Your Santa Barbara CME conference.

Santa Barbara after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Santa Barbara time. Visit Santa Barbara notes that State Street leads down to the Pacific and Stearns Wharf, and describes the Funk Zone as the district between the ocean and Highway 101. Either makes a short outing. Leave time for coastal fog in early summer and cooler air near the water.

Travel, lodging and attraction entry are arranged separately. The city is simply the setting for a study day you run yourself, so one outing each afternoon is plenty.

The mission, the courthouse and the red tile roofs

The Santa Barbara County Courthouse was completed in 1929 and is a Spanish Colonial landmark with a four-faced clock tower, red tile roofs and a sunken garden. Because it is a working court, visitors pass through security screening. The second-floor Mural Room has murals on all four walls showing the city’s Chumash, Spanish, Mexican and immigrant history, and the tower can be reached by stairs or elevator for views over the city. Docent-led tours need no reservation, but confirm the visitor schedule against your 2:00 PM finish.

Old Mission Santa Barbara, at 2201 Laguna Street, was founded in 1786 by Franciscan friars who have lived there continuously since. It offers self-guided tours and a museum of artifacts, and it closes on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Visit Santa Barbara describes it as an active parish church, so check for services before you go.

Visit Santa Barbara’s itinerary also lists a Red Tile Walking Tour of downtown landmarks, including the Presidio where the town began. Indoors, it names the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Historical Museum and Casa del Herrero, a 1925 farmhouse. The Arlington, Lobero, Granada, New Vic and Center Stage theaters host plays, music and films. Museum days differ, so check each one before you plan around it.

The waterfront and the Funk Zone

Stearns Wharf dates to 1872. The Dolphin Fountain by local artist Bud Bottoms marks the start of the wharf, and the city’s page mentions the Sea Center’s touch tanks. It also lists restaurants, gift and apparel shops and a winery there. Visit Santa Barbara lists paddleboarding and kayaking toward the Santa Barbara Channel.

The Funk Zone is a neighborhood of renovated warehouses holding galleries, craft breweries, distilleries and tasting rooms. It is the hub of the Urban Wine Trail, which links more than 20 tasting rooms; Visit Santa Barbara notes that you cannot visit all of them in one day, so pick a few. The Santa Barbara Zoo, at 500 Niños Drive, is another option for an easy afternoon.

Gardens and trails

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, at 1212 Mission Canyon Road, covers 78 acres in Mission Canyon and Visit Santa Barbara describes more than five miles of paths and over 1,000 native California plant species there. In Montecito, Lotusland is a 37-acre botanical garden with more than 3,000 plant species, formerly the estate of the opera singer Ganna Walska.

For a short hike, Lizard’s Mouth is a 0.3-mile round trip off West Camino Cielo Road with open views and room for a picnic. Rattlesnake Canyon is a moderate 4.5-mile round trip through shaded terrain, and Seven Falls is a 3.4-mile round trip ending at waterfall pools. These are longer than an hour, so plan them with your finish time in mind. Check current trail status with the managing agency, such as Los Padres National Forest or Santa Barbara County Parks, and bring water and sun protection.

Beaches and Montecito

Visit Santa Barbara describes East, West and Leadbetter beaches as often full of activity and Arroyo Burro Beach as having long uncrowded stretches. Butterfly Beach in Montecito is noted as a good spot for sunsets, and Miramar Beach there has calm water.

Montecito is a seaside community whose main shopping and dining areas are Coast Village Road and the Upper Village. Summerland is listed for its antique shops. Ocean water averages about 55 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, so swimmers and surfers usually wear wetsuits in winter and spring.

When to visit Santa Barbara

Visit Santa Barbara reports sunshine on more than 300 days a year, with daytime highs from the mid-60s to the mid-70s Fahrenheit. Late spring and early summer are the driest stretch, and morning fog usually clears by midday in summer. In fall, warm, dry offshore winds called Santa Anas often arrive around sundown, and the ocean occasionally reaches the mid-70s. In winter, rain can make some trails muddy and waterfalls more impressive. Check the forecast before planning outdoor time.

Getting to Santa Barbara and your study setting

Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is at 500 James Fowler Road, and its website has a ground transportation section. The waterfront, downtown, Montecito and Goleta are separate parts of the area, so choose accommodation with your afternoon plans in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.