9 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

Whale House

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

Santa Barbara, California

Knapp’s Castle

The ruins of the castle that chemicals built.

Santa Barbara, California

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

Colorful Native American paintings are hidden within this small cavern.

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

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

Moreton Bay Fig Tree

The beautiful behemoth is one of the largest trees of its kind in the United States.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

Cold Spring Tavern

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

Atlas Obscura Trips

City of Secrets: Underground in Los Angeles

On this an insider’s journey into the City of Angeles, we'll discover the murals and art of the famous Arts district with a resident artist, clink glasses at an underground speakeasy, and hike through hidden ruins with a suspicious past, all in pursuit of the less angelic side of the City of Angels.

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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

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