Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Review

Well organized botanic garden with lots of information as well as live guides. Good variety of California local plants

+5 (12-4-11): Not many flowers in winter. Went to celebrate 4 year anniversary. Glad they are open year round. Great hours, huge area, and nice tours.

Similar to a nice place called san rafael in Mexico

Peaceful haven. Well worth visiting for a couple of hours. It is a bit off the beaten track, but should not be missed.

Interesting native plants. Lovely trails and well planned changing ecosystems. Welcoming staff

Gorgeous spot with interesting plants and a really nice staff...great views!!!

Very beautiful and serene place to visit. They have a wide variety of plants indigenous to California- from desert plants to Redwoods. The short walk to the lookout point is definitely worthwhile, especially on a clear day where you can see the islands off the coast. You can squeeze in a visit in a couple of hours and then head into town for lunch. Nice to support this organization!

Great place to visit. Excellent photo opportunities. Very romantic spot. Dogs welcome, employees are nice and helpful. 6 senior days per year.

Dog friendly. Staff was very helpful. Beautiful one mile loop trail. Moderate difficulty. Child friendly. Beauty surrounds you.

Unique collection of Channel Island plants and wild flowers. And beautiful scenery. You can see beautiful Channel Islands and ocean from far on the Research Lab. side of the park and it's free on this side.

It was really beautiful and fun its big and amazing

A highlight on our California trip. It was breathtakingly beautiful and many thanks to the nice gentleman from the ticket booth, who accompanied us on our hike and provided us with a lot of information.

Great place to spend couple of hours. I personally expected it to be more colorful and filled with different flowers. But, not much of flowers. I would recommend to go with loved ones.

Great walking trails. Plants labeled well. Pleasent and well informed staff.

Awesome location, great service and just a neat little spot.

I have been to several botanical gardens, and this one was the first I would not return to. The price is steep given all the beautiful free gardens around Santa Barbara. The best part is the redwood grove, but having been to the national park, it paled in comparison.

Great place to walk about. It is a bit steep in places. Make sure to visit during spring where there is running water and blooming flowers.

It is very difficult to find such a natural area nowadays that love natural life

Nice Trails , shaded areas, Friendly Staff, would be really Nice in the Spring

I have never been so disappointed in a "botanical garden". It should be called a dirty nature trail at best. No flowers visible!

The S.B. Botanical Garden is way overpriced ($12 per person). The garden had many areas that were dry. It feels like taking a hike in a small state park. If it was $5 or $6 per person, maybe it would be okay. Your better option is to take the nearby hike on Tunnel Road up to Inspiration Point (FREE) or walk around a nice S.B. neighborhood to check out the landscaping. Don't visit the S.B. Botanical Garden; it is way overpriced for what you get.

Nothing to look at. Just fenced random piece of hills. Anybody could start such garden if you have a cashier. We were done with all trails and sights in 20 minutes.

Gorgeous walks and more photo ops than you could imagine.

A great place to enjoy nature away from the excitement of State Street. Very quiet and peaceful, a surprisingly long string of trails to hike along. I saw cholla cactus, redwood trees, and blue-belly lizards. Also, was lucky enough to meet several of the staff here; all of them were extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, and excellent conversationalists.

This botanical garden includes many traditional plants from South and Canada, and there are also beautiful flowers in spring. There is also a creek in the park, which is perfect for a picnic with a cold meal in the garden. There are also many chairs for the tourists to rest in the park. Remember to take away the rubbish that has been eaten! Ok, peace!

Good variety of California native plants in an area that is fun to explore. Nursery has a good selection of plants.

Beautiful gardens a delight for all ages! Lovingly tended, many flowers, shrubs, trees. Wonderful walking paths on both sides of the road. Knowledgeable & friendly staff and volunteers. Not to be missed!

Beautiful area. Fun to hike. The main hike takes about a half hour. Awesome place. Cost is $20 reg adult and $12 for students

Due to Covid, huge swaths of the garden are closed off, a "by the way" you don't learn about until after you've paid. Other utterly excessive precautions in place as well.
Overall, a pretentious, lacking approach to the art and science of a botanical garden. Not worth the $16 entrance fee, it's an outing much more akin to a walk in the California hills - something we can all do for free.

Grossly underwhelming. A regular California park would be better experience.

Pretty, even in the winter. Probably not worth $14 admission when all the flowers are asleep, but it's a nice walk with the dog.

Nice place, loved it BuT, didn't find views of channel islands :(

Loved coming here! It had a lot of variety and different scenic views ! Definitely worth a visit

There is no garden at all. It is rather a small park. We were in January and there is nothing interesting. I think it does not cost $ 12 per entrance.
I compare with a similar botanical garden in Berkeley.

The setting of the garden is very organized , I am pretty sure during spring everything looks more vividly, however I was a little disappointed because there aren t open spaces for a picnic, except for a couple of tables that are not really for a picnic.

Really great place to take the family or a date. Great for picnics. Most of the trails are shaded so it's even good on a hot day.

The downside is it's $12 for adults and $8 for students. That's a decent amount when there are so many great hikes in Montecito for free. You won't see anywhere near the variety of plant life on those trails though.

They have docents that give tours for free but I haven't done it yet.

Check it redwoods, dams from to the 1700's, wildlife and flowers, and a Japanese tea garden.

One of the great hideaways of Santa Barbara. Extensive trails, a huge variety of flora, massive Redwoods, great sitting benches and reading spots and insightful tours to fill you in on how the place came to be. On a rainy day (or whenever there's water) is a perfect time to go. One of the few places in town that makes your forget where you are or what's going on outside of the trail you're walking.

This is truly one of our treasures. An amazing place to go for a walk and bring your dog, see amazing eco systems, enjoy the textures and scents along the way. The people that take care of the gardens, truly care and are informed. They have a center newly donated to preserve precious species of plants and are a wealth of information. If you were coming to visit for a couple days or have never been, it is an amazing place to regroup and relax, learn and stroll through a beautiful treasure here in SB

Great place to spend a day in! You get a good little workout by walking the gardens and trails. I've been to a few botanic Gardens. This is by far the best. Very clean and set up well. They have detailed descriptions of all the plants and flowers. Staff is very knowledgeable and ready to help with any questions or requests. Its not expensive to get in. I think if I remember it was $10 a person.

Beautiful gardens. I had no idea there were redwood trees here.

Scenic trail leading through different environments of California with respective native plants. Beautifully maintained this place always brings smiles to us. Recommend to bring some snacks so you can take your time.

I never know this place existed. Such a beautiful relaxing Garden. Great place to get away and get in touch with your own self and center life around you.

Fall is not the most exciting time to visit a Botanical Garden, but what a delightful time we had today walking thru the area. It was foggy today, and the scents throughout the grounds from all the native plants was intoxicating. There were just enough flowers blooming to keep me interested and to take pictures of. The walk along the 1806 aqueduct was lovely despite the fact there is no running water right now. They also had a great selection of native plants to buy. I went home with Hummingbird Sage!!

The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is. A local gem. From the Meadows, and Redwood forest to the high and low desert ecosystems as well as pond and creek locations, it is gorgeous and has remained a very special place for decades. If you like nature or just want to get outside this is one of the best places to do it. It is an educational experience for all ages as well. I would definitely recommend stopping by the gardens for a visit. They sell native plants at their nursery as well! There are trails and signs that make it easy to spend 1-4 four hours at or more I would say. Members get in early as well. Don't miss it!

Nice place and staff were friendly but $12 for 1 adult is extortionate. Struggle to make this longer than a 30 minute visit

If you love nature this is a nice place to go to and spend a nice day, I totally recommend this place.

A thoroghly delightful experience. Surprising variety of environments, including a vibrant poppy field (especially beautiful right now after the rains), redwood stand, Manzanilla environment, an overlook affording views of the Channel Islands, and a nursery,very informative, where one can buy native drought-friendly plants for the home. Lots of informative details, fun for kids, and a bonus for me and my little chum: dog-friendly!

Beautiful and easy going place to spend part of your day.

Loved it! Lots to see. The map detailed the types of path which is important since my mom is on a wheelchair. Definitely will be coming back again. Good for all family

Visiting from Australia. I d read some positive reviews so we decided to check it out because our family love to check out botanic gardens at the different places we visit. Apart from the redwoods, everything was a disappointment. The gardens are not maintained at all with lots of weeds- you could easily see the same thing on a hiking trail. Very little signage and identification of plants. Cost absolutely ridiculous... $45 for our family of four. Waste of an afternoon.

Negative experience at gift shop with volunteer Susan. She kept coming up to my wife and I to - totally serious - SCOLD us. It was unnecessary and rude, and left us with a negative feeling after what was an enjoyable visit in the garden.

What's more, the things on which ol' Susan was scolding us could've been prevented by 2 one-sentence signs.

"I know you clicked open the lotions and smelled them only because our lotion testers (besides sporting the letters TESTER in the most microscopic font known to man) don't look anything like the bottles they're advertising - but hey, that's what this sign's for!"

"I know the stuffed animals shaped like birds that make bird sounds say PRESS ME (which you did exactly once apiece to hear each individual bird call), but that's a lie because we're jerks and hate when people follow certain instructions."

Two sheets of paper. Easy peasy.

So disappointed! Nothing look like in the photos. Very dry

Beautiful, peaceful and so well cared for. The bee exhibit going on now should not be missed!

Very beautiful and soothing place. A must when in SB.

The botanic gardens was very pretty today. It was peaceful and enjoyable. However, the last area of the gardens was closed off because they were cutting down dead trees. It is good to call them and check to see when they are open. Sometimes they have special events and they are not open. But it was a nice and enjoyable afternoon.

Awesome, well kept garden! Not large at all and can be done by most! Some great views, must check out the observatory and red woods for sure. Really great stops along the trails for kids to explore and play. Discounts for seniors and kids as well as college students. Some if the paths can get narrow but you can avoid them and stick to well kept paths if you want, just make sure you get a visitor map which is very detailed and accurate. They also have some rest rooms throughout the trail, a visitor shop, and a gift shop. Probably can see the whole thing in less than 2 hours and that is a slow pace.

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!

All local fauna, ~30 minute loop. Nothing particularly exciting.

Excellent place to visit. Beautiful blossoming flowers native to the area. Lots of natural trails to hike. Suitable for wheelchair access. My niece was able to use her chair over at least 80% of the park. Must see during a visit to Santa Barbara.

Good place to enjoy the nature! Nice staff, peaceful ambience. Great nearby attraction in California that also have great trails for walking. I would definitely return here next time.

Santa Barbara's Botanical Garden is super scenic and really nice after it rained. We went after it sprinkled in the morning and must say, it looks a lot prettier after the rain especially the redwood area feels much more like a rain forest cause the damp ground and the smell of wet earth and wood just brings it all together into a really nice stroll around. But definitely have to watch out for poison oak and ivy. Luckily the lady at the entrance gave a brief description and path to take to get the most of the experience with a map to guide the way. Very friendly staff who love what they do and appreciate the garden.

Wonderful. Well with the visit. Very friendly staff. Good number of hiking trails.

Glad we visited, friendly knowledgeable staff, beautiful landscapes and gardens, good little hike through paths and trails..

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a beautiful garden organized by geographic areas found in the state. All the flowers, trees and plants are native to California. A creek runs through the garden and trails circumnavigate throughout. The entrance fee is inexpensive as is membership should you want to join.

Spectacular place the architecture is combined with the landscape, sea and mountains. Without waste.

You have to pay for entry, but it s well worth it. I went with my family and we took a 2 pm tour led by a volunteer (I have forgotten his name, but he was so sweet and knowledgeable!). He taught us about every single plant and tree that we came across. There are plenty of trails to walk on some will lead you through Redwoods and Sequoias! I even jumped across a stream at one point :) oh & the poppies this time of the year are gorgeous!

Unbelievable! I have been to many and this one by far is the best.

I'm a proud member and supporter of the garden. Not only is it a beautiful place, but they do important science. The place is pretty much all open now.

Beautiful and peaceful place, highly recommend for relaxing.

Very nice spot. Beautiful meadow with poppies. Oak trees. Redwood trees. Lots of pretty places to sit.

A place you must visit when going to SB. It's so beautiful being in nature and when it's quiet everything seems so much better. Totally worth every penny spent and such a cute little gift shop. A place I'd visit every time I go down to SB. Great and enthusiastic staff, they are so nice and helpful.

Beautiful in the spring during wildflower bloom in the meadow

Excellent SY Mtn views, great place to amble & linger thru well arrayed & maintained coastal, mountain, and Channel Island groupings. Take a moment, there are paths, benches, and a pond whose dam and spillway were built in 1920s. Lived in area in 1950s. Highly recommend it. Don't rush it.

A wonderful garden that feels very natural. It's less like a plant museum and more like labeled series of paths.

Lovely find on our way to L.A. from up north. Wonderful natural landscape featuring an impressive variety of plant and tree life. Lovely 1/2 mi looping trail. Perfect for a short break from the car. A terrific reminder of the power of nature. $12pp

Super cool gardens on 9 acres of land. Really peaceful in the hills above gorgeous Santa Barbara