Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.