What to DoSanta Barbara
Things to Do in Santa Barbara
Things to do in Santa Barbara with address, hours and price, read 15 Oct 2026: Old Mission, Courthouse tower, Botanic Garden, Lotusland, Channel Islands.
Santa Barbara
Spanish-style beach city on California's central coast, about 2 hours north of Los Angeles by train or car.
Downtown, the waterfront and the Funk Zone sit close together, so you do not need a car there. The Amtrak station is at 209 State Street, and Stearns Wharf is at the end of State Street. The first 90 minutes of wharf parking are free. The Courthouse docent tour is free and takes about one hour. Its clock tower deck needs no reservation.
Six northbound Pacific Surfliner trains a day leave Los Angeles Union Station. They take 2 hours 32 minutes to 2 hours 43 minutes. Fares change with demand and are not on the timetable. Solvang is 35 miles away, and an Amtrak Connection bus gets there in 45 minutes. All Amtrak Connection buses need a reservation.
Old Mission Santa Barbara is $17 for an adult. The Botanic Garden is $23 and needs a reservation. Lotusland is $70 and also needs a reservation. Its 2026 season sold out and closes on 31 October, and it reopens on 17 February 2027. Channel Islands National Park has no entrance fee. The boats leave from Ventura Harbor and Oxnard, not Santa Barbara.
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