Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum & Carriage House

We got married here recently and it could not have been a better experience or a more beautiful night. The most affordable venue in the area with the most unique setting, it was an absolutely perfect evening. So many thanks to Marge for her assistance in planning and preparing for our wedding.
If you’re in the area you must stop and check out this gem, it is just too cool!

This is a beautiful little property right in the middle of the town. The stewards of this museum put a lot of love and effort into quality collections and exhibits.
There is a huge carriage house filled with 2 – 3 dozen carriages, a tack room, gift shop and more (there’s an upcoming samurai sword exhibit!)
The property is composed of several buildings around a central courtyard.
This is also a very reasonably priced venue for a special event. The current fee is only $ 500, plus a refundable deposit and event insurance (about $ 99.)
Ask for Marge if she’s available. She is utterly charming and helpful — and knows all the ins and outs of the museum.

You can find the most wonderful places in the most unlikely places!
This looks like a little one-​room museum on the outside but is home to many wonderful exhibits that talk about the area and the time periods as a whole.
A great stop if you’re in the area.

I thought it was nice little spot to visit if you are in the area. There were lots of things to look at and I especially enjoyed all of the carriages on display.

This museum has the largest collection of carriages anywhere.
The Santa Ynez valley is full of vineyards, rolling hills, ranches and it is rich with history. The Chumash Indians were the earliest inhabitants before the Spanish explorers arrived in 1769. The City of Santa Ynez was established in 1882. The stagecoach ran from San Francisco to Yuma, Arizona which passed through this valley and there was a stage station in the nearby town of Ballard which was established in 1881.
The Parks-​Janeway Carriage House was built on the museum property in 1978 and contains the finest collection of authentic horse drawn carriages in the west. I was totally shocked when I walked in the door and saw all the beautiful old stagecoaches and horse drawn carriages.
I would highly recommend visiting this museum when they are open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. The admission for adults is $ 4.00 and children 16 and under are free.

Great little museum. It’s bigger than it looks on the outside and a real bargain at $ 4. Could use a few more places to sit for those with disabilities. I was having a hard time with so much standing. Despite this, the atmosphere was great and the staff were nice enough to take our photo by the Sideways10 sign. The collection of wagons and coaches was incredible. If you have children, they might get a little bored, so you might ask for activities or go when they have something lively happening — depending on the age and interest level of the child. There is still a lot to look at and a court yard to play in.

This is a rare gem — lots of old wagons and coaches, along with other items relating to daily life in the early Rancho or «old west» days. I recommend allotting several hours to really do it justice

See my review of Parks-​Janeway.
AMAXING PLACE!