Old Mission Santa Barbara
Church, cemetery, museum rooms, gardens, waterworks, and archives reveal a site rebuilt after earthquakes and still occupied by Franciscans.
Artwork inspired by William Wendt
Church, cemetery, museum rooms, gardens, waterworks, and archives reveal a site rebuilt after earthquakes and still occupied by Franciscans. Its beauty cannot be separated from missionization and Chumash dispossession. Three anchors prevent a superficial visit: founded is 1786, order is Franciscan, and earthquake rebuilding is 1925 onward.
Use the museum sequence to identify what is original, reconstructed, collected, or still sacred before entering the cemetery and garden. Church services and ceremonies supersede tourism, some spaces are inaccessible, and parking is limited during events. The productive comparison is between twin towers and Chumash material, with historic water system supplying the evidence that changes how the whole place reads.
- Founded
- 1786
- Order
- Franciscan
- Earthquake rebuilding
- 1925 onward
Quick guide
- Orient from
- Use the museum sequence to identify what is original, reconstructed, collected, or still sacred before entering the cemetery and garden.
- Follow the evidence
- Compare twin towers with Chumash material, then use historic water system to test what the site is trying to communicate.
Know before you go
- Orient from
- Use the museum sequence to identify what is original, reconstructed, collected, or still sacred before entering the cemetery and garden.
- Follow the evidence
- Compare twin towers with Chumash material, then test that reading against historic water system.
- Place in context
- Founded: 1786; Order: Franciscan; Earthquake rebuilding: 1925 onward
- Plan the arrival
- For Old Mission Santa Barbara, use the reviewed visitor entrance at 2201 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Before visiting Old Mission Santa Barbara, check current parking, transit.
Good to know
Church services and ceremonies supersede tourism, some spaces are inaccessible, and parking is limited during events.
Notice these
- twin towers
- Chumash material
- historic water system