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Prospective Students
Living in Santa Barbara
Known as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara is a city rich with culture, beautiful beaches, and gorgeous landscapes. Just over an hour and a half north of Los Angeles and an hour south of San Luis Obispo, working or going to school at UC Santa Barbara means everything is right at your finger tips. There is never a shortage of outdoor or indoor activities, including hiking, surfing, sightseeing, shopping, wine-tasting, dining, and nightclubbing.
- Campus Events
- Sight-Seeing
- Shopping/Dining
- Sports/Recreation
- Community Events
- Transportation
- Guides/Calendars for Santa Barbara
Campus Events
Associated Students Program Board
Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) plans and promotes a variety of events for the campus and community. The board provides entertaining and culturally diverse events in the form of concerts, films, and lectures.
www.asprogramboard.com
Department of Drama and Dance
Students in UCSB Department of Theater and Dance regularly present plays and dance performances.
http://www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu/
MultiCultural Center
Presents over 90 events each year that increase cultural awareness and understanding. These events include lectures, films and videos, panel discussions, readings, art exhibitions, and music, dance, and dramatic performances.
mcc.sa.ucsb.edu/
UCSB Arts & Lectures
Arts & Lectures serves the community by extending and supplementing the intellectual life of the classroom and providing diverse and unique cultural programming, presenting performances, screening films, and offering lectures and special events.
artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu/index.aspx
Sight-Seeing
SB Mission
The “Queen of the Missions” was established in 1786 as the tenth of twenty-one California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.
www.santabarbaramission.org
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art has developed a unique identity with strengths in the following areas: Ancient Art, Asian Art (Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Tibetan), French and English 19th and early 20th Century Art, 19th and early 20th Century American Art, International Modernism, Works on Paper, Photography, and Contemporary Art.
sbmuseart.org
SB Museum of Natural History
This museum features 11 exhibit halls, a life-size blue whale skeleton, a planetarium, an antique natural history art gallery, a museum store and special programs featuring outstanding lecturers and films.
www.sbnature.org
SB Maritime Museum
This museum celebrates the region’s rich maritime history, with informative displays on a wide-range of topics from the original seafarers in the area the Chumash to an interactive exhibit about environmentalism.
www.sbmm.org
SB Botanical Garden
The Garden is a living museum where collections-based research preserves many rare plants and displays them in a beautiful setting – 78 acres of California native plants that illustrate the remarkable diversity of California's flora and vegetation.
www.sbbg.org
SB Zoo
One of the world's most beautiful zoos, the Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of lush botanic gardens overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is home to 160 species of mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. More than 500 animals are exhibited in open, naturalistic habitats.
www.sbzoo.org
Shopping/Dining
La Cumbre Mall
Outdoor shopping mall anchored by Sears and Macy’s and featuring shops such as Tiffany's, Pottery Barn, and J. Crew and restaurants such as Marmalade Cafe and Pizza Mizza.
www.shoplacumbre.com
Paseo Nuevo Mall
Over 60 boutiques, two department stores, and many eclectic restaurants, anchored by Nordstrom and Macy's. Other establishments include bebe, California Pizza Kitchen, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Gap.
www.paseonuevoshopping.com
Camino Real Marketplace
Features everything from large retail stores to small convenience stores, services, restaurants and entertainment including Costco and a state-of-the-art movie theater.
www.caminorealmarketplace.com
Sports/Recreation
SB Parks & Recreation
Information about recreation programs, park and rental facilities, and city parks.
www.sbparksandrecreation.com
SB County Parks
Information about parks and recreational opportunities within the county but outside the city limits.
www.sbparks.org
SB Beaches
A list of the 10 closest beaches, featuring directions and a list of facilities at each.
www.santabarbara.com/activities/beaches
SB Hikes
A helpful guide with frequent condition updates of both front and back county trails in the area.
www.santabarbarahikes.com
SB Wineries and Tours
The region is justly acclaimed for its wines and many of the wineries offer torus and tasting.
www.sbcountywines.com
UC Santa Barbara Athletics
The source for news about all the Gaucho NCAA teams.
ucsbgauchos.com
UC Santa Barbara Recreation Center
The Rec Center features two swimming pools, two gymnasia, three weight rooms, two squash courts, five racquetball courts, a multi-purpose gym, a climbing wall, a Jacuzzi, a pottery studio, a classroom, and additional locker facilities.
http://recreation.sa.ucsb.edu/recreationcenter/default.aspx
Community Events
SB International Film Festival (Jan/Feb)
Over 200 fiction, documentary, and animated films screen over the 11-day festival that also features panels, seminars, and red carpet events with stars like Will Smith, Helen Mirren, and Forest Whitaker.
www.sbiff.org
Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival (April)
A fun chance to meet member vintners, taste their wines, and enjoy great food and music in a festive outdoor environment.
www.sbcountywines.com
Santa Barbara Fair & Expo (April)
A 5-day festival of carnival rides, delicious fair food, and Old West livestock.
www.sbfairandexpo.com
Summer Solstice (June)
This very Santa Barbara tradition involves creative and original displays of floats, marching bands, and the whimsical costumes and masks of more than 1,000 parade participants.
www.solsticeparade.com
Fiesta – Old Spanish Days (Aug)
A celebration of Santa Barbara’s roots through dance, music, food, a parade, and festivities.
www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org
Goleta Lemon Festival (Oct)
A celebration of one of the area’s top crops, featuring sumptuous lemon food, fantastic family atmosphere, and a cornucopia of entertainment and activities.
www.lemonfestival.com
California Avocado Festival (Oct)
A celebration of one of the area’s top crops, featuringthree days of fabulous food, terrific music, and great safe family fun in Carpinteria.
avofest.com
Santa Barbara Bowl Concerts
The largest outdoor amphitheater in Santa Barbara County with a 4,562 capacity, the Bowl retains its intimate ambiance while offering the freedom of a beautiful and natural outdoor venue for major concerts.
www.sbbowl.com
Transportation
Amtrak
209 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: (800) 872-7245
www.amtrak.com
SB Airport
500 Fowler Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 Phone: (805) 967-7111
www.flysba.com
SB Airbus
(transportation to Los Angeles Airport), 5755 Thornwood Drive, Goleta, CA 93117 Phone: 805.964.7759
www.sbairbus.com
SB Metropolitan Transportation District
(local buses), 550 Olive Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: 805.963.3364
www.sbmtd.gov
*Students ride free with a valid student ID
Guides to Santa Barbara
The City of Santa Barbara
www.santabarbaraca.gov/
SantaBarbara.com
(John Dickson’s Santa Barbara Visitors Guide)
www.santabarbara.com/
Santa Barbara
The American Riviera
(The Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission)
www.santabarbaraca.com/
Downtown Santa Barbara
(Santa Barbara Downtown Organization)
www.santabarbaradowntown.com/
Big City Buzz
Events Calendar
bigcitybuzz.com
SBParent.com
(guide for Santa Barbara family resources)
www.sbparent.com
Santa Barbara on Yelp
(user reviews for all things Santa Barbara)
www.yelp.com/santa-barbara-ca-us