What a lovely, unique Botanical Garden. I am so glad I spent the afternoon here walking the dog. Yes, dogs allowed if on leash; there is a water fountain by the entrance and one by the native plant house display. (Please, clean up after your pet and that includes throwing the doody bag into a 🗑. 🌞 Cute maze for kids, plenty of trails, gorgeous views and I actually had my first experience viewing a redwood. Magical. And these are the smaller coastal redwoods, magical nonetheless. I haven’t been able to get to redwood/sequoia areas of our beautiful country, so I’m happy for the scenery here. Also, very interesting seeing the old dam, stone filter basins, wooden and stone-lined aqueducts that were established centuries ago and lead to the mission. Very nice gift shop with some very interesting items. They also have canned/bottled water and soft drinks/coffee/tea & some snacks. Lots of shady areas, places to sit, rest and reflect. Really a marvelous afternoon.

Cutest spot in sb!!! The trail is amazing and stroller friendly. Then signs are well visible. The boulders are beautiful. Red woods are huge and sit in the valley - the cactus are so pretty. The gift shop is adorable and the plants.

I'm here on a Friday and did not have a reservation, I waited about 30 minutes to enter....it's worth the wait ( get reservations) this a quiet a good workout, lots of walk and hiking in some areas and stunningly beautiful in all directions. I'm so glad I came to visit. Dog friendly so bring your fur baby and enjoy the cool central coast weather 😎

This was one of the top 3 best experiences I’ve had while visiting a botanic garden. It is a naturally preserved space that has plants that are native to the area. You can go from redwoods, to the desert to the meadow, to an oceanic view all within steps of each other! It’s an experience that I highly recommend while visiting Santa Barbara.

Parking: free in lot in front. Check spaces for which to park in. When I went in early Sept on the weekend the lot was about 10 spots from full. Unless you're a member you need to book a reservation, they often have same day available. It's located in a remote, hilly part of Santa Barbara. Much of it requires walking up and downstairs, though there is a longer way to see most of everything going down a long ramp. They have a small redwood forest, a creek, an old dam used in the mission days built by the Chumash. Lots of activities for little kids to do. They're making a small Japanese garden. They also sell plants. Area has a northern California feel. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. The wise know how to get in at a discount if not free.

A real treat. A very well organized garden with well identified plants through paths meandering over lush grounds. The friendly knowledgeable staff were an added benefit. A place to relax, enjoy the outdoors and learn something new.

With its focus on California native plants, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is slightly different from a regular botanic garden. So approach it with an open mind if you’re unfamiliar with native plants - and embrace the unique beauty of California. Different plants will be in bloom at different times of year, ask at the entrance which sections are peaking. The garden is in a beautiful location on the hills - one way looking up to the mountains, the other looking down at the Pacific Ocean.

Beautiful place. Parking is free, adult $16.If you are a student bring your student ID for a discount. Dogs are allowed on a leash only and please clean after your dog. They sell plants and seeds.

Beautiful well maintained marked trails through several different climate zones. Really should pack a small backpack and spend the day to truly enjoy all the trails and meditation areas.

SB Gardens is a serene, peaceful place to walk with some beautiful scenery. I particularly enjoyed the “woodsy” areas. However, it’s not the easiest to navigate. Lots of hills, and when I visited the creek crossings were closed, so I had to double back to cross back to the entrance. I wish the person at the entry had told me to expect that. The map also doesn’t show that one of the trails requires climbing up or down a hillside using ropes. One other thing to note is that there isn’t much to the actual garden areas (although I imagine that can vary depending on the time of year). But they did have a spectacular display of poppies, which looked amazing with the mountains behind them!

One of the true pleasures of Santa Barbara. Always worth a visit. A great place to see some of the endemics from the local islands. If you are into botany or birds this can be a highlight for Santa Barbara county. Too expensive in my opinion, however. Also, they need to expand the local flora exhibits, especially the trees. The native for-sale plants are, however, well priced and have a good variety.

Absolutely beautiful. The redwoods portion is especially lovely. Perfect for families even with small children. Main trail is wonderful, there are benches to sit, and many trail offshoots. The shop is lovely too!

You won’t find this place filled with exotic flowers, but the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is stunning nonetheless. Highly recommend the membership if you plan on coming more than once. The park opens with a desert-scape with the gorgeous mountain backdrop. Stairs will lead you down to the incredible redwood forest. There is an entire new area with tons of fun activities for kids. For a little off-road action, you can navigate over the rocky upper and lower passages. Gift shop is cute. You can also buy plants at the nursery. My favorite part of the garden is across the street, where you can take in the best view of the Channel Islands. Come for a visit!

A beautiful place to spend the day or just a couple hours. There's nature trails for those a little more experienced and flower paths for those just wanting to enjoy a stroll. A perfect place to let your kid run around and burn some energy before that afternoon nap. There's so many flowers to see, trees to gaze at and spots to lose yourself in the beauty of nature. I took my not quite 2 year old and she couldn't stop smiling. She had an amazing time leading the way, crossing the creek, running up the rope bridges, crawling under tree roots and so much more. We can't wait to go back! Bonus, if you're a part of the Museums for All program admission is only $3 for adults! Definitely a must see place when visiting Santa Barbara.

Beautiful flowers and an easy walk. Well worth the money. Make sure you set up a reservation. They were nice enough to take is in as walk-ins!

I wanted to like this garden more but for a $16 entrance fee, I felt like I went hiking in a nearby trail. There lack a garden design really and a mixture of about 10 plants are grown throughout intermixed. A bit like a native water sense garden really, which is commendable. I thought the verbana were the highlights for me. Also, I went there on April 9th and I suspect that I missed some of the bloom a week ago from the Salvias. There are a lot of iris and coral bells. The story about the dam built in 17th century was cool and I loved to see the redwood trees planted almost a hundred years ago.

Great place to spend a few hours with family. Pave and unpaved trails allow many opportunities to explorer. Restroom by the front entrance gate. Spend time talking to the friendly docent once you buy entrance ticket. Docents had lots of info about the garden history and layout. Bring water bottle with you and fill up at the few station. Gets hot in the summer. Lots of shaded area.. Our family enjoy taking a break at the small bench by the Redwood forrest trees. There is a small gift shop. Garden is located in picturesque neighborhood with small roads.

Beautiful. Stunning views and not a huge place. Even the most basic/beginner hiker can navigate the trails and map given. It is an absolute gem and I reccomend a stop and visit.

We spent about an hour and a half walking through the different areas. Our favorite part was the Redwood section which was shady and cool. We had no idea that redwoods grew this far south. There were many areas that encouraged kids to climb or explore. From what we were told by other visitors that was all fairly new. Definitely worth a visit.

Great place to relax and take a nice walk in the fresh air and enjoy the scenery. You even get to hear fascinating facts about red wood tree from an older gentleman there and getting to experience the beautiful trees. They also have a Japanese tea garden (it was close when I was there), a nursery and a gift shop. It's worth coming here and checking it out! And great for all ages!

Beautiful gardens! The poppies were in bloom, the pollinator area was full of busy bees, but I really enjoyed the Redwoods. Apparently in the range of 160 feet tall, they make for great wide-angle photography. Be prepared for some walking and moderate hills! (photo credit: Amarosa Photography)

What a cool place, it's way up in the hills so I didn't know it was here honestly until someone told me about it. It's all CA native plants. I came here for an engagement in late Spring and we had poppies which were lovely. Redwood grove is my favorite part.