PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Santa Barbara is a beautiful place to visit. Those who are garden enthusiasts can experience about seventy acres of native regional plants that make this area a popular destination for many. You can visit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden which is the majority of the garden area expanding 65 acres, and contains over one thousand species of rare plants.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is located in Mission Canyon is intended to display California native plants in their own natural setting. There are about five and half mile of hiking trials that wind throughout the garden. The Mission Creek flows through the area and even has a rock dam that was constructed in 1806 by Native Americans.

In 1926 landscape architect Beatrix Farrand designed the garden. By 1936 the main focus was the plants that were native to the California Floristic Province. In 1983 the garden officially became a Santa Barbara landmark.

People can also tour the historic Franciscan Mission of Santa Barbara that includes twin bell towers and amazing gardens. It was founded in December 4, 1786 which was the feast day of Saint Barbara. In the beginning years there were actually three different chapels built, each becoming larger than the one before.

After the great earthquake of 1812 that destroyed most of the existing buildings they began the construction on the current Mission. Then again during the 1925 earthquake the towers suffered major damage but were rebuilt. The inside of the church has not been altered in any way since 1820.

Found on Stearns Wharf is the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Ty Warner Sea Center. Here you can experience live tide pool animal encounters, and a theater that explores the Santa Barbara Channel. You can also go through a tunnel that is inside a 1,500 gallon surge tank to observe sea stars, urchins, and more. You can even be an oceanographer at the museum. You are able to take ocean samples and get a close up view of the ocean life through professional video magnifiers.