Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum is located in Santa Barbara. It features relics from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, Yankee, and Chinese cultures, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum boasts artifacts, photographs, furnishings and textiles, dating as far back as the 15th century.

In October 1932 a voluntary association was formed consisting of representatives from a number of local organizations. This new association was the Santa Barbara Historical Society. Soon after its founding, the Society was offered the “tower” room in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse as an exhibition space. The Society’s growth necessitated a larger space than the courthouse tower room. Katherine Bagg Hastings offered her home and arranged to transfer ownership of the house to the Society upon her death. The Society would remain housed in the Old Mission for the next eleven years. In 1959 the Society acquired the Judge Charles Fernald Mansion. After a massive restoration project, Fernald House opened to the public as an historic home museum in 1962.