State Street
The Basics
Along with big-name shops and local boutiques, State Street is where you’ll find most of Santa Barbara’s top restaurants, offering everything from sushi to pizza. The street is also home to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, whose collection includes 19th-century European paintings, Greek and Roman sculptures, and more. If local, contemporary art is more your thing, take a stroll through the many independent galleries.
Things to Know Before You Go
State Street is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
Most of the shops, restaurants, and galleries are located along Lower State—below Victoria Street.
Take a break from shopping and sightseeing at the nearby Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden.
How to Get There
State Street runs through the center of downtown Santa Barbara, and is easily accessible from the rest of the city by bike, on foot, or via the downtown shuttle bus. At the south end of State Street, Santa Barbara’s train station has connections to other cities in California.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The businesses along State Street are open year-round. Santa Barbara bustles with tourists during the summer months, especially on weekends. For a quieter experience, visit on a weekday.
Santa Barbara Zoo
See lions, penguins, gibbons, and more at the Santa Barbara Zoo, where more than 140 different species from around the world are housed in enclosures that reflect their natural habitats. Children love feeding the giraffes, and trying out their monkey-style skills on the climbing wall.
- Things to do in California
- Things to do in Pismo Beach
- Things to do in Santa Monica
- Things to do in Los Angeles
- Things to do in San Luis Obispo
- Things to do in Long Beach
- Things to do in Paso Robles
- Things to do in Anaheim & Buena Park
- Things to do in La Jolla
- Things to do in Palm Springs
- Things to do in San Diego
- Things to do in Yosemite National Park
- Things to do in Sausalito
- Things to do in Nevada
- Things to do in Arizona
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
- Old Mission Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (SBBG)
- Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA)
- Santa Barbara County Courthouse
- Leadbetter Beach
- Goleta
- Shoreline Park
- Funk Zone
- Stearns Wharf
- Santa Barbara Waterfront
- Santa Barbara Cruise Port
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
- Santa Barbara Zoo
- Montecito