The Presidio is a must see in Santa Barbara! It is a unique piece of California history, as only 4 presidios were ever built by the Spanish in the entire state. While this one is mostly a reconstruction, there actually is an original 2-room piece from 1782, and the reconstructed parts were done using traditional methods, so they provide great insight into the Spanish period of California. You really get a sense of how rough and simple life was back then, evidenced by the hand-built furniture and blankets. The chapel, with its Native-style wall paintings, is also impressive. Many of the rooms are free to enter and you can wander around at your own pace. The best part is how cool these mud-walled rooms are during the hot summer months!

Awesome historical sites to explore with family. Unique piece of California history. Only four Spanish presidios where built in California. Knowing all those who have walked it thru the ages is amazing. Paths, heirlooms and exhibits are well marked with great story boards. You can spends a couple hours reading California history, Spanish Colonial days to the impact of WWII Japanese resident. The exhibit Japanese American community pre WW2, covers forty years of life in Santa Barbara’s Nihonmachi, or Japan Town. Unique historic photographs donated by local families. Parking is tough to find. You find coffee shops and restaurants across the Presidio. Great place to stroll with family.

This place even though modernized still let's you get the feeling of old California.

Well preserved site giving a good idea of how Spanish soldiers and their families settled and lived. The adobe bricks, ovens, tiles, chapel and utensils are some of the things worth checking. You have to pay about $5 for full access to the site (which in my opinion is worth it), but there are sections you can check out for free as well. The lady at the front desk is very friendly and gives a great overview of the historical background and how to best explore the place. There are a few things which I found a bit problematic and would be good to keep context of while you are doing the tour. In how it glorifies the settlers and their intentions, this is practically a shrine to early settlers and their lives, and hence to colonialism. There is little mention of the native Chumash people, and whatever there is, seems to be a bit whitewashed (e.g. how the fort was built by Spanish soldiers with the 'help' of the native people). There is one display right at the end which talks a bit about native peoples (in pics), but barring that it would seem as if everything was hunky-dory and everyone co-existed peacefully, which, as history tells us, was certainly not the case. I would still recommend the tour, since it puts you in the same space and rooms occupied by people a century back, but take everything with a pinch of salt.

On Labor Day holiday, we went without looking at the specific opening hours, so we had to take photos in front of the door and left. Look at the internet carefully. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also closed. Friends who want to go must check the opening hours first. Parking is difficult at the door.

The Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara was the first military settlement of the area during the Spanish domination; today several remaining buildings can be seen, such as the part of the soldiers barracks and the church with nice decorated interiors. Recommended to visit!

This is mostly a reconstruction of part of the presidio with just a few pieces that survived all of these years. The price is very affordable and visitors get to go at their own pace. If you're going to wander through downtown, this would be a worthwhile stop.

This is a must! This experience is by far one of the richest in history and culture! The visitor's center is the first place to stop and buy your admission to the self-guided tour. This is on the corner of Santa Barbara street and Canon Perdido right in Downtown Santa Barbara between Anacapa and Santa Barbara St. We found parking on Casa de la Guerra at. The visitor's center attendee was well-informed and calmly explained the tour to us. He pointed out all of the points of interest and have us a walking tour book. The booklet tells you everything you need to know. My kids got in free because they are under 16, and my admission was only $5! Well worth it! We also bought some souvenirs in the Visitor's Center. Park a couple blocks away and walk through, you will have memories to last a lifetime. I am so intrigued that I purchased several books on the Anza trail, the local Natives, and the Spanish, Mexican, and American history of this area! Enjoy!

This Spanish built fort provided protection for El Pueblo de Santa Barbara and today is a museum and tourist attraction showcasing the history as well as the various ethnic groups that have occupied the territory through the years. The visitor's center is very informative and the concierge was friendly.

I really enjoyed participating in Archeology day here at the park. There is so much history and information about the Presidio. A great place for the family!

Clean bathroom. Free entry with ticket from La Guerra Museum.

Best historical site in Santa Barbara. Family lineage goes back 10 generations here.

This is a an excellent place to learn about the settlement in Santa Barbara and how this Presidio help to establish the Spanish people in upper (Alta) California before statehood. Even though the previous city fathers didn't have the foresight to build around, what is left gives you the idea of the Presidio purpose and size. Educational experience is a yes! Interesting is a yes! Take the childs and explore.

This is a very interesting place. I didn't have time to tour the entire thing. There are 4 rooms, gift shop included that lay out in fair detail the history of the place. The entire tour cost $5 and gives you access to all the buildings. Its a decent size place. There is no parking so you will have to park off site and walk.

It was nice, but basically a reconstruction of the original buildings. Worth seeing and and interesting juxtaposition from the Mission.

Santa Barbara is renowned for its stunning scenic beauty, boasting a captivating combination of coastal charm and breathtaking landscapes. The city is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, creating a picturesque setting. It is an ideal picnic destination, where you can take your pet dogs. Rest rooms and play grounds for kids are available. Only some places are made for differently abled personnel.

Four instead of five stars only because it's a relatively small site, especially compared to the Mission just up the street, but its integration into the surrounding pueblo (downtown Santa Barbara) is really cool. Definitely go check it out from the outside at least, then look up the wiki and decide if you wanna go in. It's only five bucks anyhow.

Beautiful historic place. Went to partake in the Mercado Dia de Muertos festivities. It seems like they have only been celebrating this event for a couple of years. Was hoping to see something more traditional. Hopefully next year will be better.

They had a great crew of knowledgeable people before covid, and after they have a crew of rude people who don't actually know what they're talking about. They should have a better vetting process because this is an amazing piece of history that people aren't utilizing, and since Word of Mouth matters so much to a town like Santa Barbara, they should look into fixing. Image Matters. Fix yours.

Wonderful part of California history. The tour is short and the structure is amazingly upkeeped well. Very inexpensive and suggest to donate to keep up this amazing piece of History.

Nice historical place. My family and I spent a fun day walking a number of historic sites. El Presidio gives us a great presentation on how these people lived and worked before becoming a US State.

Dirty, badly taken care, to the point that we regret waiting our time and money going there. This is an archeological and historical site that should be administered better. The city wants the money but is not taking care of this place.

Beautiful place to visit and enjoy history

Has absolutely incredible potential but is lacking care, exhibits were full of spider webs and extremely dusty, the garden areas were not well maintained in either of the three buildings and some of the rooms were extremely bare, it's worth a visit but I expect more from the management especially in state park

A lot of interesting info throughout the Presidio and it's good to see what life was like back then.

(Translated by Google) nice historical place (Original) Bonito lugar histórico

(Translated by Google) Very interesting place. (Original) Muy interesante lugar.

(Translated by Google) Particular but less interesting than what I expected (Original) Particolare ma meno interessante di quello che mi aspettavo

Ggg

Historically beautiful!

Lovely place to sit and think about the history of Santa Barbara.

Best Double Cheese Burger in all of Santa Barbara.