Free Santa Barbara Tourist Spots

Santa Barbara, Calif., is a great place to live, and an almost even greater place to visit. Although it is a touristy California coastal town, there are plenty of things tourists and locals can do for free. Here is a list of four fun places to see while in Santa Barbara:

Free Santa Barbara Tourist Spot #1: Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

It's always interesting to see government buildings, and this one in particular has some beautiful architecture. Anyone can drop by and give themselves a self-guided tour. There are plenty of courtyard areas around the courthouse as well, and since most days in Santa Barbara are sunny and warm, you can come almost any day of the year and enjoy the scenery.

Free Santa Barbara Tourist Spot #2: El Presidio De Santa Barbara State Historic Park.

The Santa Barbara Royal Presidio was founded in 1782 as the last in a chain of four military fortresses that the Spanish built along the Californian coast. There is a lot of history to see here, and it is located in modern downtown Santa Barbara, which is full of restaurants and shops.

Free Santa Barbara Tourist Spot #3: Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

This is a small, but fun, art museum that is free to the public on Thursdays and every first Sunday of the month. Depending on when you go, there may be some different exhibits. But the museum also has permanent exhibits showcasing antiquities; Asian, European and American art; works on paper; modern and contemporary art; and photography.

Free Santa Barbara Tourist Spot #4: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

This museum is free to the public on the last Sunday of every month, and they have some wonderful exhibits. Recently I saw their Butterflies Alive! exhibit, which is featured every year throughout the summer, and allows guests to be in an outdoor room with the butterflies where they are free to photograph, touch and feed the butterflies. The museum also has a large blue whale skeleton by the front doors, and they often also showcase local exhibits.

These are just a few examples of free things to do in Santa Barbara throughout the year. However, Santa Barbara often has a lot of festivals throughout the year. The biggest one is Santa Barbara Fiesta, which is an annual event meant to educate the public on the history and customs of American Indian, Spanish, Mexican and early American settlers. The festival has lots of food, live music, dancing and confetti-filled eggs that people smash on each other's heads. Other festivals held in Santa Barbara throughout the year are the Lemon Festival, Oktoberfest, Sandcastle Festival and the Festival of Art and Jazz, among many others.

References:

http://www.sbthp.org/presidio.htm

http://www.sbmuseart.org/

http://www.sbnature.org/

http://www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org/