Santa Barbara Self-Guided GPS Audio Walking Tour Preview

At the end of El Paseo you can see a door in the wall to the right. This is the entrance into the historic Casa de la Guerra. We will visit here in a moment. First turn left at the El Paseo and then right into a charming courtyard. Here, you’ll find some of Santa Barbara’s top wine tasting rooms, offering pours from the region’s acclaimed vineyards—more than 250 of them spread across Santa Barbara County. If you would like to follow further and there are more tasting rooms than just the courtyard. It’s the perfect spot to sip exceptional local wines while soaking in the rich history and character of this unique corner of the city.

Interested in learning more about the Santa Barbara Wine Region? Tap the Learn More button below.

When you are ready, return to this spot and we will enter the Casa de la Guerra

To reach the next stop, walk through Casa de la Guerra to courtyard facing De la Guerra Street

Step inside Casa de la Guerra for an immersive look at 19th-century life in Santa Barbara through the preserved home of José de la Guerra, a prominent military leader, rancher, and merchant. This restored adobe, once the center of early Californio society, now offers furnished rooms, historical exhibits, and insights into the region’s cultural legacy.

To hear more tap the Learn More button below:

When you are ready, continue walking out of the courtyard stopping at East De La Guerra Street. I’ll meet you there.

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Your visit to Casa de la Guerra includes a rich, atmospheric experience of a family home in nineteenth-century Santa Barbara. You can explore furnished rooms, including an office, living room, bedroom, and store, which appear as though the family has just stepped away.

Built between 1818 and 1828, this historic adobe was the home of José de la Guerra, the fifth comandante of the Presidio and one of Santa Barbara’s most influential early residents. In addition to his military leadership, de la Guerra was a successful rancher and merchant who helped shape the region’s economy and society. Built at a time when most homes were simple one- or two-room adobes, Casa de la Guerra stood out with its U-shaped layout, central courtyard, and raised porch, an unmistakable sign of wealth and status.

During the Mexican period (1821–1848), Casa de la Guerra was the heart of Santa Barbara’s social, political, and cultural life. It hosted celebrations, political discussions, and community gatherings, serving as a central landmark of Californio society. The de la Guerra family lived in the home for over a century, until 1943.

Today, Casa de la Guerra has been restored as a museum that offers a vivid window into 19th-century life. Visitors can explore furnished rooms, including an office, living room, bedroom, and store, that appear as though the family has just stepped away. Informational displays provide insight into the evolving structure of the home, the de la Guerra legacy, and the Chumash people who worked in the household. Rotating exhibits also highlight local history and cultural heritage. Admission is $5 for adults.

Plaza De la Guerra

Across the street is Plaza De la Guerra, where Santa Barbara’s first city council convened in 1850, just as California was becoming a state. This historic plaza has long been the heart of civic life, hosting everything from parades to protests to Fiesta celebrations.

Tap the Learn More button to discover more about the Plaza and some unexpected events from its past.

When you are ready, turn left and walk down De La Guerra Street toward Anacapa.

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Next to the plaza stands Santa Barbara City Hall and the offices of the Santa Barbara News-Press, one of California’s oldest continuously published newspapers, founded in 1868. Known for its fearless editorials, the News-Press had a colorful and sometimes violent early history. In the 1870s, editor Thomas M. Johnson publicly accused District Attorney W.T. Wilson of consorting with criminals. Wilson didn’t take it lightly, he tracked Johnson down and horse-whipped him on State Street in front of shocked onlookers. Decades later, editor Theodore Glancey was gunned down near this very spot by Clarence Gray, a district attorney candidate enraged by allegations printed in the paper. Glancey was shot in the back while trying to flee—one of the most notorious political killings in local history.

Despite its turbulent beginnings, the News-Press evolved into a respected voice in American journalism. In 1962, it earned a Pulitzer Prize for a series of editorials taking aim at the growing influence of the far-right John Birch Society, at a time when few dared to speak out.

When you are ready, turn left and walk down De La Guerra Street toward Anacapa.

Oreña Adobes and Lugo- De La Guerra

The Oreña Adobes are a pair of historic buildings built in 1849 by Don José de la Guerra. One was originally used to store supplies from ships anchored in the harbor. Today, they are among Santa Barbara’s most notable examples of early California adobe architecture.

Presidio Avenue - 111 E De La Guerra St

Cross Anacapa Street to Presidio Avenue, the oldest street in Santa Barbara, laid out in 1782 with the founding of El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara. Once a dirt path used by Spanish soldiers, it served as the main route connecting the Presidio to nearby settlements and missions. Adobe homes, barracks, and workshops once lined this narrow lane.

At the corner of Presidio Avenue and De la Guerra Street, look for the plaque marking the site of the Guard’s House (Cuartel), where Spanish soldiers once lived and protected the settlement.

From here, step into the Presidio Gardens, planted on what was once the Presidio’s parade grounds.

When you are ready, return to De La Guerra Street and turn left.

136 E. De La Guerra Street

On the corner of De la Guerra and Santa Barbara Streets sits the Santa Barbara Historical Museum—one of the city’s oldest cultural institutions. Its beautiful courtyards evoke the romance of early Spanish California, while inside, you'll discover paintings, artifacts, furniture, textiles, and costumes that span over 500 years of local history, from the Chumash era through Spanish, Mexican, and American periods.

The museum’s signature exhibit, The Story of Santa Barbara, traces the region’s evolution—from its Indigenous roots to the glamour of the 1920s film era and the vibrant traditions of Old Spanish Days Fiesta.

Also on the museum grounds is Casa Covarrubias, located at 715 Santa Barbara Street. Built around 1817, it’s one of the oldest surviving adobe homes in the city. With original adobe walls, period furnishings, and historical artifacts, the home offers a fascinating window into early California life. Visitors can also explore two additional historic adobes from 1817 and 1836 in the museum’s lower courtyard.

On your left is the historic Anna Blake School building, which opened in 1907. It was the first on the Pacific Coast specifically designed for public school classes in manual, applied, and household arts—an early form of vocational education. Students learned practical skills like woodworking and drafting (manual arts), creative design in areas like textiles and ceramics (applied arts), and home management skills such as cooking and sewing (household arts). Look for the plaque honoring Anna Blake, the visionary educator who founded the school that represented progressive thinking, offering students useful, real-world skills beyond traditional academic subjects.

Rochin Adobe House - 820 Santa Barbara Street

This small adobe home sits on a modest lot and was built using adobe bricks salvaged from the ruins of buildings once attached to the Presidio wall. In 1856, Señor Rochin purchased the property for just $30, making it the first parcel of land sold within the original Presidio boundaries. Today, you can spot a historic marker on the building between the window and the door, commemorating its unique past.

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park- 123 E Canon Perdido St

El Presidio de Santa Bárbara is a historic Spanish military fort founded in 1782 to defend the California coast. It served as the military and administrative center of the region and today operates as a state historic park and museum, open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tap the Learn More button to hear about this significant historical site.

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This was the last in a chain of four Spanish presidios built in Alta California, following San Diego, Monterey, and San Francisco. The presidios played a vital role in the occupation of New Spain. The site features restored adobe buildings, exhibits, and gardens that span four city blocks, offering a glimpse into Santa Barbara’s colonial and multicultural past.

The Presidio’s buildings formed a quadrangle around a central parade area, which was encircled by an outer fortification wall with two cannon bastions. Constructed from sun-dried adobe bricks on sandstone foundations, with red tile roofs supported by local timber, the Presidio was originally built by Chumash laborers under Spanish supervision. The whitewashed structures formed a quadrangle around a central parade ground, all enclosed by defensive walls with two cannon bastions. The most prominent building was the chapel—Santa Barbara’s first church.

Operated by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, the park offers visitors an immersive and engaging way to experience the city's rich, layered history. To begin your visit, head to the Visitor Center located in the left corner of the site—just look for the sign above the door.

Hill-Carrillo Adobe

11 East Carrillo Street

The Hill-Carrillo Adobe is one of Santa Barbara’s oldest surviving buildings, constructed in 1825 by Daniel Hill, an American sailor who settled in the area and married into the prominent Ortega family. Built in the traditional Spanish-Mexican adobe style, the structure reflects early Californio architecture.

Its historical significance lies in its connection to Santa Barbara’s transition from a Mexican pueblo to an American town.

40 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara

15 East Figueroa St.

728 State Street

536 State Street

519 State Street

Santa Barbara Amtrak Train Station

Just past the Reagan Ranch Center, where E. Yanonali meets State Street, stands the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station, where the first Southern Pacific train arrived in 1887, opening the city to rail travel and tourism.

The current depot, built in 1902 by architect Francis W. Wilson, showcases Mission Revival architecture with its red-tile roof, arcades, and Spanish-inspired details. It played a key role in shaping Santa Barbara’s emerging Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival identity.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's recognized as a rare Mission Revival landmark in the region

Today, the station is served by the Pacific Surfliner, with five daily round-trips between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, and the Coast Starlight, offering once-daily service between Los Angeles and Seattle.

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This 8-foot bronze statue, known as the Deepwater Diving Monument, stands at Santa Barbara Harbor and commemorates the city’s pivotal role as the birthplace of deep-sea commercial diving. Unveiled in 2025, it features a diver wearing a Kirby Morgan Superlite 17 helmet. It honors the innovations that began here in the 1960s, when local diver Hugh “Dan” Wilson pioneered deep helium–oxygen diving. Santa Barbara soon became a global center for diving technology, and the monument serves as a lasting tribute to the city’s legacy in advancing safe, professional deepwater exploration.

As you walk toward the harbor, look down to see the Syuxtun Story Circle—a 20-foot-wide mosaic honoring the Chumash people, who lived in the coastal village of Syuxtun long before Santa Barbara existed.

Created in 2009 by over 200 Chumash artists and elders, the circle tells stories of Chumash history, beliefs, and traditions through 21 colorful panels, including their creation myths and the return of tomol canoe crossings.

At its center, a woven basket surrounds a sand dollar, symbolizing both tradition and the sun’s winter resting place.

Upstairs in the building to your left, you’ll find the Deep Sea Wines.
This laid-back, coastal wine tasting offers stunning views of the Santa Barbara shoreline, harbor, and on clear days, the distant Channel Islands.

They pour a rotating selection of wines from Conway Family Wines, most made with grapes grown right here in Santa Barbara County. Whether you're into crisp whites, delicate rosés, or bold reds, there's something for every palate. Sip indoors or relax on the spacious deck overlooking the Pacific.

Silvers Omakase is an exclusive 10‑seat chef ’s-counter restaurant situated at 224 Helena Avenue in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, offering a highly refined and intimate omakase experience

The restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2025, just one year after opening in early 2024. Guests are ushered into the minimalist main dining room, where ten diners sit in one linear row facing the chefs, a floral arrangement, and a mountain‑range mural that pays homage to both California and Japan

Hotel Santa Barbara

533 State Street

Located at the corner of State Street and Cota, the original Santa Barbara Hotel opened in 1876, as the city evolved from a quiet pueblo into a popular resort destination.

The original hotel was destroyed in the devastating 1925 earthquake that leveled much of downtown Santa Barbara. In its place, the owner rebuilt the hotel to exacting standards, well beyond the building codes of the time, determined to create a structure that would never need to be rebuilt again.

During Prohibition, it was rumored to house hidden gaming rooms and concealed liquor stashes tucked away behind the lobby walls. By the post-World War II era, it had become a stylish coastal retreat, attracting Hollywood stars and travelers looking for charm by the sea.

Faith Mission Building

409 State Street

Built in 1889, the Faith Mission building is a rare and well-preserved example of Stick/Eastlake and Italianate architecture with its distinctive stamped metal facade. Originally serving as a charitable mission providing shelter and work for struggling men, it later became the Hotel Savoy in 1929, evolving through the decades into a wartime lodging and eventually a vibrant theater venue.

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Continue walking down State Street

Learn More - Faith Mission Building

Constructed in 1889, the structure was originally known as the Faith Mission. Designed by the esteemed Santa Barbara architect Peter J. Barber, who also designed the 2nd Santa Barbara County Courthouse, and the Arlington Hotel. It showcases a blend of Stick/Eastlake and Italianate architectural styles. Notably, the building features an elaborate stamped metal facade, a rare example in southern Santa Barbara County, and is possibly the last 19th-century commercial building in the area to retain its original facade intact .

The Faith Mission was established in 1884 by Reverend Mrs. E.J. Scudder, affiliated with a Boston-based religious organization aimed at providing instruction and housing for "erring young men." Services began in the building on January 26, 1890, with an upper-story library offering select reading materials to the public. The mission also provided food, lodging, and employment opportunities for transients in exchange for work, addressing the local "tramp situation"

In 1929, the property was renamed Hotel Savoy by new owner Kenneth Ahlman. During World War II, the hotel served as lodging for servicemen and gained a reputation for its less reputable clientele. The building underwent no major alterations until 1980 when it was converted into the Savoy Theater, hosting theatrical productions and live music

El Camino Real and the Pacific Coast Highway

You’re walking beneath the iconic Highway 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway—or simply the PCH. This route is also part of El Camino Real, the Royal Road once controlled by the King of Spain until the late 1800s.

To learn more about the PCH and the El Camino Real tap the Learn More buttons below

Learn More El Camino Real: The Royal Road of California

El Camino Real,Spanish for “The Royal Road”, is one of California’s most storied and influential routes. Originally carved out in the late 1700s by Spanish missionaries, soldiers, and settlers, it stretched roughly 600 miles from San Diego to Sonoma, linking 21 missions, four presidios (forts), and several towns. Though little more than a dusty trail in its earliest days, it became the backbone of Spain’s colonial efforts in Alta California, shaping the region’s settlement patterns and cultural identity.

Rather than a formal paved road, El Camino Real was a rugged network of dirt paths, traveled mostly on foot or horseback. Father Junípero Serra, who founded the first mission in San Diego in 1769, is said to have walked more than 24,000 miles over his lifetime, often in pain from a leg injury. The missions were spaced about a day’s ride apart, giving travelers a place to rest each night. The trail served as a vital link for moving people, livestock, and supplies between them.

Today, reminders of the original route are everywhere, especially if you’ve driven Highway 101 or Route 1. Those distinctive bell markers on curved posts? They were first installed in 1906 to honor the old trail. Much of El Camino Real now runs beneath or alongside modern highways, and many California cities, like San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Jose, and San Francisco, grew directly out of the missions and settlements it once connected.

Over the decades, the road evolved from a mission trail into a trade route, traveled by ranchers, settlers, and even gold seekers. Along its length are forgotten ruins, ghost towns, and traces of the original path, some of which can still be explored on foot.

More than just a road, El Camino Real is a symbol of California’s colonial past and the foundation of its modern development. It remains a popular route for travelers interested in the state’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, as well as its enduring legacy of faith, exploration, and resilience.

Learn More Pacific Coast Highway

Welcome to California’s legendary Pacific Coast Highway, better known as PCH—one of the most breathtaking coastal drives in the world. As we travel this iconic route, you'll see why it’s earned a place in countless movies, road trip songs, and bucket lists.

Stretching over 600 miles from Southern California all the way to the redwood forests of the north, the PCH hugs the dramatic cliffs and sparkling beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, it winds through postcard-perfect towns like Santa Barbara, Monterey, and Big Sur, offering sweeping ocean views, hidden coves, and charming coastal stops.

This isn’t just a highway—it’s a journey through California’s natural beauty and laid-back coastal culture. Keep your eyes peeled for surfers catching waves in Malibu, elephant seals sunbathing in San Simeon, and sea otters floating offshore near Monterey Bay. And don’t be surprised if you spot a Hollywood celebrity or two around here—many have oceanfront homes just off the road!

Originally pieced together in the early 20th century, parts of the highway were carved out of cliffs using hand tools, dynamite, and even prison labor. Today, it’s a masterpiece of scenic engineering—but it's also a bit of a diva. Landslides and erosion frequently close sections, especially around Big Sur, where the road clings dramatically to the edge of the continent.

Fig Tree

You're standing in front of a 80-foot Moreton Bay Fig tree is one of the largest in the country.

A visiting Australian sailor gave a seedling of this Moreton Bay fig tree to a young Santa Barbara girl in 1876. A year later, her friend Adeline Crabb transplanted it to its current site

The tree was designated a Santa Barbara City Historic Landmark in 1970.

For much of its life, it was recognized as the largest Ficus macrophylla in the continental U.S., but a taller tree now exists in Glendora. Santa Barbara’s tree still boasts the widest crown, over 175 feet, and an impressive trunk girth of roughly 41 feet