenient for many guests staying there.

We always look for new things to do in Santa Barbara, other places to see, interesting activities. So, El Presidio Historic Park was on my list, it’s one of the most written about attractions in the area. It’s conveniently located, right off State Street, so it’s easy to include it on your day trip.
The tickets are very reasonable, just $ 5 per person and it’s open daily from 10:30 am-4:30pm. It’s a great deal, with this ticket you get to visit 3 historic sites within walking distance from each other. I liked it that once you buy your tickets, you get your map and info from the person working there (very nice, knowledgeable young man), you can start your self guided tour and visit at your own pace. We started with the main area, with its nice courtyard full of lemon trees, the small chapel. The place has so much history around and it’s interesting to learn about California’s beginnings. We slowly made our way to Casa de la Guerra and another small historic house across the way.
This is a great place to bring kids, they have a lot to learn in a fun, interactive way. Try to choose a nice day since most of the time you’ll spend outdoors in order to visit everything.
We really enjoyed visiting El Presidio, it was relaxing, fun and a nice way to learn about the past. Great place to visit for a couple of hours if you’re in the area. It’s in the heart of downtown.

My daughter was married at the Presidio Chapel in May, 2015. The wedding was magical and we were all treated really well by Rain Longo (she coordinates special events in the Chapel). She was very patient, supportive and enthusiastic. The chapel itself made for an outstanding and very authentic venue. My daughter and bridesmaids were able to get ready in a beautiful adjoining room. The rental of the Chapel included use for 6 hours and it was very affordable. Thanks to all for making this special day so perfect. Thanks!!!

Glad we visited here. The young woman inside the presidio told us a lot abut the site and clearly knew her stuff. Very delightful person. Enjoyed the self-​guided tour and learned quite a bit of the history and its on-​going renovations. Entrance fees not too expensive.

El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara is a small slice of history that played a large role in shaping Santa Barbara and California. It was blessed by Padre Junipero Serra and founded April 21, 1782 as the fourth (and last) military fortress built by Spain in Alta California. The Presidio was the military headquarters and governmental center for the region including San Luis Obispo and the Pueblo of Los Angeles from 1782 to 1830.
* Open 7 days a week except holidays: 10:30 am — 4:30 pm
* Adults: $ 5; Seniors: $ 4; Children (under 16): Free
* California State Parks Annual Day Use Pass is NOT accepted
* Admission includes the Presidio Park and nearby Casa de la Guerra
* Public parking lots are on Anacapa Street or use street parking
* 30-​minute self-​guided tours are better with the free tour booklet
* Guided tours are available for groups scheduled in advance
* The 5.74-acre park spans four city blocks including the original 1782 Presidio
* The Presidio predates the nearby Santa Barbara Mission by 4 years (1786)
* El Cuartel, the soldiers’ quarters is Santa Barbara’s oldest building
* It’s also California’s second oldest building
* Chumash indigenous people did the actual construction
* In 1821, Mexico’s Independence from Spain began a period of decline
* In 1846, Santa Barbara & the Presidio surrendered without a fight to the U.S.
* The Visitor Center & Museum Shop is in a row of rooms called Cañedo Adobe
* Padre’s Quarters, Comandancia, Chapel, and Bell Tower are in the main building
* Many of the restored areas include period furnishings and displays
* Presidio Chapel is furnished in the style of the late 18^th century
* Located across Santa Barbara St is a reconstructed 2-​story Northeast Corner
* The original Front Gate was located near De la Guerra St.
* The Presidio became a California Historical Landmark in 1958
* Since 1963, restoration led by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
* California designated the Presidio grounds a State Historic Park in 1966
* In 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
* The State Park includes many other historical homes built after the Presdio including 1920s Santa Barbara School of the Arts, 1871 Cota-​Knox House, 1830 Buenaventura Pico Adobe, 1856 Rochin adobe, and 1940s Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens restaurant
El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park isn’t an impressive tourist attraction, but it is an important historical one. Since, it takes just 30 – 60 minutes to see what remains of the original complex, the Presidio is a quick chance to take in some history in Santa Barbara.

First off: it’s very cool that parts of the Presidio have been preserved as a Historic Park… and are thus staffed and offered for public viewing. The Presidio, built in 1782, is one of only four built by the Spaniards to defend their Alta California territory back in the day (the others being Monterey, San Diego and San Francisco).
Nonetheless, there are only a few remaining rooms and very few artifacts on display relative to the (very well preserved and heavily toured) Mission.
With this in mind, I would really only recommend parking and paying the $ 5 entry fee here if you fall into one of the following categories:
a. Visiting Santa Barbara with your 4^th grader because s/​he is writing a report on this Mission and Presidio. In which case you’re already here and may as well see the Presidio while you’re at it. Consider going to the Presidio first, cause it’s way less impressive than the Mission.
b. Serious Alta California history buff. In this case, rock on and more power to you.
c. Having lunch/​dinner across the street and have 10 minutes to kill. You may as well get some history to go with your meal.
Good luck…

History comes alive! And unlike Frampton, it don’t need no stinkin’ vocoder. You can loiter around the grounds and look at old stuff. Check out the chapel and feel free to poke around in the rectory. Or if you’re feeling truly adventurous, you can help accurately recreate a real and verifiable historic event. We chose the birth of God to a 14 year-​old virgin and her 30 year-​old construction worker husband.
The good folks at the Presidio had us start by singing songs in different languages — German and Swedish and Spanish and French, but NOT English — because they wanted to be inclusive. Then we followed a donkey around town for about 90 minutes. Some kid named Joseph kept banging on restaurant doors asking for a place to crash with his pregnant old lady (Between you and me, word on the street is that Joseph ain’t the real baby daddy).
We were informed several times that there was simply no room at the inn for a lady in labor. Our funny little burro expressed his displeasure by taking a massive dump in front of a boutique shop on State Street. At that point, we all jaywalked back to the park grounds without being hit by a single car (a Festivus miracle!). Finally, the bastard son of the Creator of the Universe popped out in a makeshift barn. All the children in attendance celebrated by beating an innocent piñata with a stick, while the rest of us were plied with tamales and empanadas and hot chocolate.
Exactly like it all went down in Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago, I am told.

Really enjoyed visiting here. Frank was very knowledgeable and patiently gave us a history lesson that was fun and interesting. There is a lot of great info for Santa Barbara and this is a great place to start.

We thought it was worth coming here and checking out the property. They had an Asian festival going on so we got in for free. The backyard area looks like they’re trying to fix it up. Be careful on these grounds, they’re a little uneven. Don’t forget to go across the street, there’s another house over there that is part of the presidio.

Im a big history nerd. Like real big. A couple of things about me: My friends say that I have a hard-​on for history. I love California history. Its like dirty foreplay talk to me.
So when my weekend plans got cancelled at the very last minute and I heard that we were going to Santa Barbara instead I got understandably excited! Oh, the mission! *Squeal*! What I wasn’t aware of, though, was the fact that Santa Barbara has a presidio! Being from San Diego, Im well aware of presidios and missions. We have the first ones in California. But unlike San Diego, Santa Barbara actually has a presidio. It may be fake and reconstructed, but its there, and right in downtown SB nonetheless! It was the first established settlement in the town. Since this is the case, the actual area of the presidio is stretched over 4 blocks. like right in the middle of an intersection.
Whats really cool about this place is that they have reconstructed rooms and signs that tell you of the uses. It may be small, but you can actually see what the presidio was used for. They even have gardens with vegetables and crops growing! It was really cool stopping by after lunch and doing a quick tour of history. No one was there so it felt like I had the whole place to myself. I didnt go into the church area because there was a wedding going on, but it looked interesting from the outside.
This is a nice interesting place to stop for a quick attraction. Theres plenty to do in the area as it is right in the middle of town.

Visit is well organized, this is a good quick discovery of an interesting history…

Great glimpse into life into early California. Well worth the whopping $ 2.50 entry fee (with AAA, $ 5 without). Again another wedding prevented us from seeing the whole property. This state park is clearly under construction, hopefully making this a more desirable location for future visitors (we saw only one other couple in the Presidio aside from the wedding party).

The Presidio State Historic Park was cool. The Presidio was small enough that I was in-​and-​out in about 30 minutes. If I hadn’t stopped to take funny photos with my friend, I’d probably have been done in 15.
Much of the original buildings were destroyed, but it’s being reconstructed. Some of it was being reconstructed during our visit, which wasn’t very pretty, but I ain’t complainin’. I found the church and padre’s quarters most interesting. I think the Presidio park could be improved by adding plants and gardens, maybe like the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
Only $ 2.50 with AAA discount!
Sojourner Café is across the street — check it out for lunch or dinner!

We had parked over at Cota and Santa Barbara St to drop off some film at Calumet and decided while we were in the area, we might as well walk over to State St to go to that Paseo Nuevo shopping center and kill some time. Walking down Santa Barbara St was a surprisingly pleasant experience. It was around 6pm on a Sunday night, and all the streets were completely deserted. It felt like we were completely alone, even though the hustle and bustle of State St was only a couple blocks away. Plenty of historic points of interest, all having plaques explaining the history of whatever it is you’re looking at.
Although we were there on a Sunday and not allowed to go inside and get an up close look at the artifacts which have been dug up in the area, it was still really interesting to walk around the outside courtyard area, peer into the windows, and sit by the fountains and relax in total silence, minus the birds and fountains.
Much of the buildings have been restored or rebuilt from the damage that hundreds of years of earthquakes have done, so I have deducted one star for the almost Knott’s Berry Farm feel of the whole place, but other than that a really great (and free!) historic point of interest which I will most likely be checking out again in the near future.