There are good reasons why Santa Barbara has drawn aspiring artists for generations. Our legendary history and culture provide the backdrop, while our natural environment provides the setting for a vibrant arts scene with a multitude of cultural offerings designed to engage, educate, and entertain. The art galleries, world-class museums, and historic theaters spanning historical times to the most contemporary create an extraordinary arts scene for Downtown Santa Barbara.

Click HERE for a directory and Map

Museums

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

113 Harbor Way, Ste 190

Follow SBMM on Facebook for daily news and entertainment and check out the website at www.sbmm.org to register for upcoming programs, watch all previous lectures or find hands-on activities for children and adults at SBMM At Home, from coloring pages and maritime art projects to learning to tie knots, discovering what early sailors ate, and exploring their own neighborhoods.

Moxi (The Wolf of Exploration + Innovation)

125 State Street

MOXI's mission is to ignite learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity. As Santa Barbara’s newest hands-on destination for families and curious minds of all ages, MOXI is a place where you can explore and discover new things about the world around you, ask questions, seek answers and have a blast doing so. Learn more about our history, exhibits + programs, and plans for the future here.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

136 East De le Guerra

Completed in 1964, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum has emerged as an essential landmark for the preservation and celebration of Santa Barbara’s regional history.

Casa De la Guerra

15 East De la Guerra Street

Your museum visit includes displays about the history of the de la Guerra family and the architectural history of the house. We have furnished several rooms to reflect the daily life of the de la Guerra family in the mid-19th century. Two rooms are devoted to changing art and historical exhibits on various aspects of local history and California’s Hispanic heritage. You can find out what will be on display during your visit, here.

El Presidio de Santa Barbara

123 East Cananon Perdido Street

Located in downtown Santa Barbara, El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park (El Presidio SHP) is a 5 1/2-acre park that preserves the site of the last Spanish fortress, or presidio, founded in Alta (Upper) California in 1782. Two of the fort‘s original adobe buildings still exist and are open to the public — El Cuartel and the Cañedo Adobe.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

1130 State Street

As one of the leading art museums on the West Coast, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art serves a diverse audience of approximately 150,000 people annually. The Museum offers a wide variety of educational and interpretive programs to this broad audience. Our 75-member Docent Council provides over 800 gallery tours and slide talks annually.

Theatres

Theatre Amenities

Stadium Seating
Reserved Seating
All Digital Projection & Sound
Closed Captioning (CC)
Audio Description (AD)
Handicap Access

Metro 4

618 State Street

Paseo Nuevo Theatres

8 West De la Guerra Street

Fiesta 5 Theatre

916 State Street

Center Stage Theatre

751 Paseo Nuevo Center

Center Stage Theate exists to provide a professional, affordable, and accessible performing arts venue for Santa Barbara. Located in the heart of the downtown arts and cultural district, Center Stage encourages works that celebrate new artists and the cultural diversity of our community. The theater strives to create an environment where people of all ages and levels of expertise can participate in a hands-on experience as artists, technicians and audience members.

Lobero Theatre

33 East Canon Perdido Street

From youth to adults, from jazz lovers to ballet enthusiasts, the Lobero’s wide variety of programming attracts audiences from every cultural background and all walks of life.

More than 70,000 people attend performances at the Lobero annually, coming from the Tri-County, and throughout California, the U.S. and the world.

1214 State Street

A local landmark for almost a century, The Granada Theatre is the central coast’s premier performing arts venue. Located in the heart of Downtown Santa Barbara, The Granada is home to eight resident companies, and serves as a venue for regional and national touring productions.

Ensemble Theatre Company at the New Vic

33 West Victoria Street

Ensemble Theatre Company presents important new plays and innovative interpretations of classic works for a broad audience. ETC engages audiences with entertaining, compelling, and thought-provoking theatrical productions, develops the community’s knowledge and appreciation of live stage productions, and offers a range of educational programs for young people.

The Arlington Theatre

1317 State Street

Built in 1931 and designed in the Mission Revival style reminiscent of a colonial Spanish town featuring a fountain and villas, The Arlington Theatre is a legendary, historic landmark with seating for over 2,000 guests and is home to first run films, live performances, and major film festival events.