Esther Kim

Review of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

What a nice place to enjoy nature and get some exe...

What a nice place to enjoy nature and get some exercise! I saw a couple people here embarking on a hike on one of the trails they have here; if I had worn more comfortable shoes, I would have wanted to join them! Alas, I was not very well prepared... and my mum also wasn't in shape to be walking around a lot, so we just checked out the flower fields, the redwood trees, and the dam. Most of the flowers were still in bloom so it was a very nice sight to see. I love California orange poppies and they had plenty of them! They also have a small nursery and gift shop so we bought a poppy plant to take home ($4). There were some ladies here painting, so it seems like that's a regular event. There was also set-up for a special event here (maybe a wedding? a reception?) so that was cool. Overall if you enjoy nature and want to spend some time with beautiful flowers, this is the place!

The only downside is that they raised their prices. Adults are now $10/each with students and seniors getting the discounted price of $8/each. I had a coupon so we saved a couple bucks, but we still spent a couple bucks more than I had anticipated. If you don't have a coupon, it seems (from other reviews) that they also offer a AAA discount which is nice. Decently large (free) parking lot, and you can't miss it on the left side as you drive on Mission!