Mission Santa Barbara is, like several others, an evolution of construction. Three chapels of increasing size were built to replace the previous one. The Santa Barbara earthquake (December 21, 1812) destroyed many of the existing buildings at the time, following which the current mission church construction began (completed in 1820). (A 1925 quake damaged the church, but that damange was rebuilt by 1927 in the same style as the 1812-1820 build). Many of the original elements built by the Native Americans at the missionaries' direction remains today (like the aquaducts, reservoirs, filter house and water-powered flour mill).

Secularization affected Mission Santa Barbara much as it did the other missions, leaving it in a state of upheavel from 1834 until 1965, when President Abraham Lincoln restored the property to the Roman Catholic Church. The local Franciscian order felt the property should be deeded to them, and that argument went on until 1925, when the local Catholic bishop finally awarded the deed to the Franciscians. A handful of educational institutions have been founded or connected with the mission, dating back to 1854.

Founded: December 4, 1786 (#10) by Father Fermin Lasuen, in present-day Santa Barbara, California at 2201 Laguna Street.

Visit: Admission is $9 adults, $7 seniors (65+), $4 children 5-17, under 4 are free; as of July 2018. 9am to 4:15pm daily; docent-led tours Tuesday-Friday at 11am, Saturdays at 10:30am.

Learn more: Mission's Web Site * Wikipedia: Mission Santa Barbara * Photos I Took * Tour Map (PDF will open in a new window; copyright Mission Santa Barbara)