Back in 2010, Joe landed a clerkship with a federal judge in Santa Barbara so, upon completing our graduate degrees, we packed our car and drove to California.
When we arrived in Santa Barbara we immediately fell in love with its mountains and beaches. What we didn’t fall in love with was the crazy cost of living there. Having to make ends meet on one salary meant that we had to make our own fun, or look for free ways to experience the city. As a result, we realized that you don’t really need to spend big bucks to enjoy Santa Barbara because some of the most fun and beautiful things there are FREE!
We try to go back to Santa Barbara once a year, and we especially love bringing the kids there to show them around. After our last visit a couple of months ago, I decided it’d be fun to share with others our favorite free things to do in Santa Barbara with kids, so here’s the list:
Free Things To Do In Santa Barbara With Kids:
Climb to the top of the clock tower at the Santa Barbara Courthouse
This is one of our favorite activities in Santa Barbara! One of the best parts of going up the clock tower is walking through the beautiful Spanish-colonial style building. The courthouse interior is jaw-dropping beautiful, and the view from the top of the clocktower will really blow your mind! From the top you get a 360 degree view of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the beach, Santa Barbara, the hills and more.
You can choose to climb up to the tower using the stairs or you could use the elevator. If you take the elevator up, consider going down the stairs to get a look at the inside of the clock from the stairway.
Visit the Sunken Gardens at the Courthouse
The Sunken Garden is like the Courthouse’s backyard and it is awesome for kids to run around, jump around and play. They are also great for just sitting down and soaking up the sunshine.
If you visit during the summer months of July and August, you can catch a free movie on Friday nights around 8:30pm!
Parks and Playgrounds
There are a lot of playgrounds around Santa Barbara. You can find playgrounds on the beachfront path, at Chase Palm Park and elsewhere. But we think the best parks and playgrounds to visit are the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden, Alameda Park and Kid’s World Playground.
The Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden is a beautiful mini botanical garden and it’s the perfect place to go for a walk, spot Monarch butterflies, watch hummingbirds zoom by or look for turtles sunning on rocks. There are lots of shaded areas as well as places to go soak up the sun. This was a favorite place of ours when we lived in Santa Barbara!
Right across the street from the memorial park is Alameda Park which has an awesome playground structure shaped like a castle. There are also a couple of life-sized marine animals kids can climb on. Our kids loved this park when we brought them there.
Explore Casa de la Guerra
This adobe house dates back to the early 1800s and it’s fun place to check out with (or without) kids. Casa de la Guerra is a popular venue for weddings and other events. Visiting the actual Casa de la Guerra and museum costs money, but the courtyard space is open to the public and free to explore.
Take a stroll in the Mission Park and Rose Garden
These gardens are a great place to soak up the sun, admire the facade of the Queen of all Missions as well as the view of the ocean and town, and a fun place to kick a ball with the little ones while enjoying a cold beverage.
The rose garden is one of the prettiest I’ve been to. It has a wide variety of roses, some dating back to the time when the Mission was built. Enjoy the sweet fragrance of these beautiful roses as you walk around this heavenly garden!
Wander around the “Paseos”
Santa Barbara has a series of pedestrian-only alleyways known as paseos. Most of them go pass restaurants and stores, and a couple of them have hidden small fountains too. Our kids had a blast finding the fountains and the turtles that live in them. The paseos are a great place for kids to lead the way, run around and explore at their own speed.
Watch skateboarders at Skater’s Point
Skater’s Point is located next to the wharf and west beach and it’s a super fun place to do some people watching! Our kids were mesmerized by the skateboarders’ skills, and they were inspired to go inside the park with their bikes to try some tricks!
Catch a stunning sunset at Hendry’s Beach
Officially known at Arroyo Burro Beach, this is where the locals go to walk their dogs, hang out, and watch the sunset. This beach has a great vibe and we totally recommend it! If you feel like grabbing dinner with a view, grab some delicious calamari at the Boathouse, it’s not free but worth the stop! You could also bring your own picnic and drinks, people watch and enjoy the view!
Hike in the Santa Ynez Mountains
If hiking is your thing, then you’ll have plenty to do in Santa Barbara! The Santa Ynez Mountains have lots of hiking trails for all skill levels. Some of our favorites are Rattlesnake Canyon trail, Inspiration Point trail and Romero Canyon trail. Some good hikes we’ve done with our kids are Parma Park trail and Aliso Canyon trail.
Relax at the beach
The beaches in Santa Barbara are gorgeous! When the weather is nice, the best thing to do is spend time at the beach! The closest beaches to town are East Beach and West Beach. We usually go to East Beach because there are bathrooms nearby and we like the fact that it is so big it hardly ever feels crowded.
I hope you find these ideas for free things to do in Santa Barbara with kids helpful! The reality is, when you visit Santa Barbara, you are pretty much guaranteed to have a great time!
For more about our travels, visit our places section.
