Travel Guide
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Everything you need to know β hours, tickets, tips, and how to make the most of your visit.
Overview
About Old Mission Santa Barbara
Founded in 1786, Old Mission Santa Barbara is known as the Queen of the Missions for its twin bell towers and its setting against the Santa Ynez Mountains. A self-guided tour covers the church, museum rooms, historic cemetery and gardens, and it is still an active parish.
Pacific-coast-highway
Insider Knowledge
Travel Tips
Visit in the morning, before tour buses arrive.
Nearby
Must See Attractions
pacific-coast-highwayBixby Creek Bridge
Built in 1932, the concrete Bixby Creek Bridge arches 260 feet above a canyon on Highway 1 in northern Big Sur, about 13 miles south of Carmel. Framed by mountains and crashing surf, it is the most iconic image of the Pacific Coast Highway.
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pacific-coast-highwayHearst Castle
Hearst Castle is newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's lavish hilltop estate above San Simeon, built between 1919 and 1947. Guided tours lead through rooms filled with European art and antiques, and past the dazzling Neptune Pool and indoor Roman Pool.
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pacific-coast-highwayMcWay Falls
McWay Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that drops from a granite cliff onto a beach in Big Sur's Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, one of the most photographed views on the California coast. A short overlook trail leads to the classic vantage point above the cove.
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pacific-coast-highwayMonterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium sits on Cannery Row in a converted sardine cannery and is one of the best aquariums in the world. Highlights include the towering kelp forest, sea otters, the open sea exhibit with tuna and sharks, and mesmerizing jellyfish galleries.
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pacific-coast-highwayOld Mission Santa Barbara
Founded in 1786, Old Mission Santa Barbara is known as the Queen of the Missions for its twin bell towers and its setting against the Santa Ynez Mountains. A self-guided tour covers the church, museum rooms, historic cemetery and gardens, and it is still an active parish.
View Details
pacific-coast-highwayPiedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
Just north of San Simeon, thousands of northern elephant seals haul out on the beach at Piedras Blancas to give birth, molt and spar. A free boardwalk viewing area right off Highway 1 lets you watch the giant males, some over 4,000 pounds, from only a few yards away.
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