Visiting Santa Barbara, CA: Things to Do as a Family in The American Riviera
Santa Barbar-AH – one of our favourite stops during our Southern California family getaway, perhaps leaving the best for last and worthy of a post all its own. Located about 90 miles from Los Angeles, you instantly understand why its known as “The American Riviera” when you arrive. Spanish Colonial influences and beauty throughout, stunning natural surroundings from sea-to-sky, a world-renowned gastronomic scene, and heritage-rich opportunities to immerse in can all be enjoyed while roaming with ideal, Mediterranean-like weather.
SO many fantastic spots to wander, dine & explore in Santa Barbara as a family – one day was not enough! Shown: Moby Dick Restaurant at Stearns Wharf
One day in Santa Barbara was certainly not enough, but if you are looking for ways to enjoy a glorious day in SoCal’s northernmost city, here’s a suggested list of things to enjoy as a family on a day trip to Santa Barbara as first-timers:
**This article has been published on AllWays Traveller**
THE spot to soak in the best panoramic views of Santa Barbara with your crew – we share where below!
**Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored and this visit very intentionally not a “workcation”. However, Santa Barbara is a spectacular city we felt compelled to share with our family travel readers. This itinerary was all thanks to our relative and long-time resident of Santa Barbara and entirely based off of our authentic family experience. Some images provided courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara and respective travel photographers**
Our West Coast Tour Guide with the mostest – cousin Kev. Long-time SB local who helped us explore The American Riviera like a local & fit some of the city’s “bests” into a single day visit!
Things to Do as a Family in Santa Barbara
Roam State Street
Our day trip to Santa Barbara was heavily centered around the city’s downtown core and most famous avenue – State Street. If you’re lucky, you’ll find free parking a few blocks adjacent to it to get on with your exploring the pedestrian-friendly promenade. State Street runs through Santa Barbara’s downtown core for about 10 blocks, which will lead you to the harbour.
The pedestrian-friendly State Street Promenade | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Blake Bronstad
Shops, boutiques, art galleries, theatres and restaurants dot the avenue, offering families loads of cultural, leisure and dining opportunities. The addition of the State Street Promenade means families can peruse, shop & dine without worrying about local traffic.
Visit Stearns Warf
Conveniently accessed by State Street, Stearns Warf offers families opportunities to immerse in the edu-tainment of marine life learnings at the Sea Centre and learn about an important piece of Santa Barbara’s history (*the Warf was built in 1872!*).
Take a seaside stroll along Stearns Wharf – at the end of State Street once you hit the harbour
You can also dine seaside with unbeatable views (check out Moby Dick Restaurant if craving a seafood feast), grab ice cream or candy hauls at the parlours dotting the pier (Mother Sterns & Great Pacific Co.) and shop Santa Barbara adorned souvenirs & apparel (*like hoodies for the teens 😉*) at Old Wharf Trading Co.
Seaside dining, shopping & edu-tainment along Stearns Wharf | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Jay Sinclair
Open-air Shopping at Paseo Nuevo & La Arcada
My favourite areas to roam were Paseo Nuevo & La Arcada, not just because they offer families open-air shopping, lots of dining options, cultural and leisure opportunities, but because of the alluring old world meets new world vibe and stunning architectural surroundings (think pristine white buildings with red tile roof tops – a mecca of Spanish Colonial charm and beauty).
A pretty place to pass the time – Paseo Nuevo open-air shopping in Santa Barbara, CA
Both Paseo Nuevo and La Arcada are located in Santa Barbara’s downtown district and accessible from State Street. If you aren’t big shoppers, plan a family movie night at Paseo Nuevo’s cinema, and/or visit the Turtle Fountain and statues of prominent historic figures at La Arcada – one of our favourite spots for great family pictures.
La Arcada – another fabulous spot to wander with the fam!
Dive into the Internationally-inspired Cuisine Scene
Foodie families will have no trouble finding fabulous spots to refuel in Santa Barbara, which offers a world-renowned food scene and enticing place for well-known and up-and-coming chefs to showcase their culinary talents with locally-sourced ingredients (*Neat fact: Santa Barbara was home to the late celebrity chef Julia Child in her final years of life*).
Foodie families could make a whole day’s adventure just from sampling the phenomenal eats in SB | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Blake Bronstad
As we were only in Santa Barbara for the day, picking one place to dine wasn’t easy, but Sandbar Cocina y Tequila on State Street was an excellent choice with an open-air SoCal vibe meets authentic Mexican flair ambiance.
Sandbar Cocina y Tequila – a fantastic spot to dine with the family along State Street!
What we tried & loved: Blazin’ Chipotle Chicken Fajitas, El Supreme Burrito, and Tacos de Pollo Asada (*street tacos on homemade corn tortillas*). Grown-ups looking to enjoy a bevvy, Sandbar has an enticing cocktail menu with an array of options infused with Tequila.
Soak in the Best Panoramic Views of Santa Barbara Atop the Courthouse
We nearly missed this opportunity as we left it to the last part of our day, but if you want to soak in the most stunning 360-degree views of the city, visit the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and head up the Clock Tower (accessible by elevator or staircase). This was definitely one of our family’s most favourite parts of our day trip, and a ‘must-do’ we’re so glad our relative and long-time SB local personal tour guide pushed us to see despite our sore feet from a full day of walking.
The stunning Santa Barbara County Courthouse – a true beauty inside and out! | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Jay Sinclair
Equally stunning is the inside & outside of the Courthouse itself, known as one of the most beautiful National Historic Sites in all of the USA, from the intricate artistic details hand-painted wall-to-ceiling, grand wrought-iron chandeliers, to the Spanish-Colonial building design, and gorgeous sunken gardens.
Tour the Courthouse, stay for the after-sunset flick outdoors – arrive early to blanket drop & get a spot for the fam!
If you visit on a Friday in the Summer and have time to linger til’ after dark, bring a blanket and stay for their free cinema under the stars experience on the outdoor Courthouse grounds.
The best 360-degree views of Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Mountains can be taken in atop the County Courthouse Clock Tower | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Blake Bronstad
Know Before You Go: Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a fully operational courthouse. Expect to go through security and leave the selfie-sticks in the car (*they’re prohibited*). Self-guided visitor tours are available – note the varying hours HERE. The Clock Tower closes earlier than the rest of the building (about 4:45 p.m.), so make sure you plan your visit accordingly. There is free 75-minute parking across from the courthouse in City Lot #7 off Anacapa Street.
Family-friendly Festival Fun
If you plan to visit Santa Barbara in the summertime as we did, please make it fall during the Old Spanish Days Fiesta – pure magic and incredible way to connect Todos Juntos en Familia (all together as family)!
“Viva la Fiesta” – Old Spanish Days is a fun-for-all affair! The kids had no fun at all smashing eggs on our heads 😉
The city was draped in technicolour Spanish décor, the sounds of mariachi uplifted a bustling, energetic crowd at every turn, and the parade saw visitors of all ages dancing in the streets or seats, the tradition of smashing hollowed eggs filled with confetti & decorated by local artisans on fiesta-goers heads while shouting “Viva la Fiesta” a high-spirited and mischievous family experience.
The city draped in colourful décor, the streets dusted with fiesta confetti, the sounds of Mariachi at every turn…I love this memory immeasurably!
The Old Spanish Days Fiesta falls the first week in August and is an exuberant celebration honouring Santa Barbara’s rich history, culture, heritage and traditions of the Native American, Spanish, Mexican and early American settlers that began in 1924, and way of preserving and reviving the spirit of old Santa Barbara again and again.
The Old Spanish Days Children’s Fiesta Parade – a family must-do in Santa Barbara!
The Children’s Fiesta Parade was one of the best parts for families – held on the Saturday morning, usually along Cabrillo Boulevard near the harbour & Stearns Wharf. Artisans selling fiesta eggs filled with confetti for smashing family fun can be found all around the downtown core and along the parade route.
Every year, a new “Spirit of Fiesta” Dancer is crowned – you’ll be dancing in the streets!
If you can’t make it during the Old Spanish Days Fiesta, Santa Barbara has many other festival-type events worth planning for enjoyed by visitors of all ages. See the Spring/Summer Events Listing HERE.
When to Visit Santa Barbara with Your Family
The “near-perfect” year-round weather of Santa Barbara is a big draw for visitors, as is the near 300 days of sunshine it typically gets annually. Santa Barbara could be enjoyed any time of year, but if you’re looking to immerse in more events, festivals and such, visiting in the Spring-Summer months would be ideal, and as already mentioned, we highly recommend visiting during the Old Spanish Days Fiesta the first week in August!
Santa Barbara is known to enjoy near 300 days of sunshine annually! | Shown – The gorgeous Old Mission A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden | Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Gabriela Herman
We hope you found these suggestions on ways to enjoy Santa Barbara as a family helpful. Among all our stops along our SoCal getaway, Santa Barbara was in our top 3 picks for the most enjoyable family experiences (San Diego & Manhattan Beach area round out the others).
Welcome to the Hotel Californian – Santa Barbara’s stunning, luxe-y spot to stayover if one-of-a-kind destinations is what you seek in The American Riviera! Next time…
We definitely want to return – a single day wasn’t enough – so if you’ve been to The American Riviera before and have some ideas on ways to enjoy it even more, do share in comments.
PIN This Family Guide to Santa Barbara, CA for Later!
Keep well, travel safely,
California looks like such a wonderful place to visit. Maybe next time I will tag along with the gang.