7 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Santa Barbara - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

Lotusland

Acres of natural wonders left behind by a socialite-turned-gardener.

Santa Barbara, California

Knapp’s Castle

The ruins of the castle that chemicals built.

Santa Barbara, California

Whale House

This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

Santa Barbara, California

Franceschi Park

The home of one of California's most important horticulturalists wilts amidst a lovely park.

Santa Barbara, California

Lil' Toot

This nonsensical smiling boat shuttles passengers between two places they could've easily walked between.

Santa Barbara, California

Cold Spring Tavern

Hidden in the Santa Ynez Mountains off Highway 154, this tiny restaurant once served as a stagecoach stop.

Santa Barbara, California

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

Colorful Native American paintings are hidden within this small cavern.

Santa Barbara, California

The Mural Room

One incredible room in the Santa Barbara Courthouse is covered in wall-to-wall canvas murals.

Atlas Obscura Trips

Desert Canvas: Art of Joshua Tree and the Mojave

Join us as we venture deep into the High Desert, glimpsing massive sculptures, revitalizing domes, and fluorescent painted mountains along the way.

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Stories
About Santa Barbara

The interior of Elsie's Tavern, made of wood, paper, glass, assorted trash, an incandescent bulb, and acrylic paint.

This Artist Builds Tiny, Lifelike Replicas of Beloved Dive Bars

Santa Barbara's weird underbelly, in miniature.

by John Paul Titlow

October 18, 2019

The plastic-strewn sediment core was collected partway between Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands off the California coast.

More Than Half a Century of Microplastics Are Buried in Layers of Sediment, Like Synthetic Fossils

The teeny menaces turned up in a core taken from the floor of the Santa Barbara Basin.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

September 4, 2019