Old Mission Santa Barbara

"Queen of the Missions" with twin towers and rose gardens

Founded in 1786 and still an active parish, Santa Barbara's mission is one of the most beautiful of the California chain. The twin-towered facade in red and white, set on a rise above a long lawn and a row of cypress, is the iconic image of the city. A small museum inside covers the mission's history, including the treatment of the Chumash people who were converted, exploited, and often killed by the diseases the missionaries brought.

The cemetery beside the church contains the graves of around 4,000 Chumash who lived and died here, with a single small carved stone marking them collectively. The mission rose garden and the A Street stairway behind the mission are quieter spots worth seeking out.

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A story
After the 1812 earthquake destroyed the original church, the Franciscan friars used illustrations from a 1787 edition of Vitruvius's De Architectura to design the rebuilt facade — making this the only Spanish mission in California modelled on a classical Roman temple. The twin bell towers were added later; the design earned it the nickname 'Queen of the Missions'.