Beautiful gem of a Botanical Garden nestled on 78 acres in Mission Canyon. There are miles of hiking and walking trails offering outstanding views and they have done a wonderful job of show-casing native California Plants. Plan on spending several hours to see just the highlights. This is a great place for bird watching and seeing the local animal wildlife, at this time of year there are a number of lizards scurrying about. Make sure and bring your binoculars,water and camera. There is a reasonable admission fee but memberships are available. Don’t miss this wonderful jewel. Masks are required for admission at this time.

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. Dont miss it!

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!!

I love to visit the gardens! Great place for a workout or a relaxed stroll.

Dont take the time to stop if you are hoping to see beautiful native California flowers. Its 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 wasnt any flowers even in the nursery.

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. Dont rush it.

We were a little underwhelmed because it wasnt what we expected. We probably went in the wrong season (late Sept) because there was literally zero flower, just bushes and trees, so it wasnt 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.

Due to Covid, huge swaths of the garden are closed off, a by the way you dont learn about until after youve 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, its an outing much more akin to a walk in the California hills - something we can all do for free.

We go here for walks all the time. Large variety of flowers and trees that blossom at different times of the year. They have great jazz concerts in the summer, taiko drum recitals usually twice a year, art shows several times a year in their gallery, tours of the gardens and the Body house (the family that built the gardens) and classes on plant care.

This place is beautiful! A nice way to spend a day with Mother Nature.

Many beautiful paths with many interesting and educational signs. Great views of the channel. One could spend weeks and not see it all.

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.

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.

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. Theres always something to take away. As for me and my boys I know what Im building in my backyard next.

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 theres water) is a perfect time to go. One of the few places in town that makes your forget where you are or whats going on outside of the trail youre walking.

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 shouldnt be missed. Simply stunning...Tip: Cross the street and walk to the Pritzlaff Conservation Center where youll find the best views of the Channel Islands! This visit inspired my trip to these islands and Im 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 youre planning to visit.

Very tranquil, beautiful walk. Feels safe and social distanced, great way to enjoy a bit of fresh air!

Fills up before 11am. Get there early. They provide you a return ticket to come back a couple hours later. Hopefully it will be less busy next time we try.

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!

Amazing and beautiful garden. Dont miss the channel island view across the street!

Absolutely beautiful..it was like being up North in the big trees..There is riparian echo areas.. and medows..being in many different places all at the same time.

Beautiful place to visit. Very pretty to walk along the river and pass by the pond.

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.

Small trails closed and only members admitted but worth a visit

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

Gorgeous place! Dog friendly. Great customer service. Dont forget to check out the ocean view across the street!

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.

So many native plants, peaceful path amid towering redwoods and delightful docents

Santa Barbaras 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.

What a spectacular place! We came with our 3 young kids and they were loving it even more than we did. It was nice seeing the redwood grove and we loved the maze!

Lovely native plant arboretum in the middle of coastal Santa Barbara... Well worth a look for the phyllo-curious

Adult entrance fee $16... expensiveA big turn off..

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

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

Its nice enough that I bought a membership but dont 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.

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

Beautiful botanic garden built around mission creek canyon.

This is the most amazingly well constructed magical relaxing place to picnic at. And great for people who enjoy nature,the smell of fresh green trees, its great for the whole family! And the staff is very helpful.

Could use a drinking bar area, or some cucumber water. Nice staff

Really great place to take the family or a date. Great for picnics. Most of the trails are shaded so its even good on a hot day.The downside is its $12 for adults and $8 for students. Thats a decent amount when there are so many great hikes in Montecito for free. You wont see anywhere near the variety of plant life on those trails though.They have docents that give tours for free but I havent done it yet.Check it redwoods, dams from to the 1700s, wildlife and flowers, and a Japanese tea garden.

As Kevin Malone says Dont eat any berries that you dont recognize

Beautiful place. Good place to walk.

Wonderful large garden with several trails. We took a free guided tour and benefited from the depth of knowledge and enthusiasm of our guide. We also followed the trail that starts on the other side of the road to the conservation center and wondeful view with the Santa Barbara Mission in the near distance and the Channel Islands in the far distance. A free map of the grounds was provided when we paid for our entrance to the garden.

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

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

My toddlers love this place, especially the little houses in the woods! We played a lot of hide and seek in this wonderful place. 很好的地方，墙推！

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

Small, not much to see, expensive, tourist trap

A beautiful place to visit! Great for the dog and kids.

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.

Interesting than expected! Worths a visit

Beautiful and Peaceful, relaxing great little hiking trails.

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

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.

Beautiful

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.

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

I would wait until more like May when the flowers are blooming I only saw two different types of flowers that were blooming. So pretty much youre paying for a $12 hike.

You must go places thats it!!

Nice collection of native plants. Feels more like a walk through nature than through a curated garden

My kids liked it totally worth the drive from utah i loved it but pricey bathrooms were clean and staff amazing

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

Im 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.

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.

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

Beautiful place!

Very Pleasant walk. Quiet and beautiful this time of year. $12 seems high but they have a lot of maintenance to do.

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 its free on this side.

If you are traveling with an octogenarian and a teen, it can be kind of hard to find something to do that interests these two age groups. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden was a great option for a short excursion, place to walk off lunch, see some nature and not spend a ton of money. The paths are flat and were easy to navigate. It would be nice to come back in the spring when more color is in bloom.

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!

An absolutely gorgeous place!

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.

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

Botanical gardens are heaven.

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.

Beautiful and peaceful place, highly recommend for relaxing.

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

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.

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!

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 its peacefulness. Dont 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!

One of my top picks for a nature/garden walk. Something for everyone.

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

Beautiful, peaceful...

The Botanic Garden is in a canyon, which creates an interesting mix of micro climates/environments, and affords a greater diversity of plant life than you might see in a different location. The staff are friendly and informative. There is come interesting history regarding the water works that began back in the Mission times. Good place for a picnic, and great place for a view of the Channel Islands on a clear day.

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

Very Peaceful walk

Beautiful place!

No, its not the Berkeley Gardens or Kew, but it is a well thought out, spacious garden with a wide variety of interesting plants from Californias 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. Theres also the opportunity to walk around the woods and creeks surrounding the formal gardens.

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.

Such beautiful, scenic views from all throughout the trails. The redwood and creek paths were wonderful (:

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

Beautiful and Peaceful

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 well placed. Didnt give 5 stars only because I thought the entrance fees were too high ($12).

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.

Amazing nature walk.

Wonderful Environment!!

We had a great docent lead your. The little redwood canyon was beautiful.

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

Nice getaway but overpriced for how small the garden is. $14 per adult to get in

There are no gardens. It’s, essentially, a