For me, this place is not a botanic garden. It's more or less like a hiking trail that you have to pay to enter. I wouldn't suggest going there unless you want to have a walk around some native vegetarian options of California which you can easily find outside the garden as well.
So many native plants, peaceful path amid towering redwoods and delightful docents
A wonderful, beautiful experience. A nice place to take a stroll-full hike with amazing surroundings of native California vegetation.
Gorgeous place! Dog friendly. Great customer service. Don't forget to check out the ocean view across the street!
Wonderful spot to spend an afternoon. My wife and I did just that on our recent visit. It is more expensive than some gardens in other parts of the country but well worth it!!
We were a little underwhelmed because it wasn't what we expected. We probably went in the wrong season (late Sept) because there was literally zero flower, just bushes and trees, so it wasn't worth the experience for $15/pez. So make sure you check the timing. There was an easy hiking trail, part of which goes around these tall redwood trees.
The BOTANIC GARDEN and it s GIFT SHOP are my favorite places in all of Santa Barbara. I ve always been treated extremely well in the gift shop. On a free senior day, I was given a packet of poppyseeds that are blooming happily in my garden. I m so glad the garden is currently open, and look forward to the shop s reopening.
My kids liked it totally worth the drive from utah i loved it but pricey bathrooms were clean and staff amazing
What a great place to spend half a day. Beautiful place to walk and nice photo ops too. They even have a store and a Coastal Redwood Tree Grove.
Beautiful and Peaceful, relaxing great little hiking trails.
There is nothing like this place anywhere. We are very lucky to have this amazing garden to be able to wander around in enjoy! A great place to learn and relax and buy local indigenous plants! Bring your own food, enjoy a picnic table or a rock or lay down in the grass!
Don't miss this place. It's a gorgeous 2-3 hours of native California plants!
I take my walks on the beautiful trails in the gardens. I always learn something new about our native habitat. I especially love the redwood Grove. Of course, I always have to check out the gift shop and the nursery. I get full use out of my membership!
Very beautiful botanic garden I get my inspiration from gardens like this. Very fun for kids as well. There are many cool looking mini structures that they change every 6 months. One of the structures that is my favorite this time is a wooden igloo. Best part you can build all of that from scrap lumber cut offs. I would highly recommend this if you are gardener, landscaper or a homeowner and looking for fun new ideas. There's always something to take away. As for me and my boys I know what I'm building in my backyard next.
Excellent place. Very peaceful, scenic and very good for hiking
Very friendly staff.
Great place to enjoy nature and learn at the same time. There is a great redwood forest area and plenty of little hiking areas. This is great place to stop and check out if you are into nature and never been before.
As Kevin Malone says "Don't eat any berries that you don't recognize"
The gardens are magical all year round. We especially enjoyed last weekend making fairy wings and wands and homes for fairies with our granddaughters. It was phenomenal. I want to especially thank all of the workers who helped us. They were delightful, warm, caring, instructive and had such patience. Please tell them all we LOVED their attention. Jane
I was here a few years ago and was struck by the plant diversity. Poppies were gorgeous too.
Pretty cool and a nice walk. They should probably offer a discount during the winter months
Garden is decent, but entrance fee is high for a large family. Plenty of parking however.
Amazing and beautiful garden. Don't miss the channel island view across the street!
No, it's not the Berkeley Gardens or Kew, but it is a well thought out, spacious garden with a wide variety of interesting plants from California's varied landscapes. That focus on Californian flora is what makes this so worth a visit with knowledgeable staff and volunteers on hand to talk about the plants. There's also the opportunity to walk around the woods and creeks surrounding the formal gardens.
So many better record stores than this one. First, this place has the highest prices I have ever seen for some specific records. The one in CA has triple the selection of hard to find stuff and not as many snobby workers. Hipster paradise. Screw it, find a small one, they are more helpful,
78 acres of beauty to explore...
The location is perfection. The Santa Ynez Mountains are on one side and views of the Pacific ocean on the other.
There are nearly 6 miles of trails here and I did them all. My favorite parts of the garden are:
Arroyo Section: Plants from moist ravines, stream sides & forests including a pond and live oaks.
Dudleya Display: Succulents galore!
Easton Aqueduct Trail: Take a walk in the mossy woods :)
Canyon Trail: A very shady walk among beautiful and massive trees.
Mission Dam & Aqueduct: Built in 1807. A historic landmark.
Meadow Section: Wildflower heaven!
Teahouse: Authentic and built in Kyoto in 1949. Love Japanese gardens!
Redwood Section: Towering redwood trees! This section shouldn't be missed. Simply stunning...
Tip: Cross the street and walk to the Pritzlaff Conservation Center where you'll find the best views of the Channel Islands! This visit inspired my trip to these islands and I'm so grateful for it.
Admission is $12 per adult and you can bring your fur babies. They are open rain or shine and closed on certain holidays and special events. Call ahead if you're planning to visit.
An amazing time spent with family. The trails are really nice! Would need an entire day to fully experience the day. Be sure to wear sunscreen good walking shoes and bring water. Gift shop is a gem.
My toddlers love this place, especially the little houses in the woods! We played a lot of hide and seek in this wonderful place.
I went there several years ago, when my daughter was still in school. I took pictures and felt a certain peacefulness walking the grounds. I very much enjoyed my experience there. Thanks for the lovely memories.
Nice getaway but overpriced for how small the garden is. $14 per adult to get in
Great place to spend part of the day, while getting some native plant ideas for the home garden.
This place is beautiful! A nice way to spend a day with Mother Nature.
Maybe it is because of the drought, but everything was dead and dried up. There were signs suggesting that a plant had once been there...we paid to go on a hike essentially. Go to the San Diego Zoo if you are interested in beautiful (and well labeled) plant life.
Many beautiful paths with many interesting and educational signs. Great views of the channel. One could spend weeks and not see it all.
Inspirational! Sustainable gardens with walkable paths, friendly staff and interesting exhibits.
Such beautiful, scenic views from all throughout the trails. The redwood and creek paths were wonderful (:
Impressive !!!!!
You will be able to find all the trees from there california
From the famous red and huge Sequoia to a simple apple tree.
But you can also see flowers, animals, cactuses of all kinds, rivers, bees, etc.
But the most beautiful is full wild mount, near a beautiful city: santa Barbara
Go there without worries and have a good time
Beautiful botanic garden built around mission creek canyon.
Small trails closed and only members admitted but worth a visit
Beautiful place to visit for nature lovers. There is a nice picnic area. Don't miss it.
There are no gardens. It s, essentially, a <1mi trail through the woods where they ve labeled whatever plants happen to be there. Walked through in 20 minutes and didn t see anything worth stopping for a picture. You can see everything here outside of this garden and without paying.
wonderful park / garden / place of zen and peace. love it.
Just about the best botanical garden I've visited. One section is much like a miniature Muir Woods, peaceful and chill.
The maze is great fun for kids with nice surprises at a couple of the dead ends.
Tea house was not open so no comment. But recent rains made the meadow wildflowers really pop.
An excellent birding spot especiallyfor east coasters! Definitely worth a second and third trip.
Don't take the time to stop if you are hoping to see beautiful native California flowers. It's more like a nature walk with a few sings. There is one hawks nest. The only interesting part was a small section of Redwood trees. There is a portion still closed due to Covid and rumor is it will open in November. There wasn't any flowers even in the nursery.
We went to the Botanical Gardens in early spring thinking of finding a beautifully maintained and beautiful place, but the place was flowerless and very poorly maintained. It took less than 20 minutes to go all over the place, such was the disappointment.
Nice collection of native plants. Feels more like a walk through nature than through a curated garden
Beautiful garden. The guides at the entrance were so so friendly and gave us their recommendations and how to read the map. The garden has the perfect lay out for seeing everything without feeling lost at any point. The Island View (pictured) is a must see.
Nice quiet place conserving California flora. Nice staff, peaceful ambiance. New lookout on the other side of the road is a nice rest with amazing view.
Park is nice if you fully the enjoy nature and it's peacefulness. Don't expect a enormous park or entertainment.
Personally I really enjoyed the walk up hill from the city center as part of the experience but this is a tough walk only for young and or experienced walkers I have to say!
Interesting Garden...!! Lot of trees, slopes, shunks.. Overall nice place.
Love this place. One of the places in Santa Barbara very few seen to know about. That makes it a great place to get away from all the people.
Maniacal care and prices more than justified for a fantastic course immersed in nature. You can find Californian and American plants of all kinds also with special sections (for example, one of the first is an area entirely dedicated to desert plants).
In strategic points, well hidden but easy to reach, there are the bathrooms and some kiosks at the beginning of the route.
The staff is very courteous and meets every need.
In other words ... enchanted place and really perfect!
Beautiful place but they close at 5 not 6! Theyre only open til 6 during summer months
They give a military discount. From Memorial Day through Labor Day military and family get in free. Great family hiking. Highly recommend it.
It's nice enough that I bought a membership but don't come here expecting to see a lot of flowers. it is a nice walk and you can bring your dog and there are redwoods and places to picnic.
Very beautiful and peaceful, definitely worth the trip.
Wonderful collection of California native plants, in a beautiful design.
A really nice place and really worth seeing. A real experience! Greetings from Bayern Germany
The Garden was not well structured (in the map, given at the entrance, the garden looks a lot more interesting). Only few informations about the plants and shown habitats. Due to the drought a lot of plants were not in a good shape. The entrance fee was quite high (10$).
Serene, lovely place to see outdoor California from Sequoia trees to nearly water-free gardens.
Beautiful place to visit. Very pretty to walk along the river and pass by the pond.
Love the native plant sale. Found what I needed.
The meadow is gorgeous in Spring.
Waste of time, it really is not a Botanical Garden , just a walk around dry patches, some bushes and few redwood trees.
Could use a drinking bar area, or some cucumber water. Nice staff
A beautiful place to visit! Great for the dog and kids.
We had a great docent lead your. The little redwood canyon was beautiful.
Adult entrance fee $16... expensive
A big turn off..
Very tranquil, beautiful walk. Feels safe and social distanced, great way to enjoy a bit of fresh air!
One of my top picks for a nature/garden walk. Something for everyone.
This is indeed a hidden gem in Santa Barbara! We went early in the morning and an awesome experience - the landscape and the Flora on display are exceedingly well integrated. You can take several different paths to get an overview of the gardens. Most of the gardens are stroller accessible; the small Redwood grove was a nice surprise. Love the fact that all the plants on display are local to California - the labels near the plants are informative and we'll placed. Didn't give 5 stars only because I thought the entrance fees were too high ($12).
Lovely native plant arboretum in the middle of coastal Santa Barbara... We'll worth a look for the phyllo-curious
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