The Historical Museum sits inside an adobe complex one block from De la Guerra Plaza and tells Santa Barbara's story from Chumash times through the Spanish, Mexican, Yankee, and Chinese eras. The collection is unusually wide for a small city museum — Chumash basketry, Spanish-era religious art, a working printing press, antique carriages, and a Chinese altar from the city's once-thriving Chinatown.
The building itself is worth the visit: thick whitewashed adobe walls, dark beams, a central courtyard with a fountain, and a small library used by researchers of California history. Admission is free, though a small donation is requested. Allow about an hour.