Arlington Theatre
The Arlington Theatre is a 1931 theatre in downtown Santa Barbara, built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
Photo: DillyLynn , CC BY-SA 3.0
City guide
architecture in Santa Barbara.
7 buildings worth a detour, each with what to look for. Open them on the map, or walk them with the iPhone app, which collects each one you photograph.
Landmarks
The buildings that define the city's architecture.
Lobero Theatre
The Lobero Theatre was founded in 1873 and rebuilt in 1924 by architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Maria Riggs in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Smith is the architect most credited with establishing Santa Barbara's Spanish Colonial Revival look, and the rebuilt theater is widely cited as one of the city's architectural jewels. It is California's oldest continuously operating theater and the fourth-oldest performing arts theater in the United States.
Mission Santa Barbara
Mission Santa Barbara was founded in 1722 and remains an active mission today. Its church, associated with Father Antonio Ripoll, is a recognized exemplar of California mission architecture and is designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon , CC BY-SA 3.0
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse was completed in 1926 to a design by William Mooser, in the Spanish Colonial Revival style that defines much of downtown Santa Barbara. It is designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Konrad Summers from Santa Clarita (Valencia) , California, USA , CC BY-SA 2.0
Santa Barbara Public Library
The Santa Barbara Public Library opened in 1917 as a Carnegie-funded library designed by Francis W. Wilson in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, fronting Anapamu Street downtown. After the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, its reconstruction was directed by Carleton Winslow, and in 1930 it was expanded with the Faulkner Memorial Art Gallery wing, designed by Myron Hunt, architect of the Rose Bowl and the Huntington Library.
Photo: You may select the license of your choice. , CC BY-SA 3.0
United States Post Office
The United States Post Office in downtown Santa Barbara was completed in 1937 to a design by Reginald Davis Johnson in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Eugene Zelenko (thanks to my friends Nickolov family for generous help and company) , CC BY-SA 4.0
Notable buildings
Worth a stop when you're nearby.
Casa de la Guerra
Casa de la Guerra is an 1819 adobe in downtown Santa Barbara, built in the Spanish Colonial style. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, tying it to the town's founding-era history.
Photo: Ymblanter , CC BY-SA 3.0
