Had a great time exploring the Goleta Depot & South Coast Railroad Museum. Free to walk around and great place for a picnic or hike. Miniature train goes around the place and it costs but not much at all. Totally worth a visit. There is also the history Stow house & ranch museum on the property. Free to look around but tour cost $5 I think.

I used to take my young boys here regularly because they simply couldn't get enough of all things trains. It's a great way to spend an hour or two strolling the grounds and taking a step back in time to when train travel ruled the U.S. The mini-train ride is a treat and should not be missed. The gift shop is also worth a look around.

The kids loved it! Nice walking trail too.

Southern Pacific Goleta, Ca mainline station from 1901 until 1973. It was moved to this location in 1981. Only a minute of highway 101, this treasure should not be missed by anyone who loves railroads or history. Although the museum, gift shop, model railroad (located in the old baggage room), and caboose are only open Fri, Sat, and Sun from 1 to 3 PM, a visit can still be very enjoyable. The grounds around the depot are accessible at all times as are the short hikes in the area and the neighboring historic Stow House. With fast food available just one offramp in either direction, the benches, tables and grounds provide a great picnic spot and a perfect spot to stretch your legs as you drive through the South Coast on highway 101. Say `Hi` to the firemen at the adjoining fire station. On my last visit they let my grandson sit in the truck, honk the horn and even got a fireman`s badge. He loved it.

This is a quaint Railroad Museum. One can ride the miniature train for $2. A few of the buildings were brought to the site to preserve them. They're interesting flowers and trees. There are two other points of interest within only a couple of hundred yards. One is a collection of historical buildings and the other is a lake with a path around it. Parking is free under the trees.

It's great to go through the museum grounds for a walk with your dog & a little slice of heaven for rail fans! The Stow House is right next door and foot paths lead to a walk around a small lake. Gorgeous property & landscaping, plenty of ez free parking.

We love this museum. There is a mini train for kids and adults to ride, and it's a long ride - about 8-10 minutes. It doesn't just go in a circle. There is a small gift shop also. The big Depot building itself is a museum with a few rooms to explore with one room set up with a running scale model of the train through the Santa Barbara area. The grounds and museum itself are run down so that's why it's not 4 stars. But, I do know that a new group took over it's maintenance, and clean up and repairs are happening. A great treat for the kids in the afternoon. Be sure to check their hours for mini train times.

The nice railroad museum in Goleta! The whole park is well organized and clean. You can have a ride on the small train. Children are free, and for adults and $2.5 for a ride. The ticket prices are reasonable and you can learn more about the train! It’s fun.

This is an wonderful museum! Please visit it and support it!

This is such a fun little train museum, that also features a small scale train that you can buy a ticket ($2.50) to ride around the grounds. Great for train lovers, history buffs, kids, or the kids at heart. All the staff are very friendly and helpful! A++

Cute train that takes you on a 10 minute ride for $2.50. The kids enjoyed it. You can walk through the old ticket 🎟️ office and see all the old office equipment. A small gift shop. We bought toy trains for $2 and coffee ☕ mugs for $5. The train conductors were very friendly. An old farmhouse in back had goats that my kids had fun feeding.

Good place to visit with children.

It's like traveling back in time, very well preserved.

Nice historic relics museum, and a nice miniature train ride.... worth visiting.

I didnt go in museum, but its historical appeal and grounds were nice.